Nucleating composition and thermoplastic polymer composition comprising such nucleating composition

1. A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising

a thermoplastic polymer and

a nucleating composition comprising:

(a) a first nucleating agent, which comprises a cyclic dicarboxylate salt compound; and

(b) a second nucleating agent, which comprises talc,

wherein the cyclic dicarboxylate salt compound has the formula (I):

and

 wherein the amount of the first nucleating agent is from 0.025 to 0.05 wt %,

 wherein the amount of the second nucleating agent is from 2.5 to 5 wt %,

 wherein a weight ratio of the first nucleating agent to the second nucleating agent is from 1:200 to 1:50,

 wherein said thermoplastic polymer is a heterophasic propylene copolymer comprising a matrix phase comprising propylene and a dispersed phase comprising an ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer,

 wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer comprises from 60 to 92 wt % of the matrix phase and from 8 to 40 wt % of the dispersed phase,

 wherein the matrix phase comprises a propylene homopolymer and/or a propylene copolymer comprising at least 90 wt % of propylene and up to 10 wt % ethylene and/or at least one C 4 to C 10 alpha-olefin, and

 wherein the ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer of the dispersed phase comprises from 40 to 65 wt % of ethylene and from 35 to 60 wt % of at least one C 3 to C 10 alpha-olefin.

2. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer comprises from 60 to 91 wt % of the matrix phase and from 9 to 40 wt % of the dispersed phase,

wherein the matrix phase comprises a propylene homopolymer and/or a propylene copolymer comprising at least 90 wt % of propylene and up to 10 wt % ethylene and/or at least one C 4 to C 10 alpha-olefin and

wherein the ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer of the dispersed phase comprises from 40 to 65 wt % of ethylene and from 35 to 60 wt % of at least one C 3 to C 10 alpha-olefin.

3. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 2 ,

wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer has a MFI of less than 1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg.

4. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 3 ,

wherein the matrix phase has a MFI of less than 1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg.

5. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 4 ,

wherein the ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer of the dispersed phase has a MFI of 0.001 to 0.1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg.

6. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a MFI of 0.1 to 0.5 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg.

7. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 6 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in a perpendicular orientation of at least 1500 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10.

8. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 7 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has an Izod impact strength in a perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of at least 10 according to ISO 180 4A.

9. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 8 ,

wherein the amount of the second nucleating agent is from 2.5 to 3 wt %.

10. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 9 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in the perpendicular orientation of at least 1600 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10 and an Izod impact strength in the perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of at least 12 according to ISO 180 4A.

11. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 10 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in the perpendicular orientation of at least 1800 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10 and an Izod impact strength in the perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of at least 16 according to ISO 180 4A.

12. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in a perpendicular orientation of at least 1500 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10 and an Izod impact strength in the perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of at least 10 according to ISO 180 4A; and

said thermoplastic polymer has a MFI of 0.1 to 0.5 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg, wherein

the heterophasic propylene copolymer comprises from 60 to 91 wt % of the matrix phase and from 9 to 40 wt % of the dispersed phase, and has a MFI of less than 1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg,

the matrix phase comprises a propylene homopolymer and/or a propylene copolymer comprising at least 90 wt % of propylene and up to 10 wt % ethylene and/or at least one C 4 to C 10 alpha-olefin, and has a MFI of less than 1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg, and

the ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer of the dispersed phase comprises from 40 to 65 wt % of ethylene and from 35 to 60 wt % of polypropylene, and has a MFI of 0.001 to 0.1 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg.

13. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 12 ,

wherein

the heterophasic propylene copolymer has MFI of 0.32 to 0.40 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg,

the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in a perpendicular orientation of 1844 to 1975 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10, and

the thermoplastic polymer composition has an Izod impact strength in a perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of 14.65 to 18.0 according to ISO 180 4A.

14. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the heterophasic propylene copolymer has MFI of 0.32 to 0.40 dg/min as determined by ISO 1133 at 230° C.; 2.16 kg,

the thermoplastic polymer composition has a flexural modulus in a perpendicular orientation of 1844 to 1975 MPa as determined by ASTM D790-10, and

the thermoplastic polymer composition has an Izod impact strength in a perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of 14.65 to 18.0 according to ISO 180 4A.

15. The thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has an Izod impact strength in the perpendicular orientation (23° C., kJ/m 2 ) of at least 16 according to ISO 180 4A.

16. A shaped article comprising the thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the article has a thermo oxidative resistance as measured using EN 728:1997 of at least 100 min and/or

wherein the article has a pressure resistance as determined according to EN 1852 (20 and 110 mm pipes) at 80° C. of at least 1000 hours at 4.2 MPa and/or wherein the article has a pressure resistance as determined according to EN1852 (20 and 100 mm pipes) at 95° C. of at least 3000 hours at 2.5 MPa and/or

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a Charpy notched impact strength as determined using ISO179-1:2010 of at least 50 kJ/m 2 at 23° C. and/or

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a Charpy notched impact strength as determined at 0° C. using ISO179-1:2010 of at least 25 kJ/m 2 , for example of about 35 kJ/m 2 and/or

wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a Charpy notched impact strength as determined at −20° C. using ISO179-1:2010 of at least 5 kJ/m 2 at −20° C.

17. The shaped article according to claim 16 , wherein the article is a pipe.

18. The shaped article according to claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a Charpy notched impact strength as determined using ISO179-1:2010 of at least 60 kJ/m 2 at 23° C.; and a Charpy notched impact strength as determined at −20° C. using ISO179-1:2010 of at least 6 kJ/m 2 at −20° C.

19. A shaped article comprising the thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 12 , wherein the shaped article has

a thermo oxidative resistance as measured using EN 728:1997 of at least 100 min,

a pressure resistance as determined according to EN 1852 (20 and 110 mm pipes) at 80° C. of at least 1000 hours at 4.2 MPa, and

a pressure resistance as determined according to EN1852 (20 and 100 mm pipes) at 95° C. of at least 3000 hours at 2.5 MPa, hours;

and wherein the shaped article is a pipe.