Polyolefin compositions with improved soft touch properties

1. A composition, comprising:

a polymer composition prepared from a mixture of polyolefin and a rubber component, wherein the mixture is prepared in a post-reactor process;

wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 0.10 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 Pa·s;

wherein the polyolefin comprises polyethylene, wherein the polyethylene is one or more selected from a group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, and ethylene copolymer;

wherein the polyethylene has a high load melt index (HLMI) according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./21.6 kg in a range of 1 g/10 min to 80 g/10 min; and

wherein the polyethylene has a melt flow index according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./2.16 kg (I 2 ) in a range of 0.01 g/10 min to 60 g/10 min.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin has a Mw/Mn in a range of 1 to 50.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin has a number average molecular weight (M n ) in a range of 2 kDa to 60 kDa.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin has a z-average molecular weight (M z ) in a range of 50 kDa to 1,500 kDa.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) in a range of 40 kDa to 600 kDa.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene has a density as determined according to ASTM D792 in a range of 0.910 g/cm3 to 0.970 g/cm3.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene has a secant modulus at 1% according to ASTM D882 in a range of 50 MPa to 3,000 MPa.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene has a breaking strength according to ASTM D882 in a range of 10 MPa to 600 MPa.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene has an IZOD impact strength at 23° C. according to ASTM D256 Method A that ranges from 1 J/m to no break (NB).

10. A composition, comprising:

a polymer composition prepared from a mixture of polyolefin and a rubber component, wherein the mixture is prepared in a post-reactor process;

wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 0.10 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 Pa·s;

wherein the polyolefin comprises polypropylene;

wherein the polypropylene has a fraction of solubles in xylene according to ASTM D5492 in a range of 1.0 wt % to 46 wt %; and

wherein the polypropylene has a crystallinity according to ASTM D3417 in a range of 30% to 70%.

11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the polypropylene has melt flow index (MFI) according to ASTM D1238 at 230° C./2.16 kg in a range of 0.1 g/10 min to 1,500 g/10 min.

12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the polypropylene has a density according to ASTM D792 in a range of 0.85 g/cm3 to 0.95 g/cm3.

13. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the polypropylene is a heterophasic copolymer.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the heterophasic copolymer comprises a rubber phase wherein the rubber phase has an ethylene content according to ASTM D7399 in a range of 30 to 70 percent by weight of the rubber phase.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin has a monomodal molecular weight distribution peak.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is multimodal and comprises a low molecular weight (LMW) fraction and a high molecular weight (HMW) fraction, wherein the weight ratio of the LMW fraction and the HMW fraction is in the range from 20:80 to 80:20.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber component comprises an ethylene vinyl acetate rubber.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the ethylene vinyl acetate rubber comprises a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene alpha-olefin polymer, polyorganosiloxane, plasticizer, and rubber.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber component comprises a mixture of thermoplastic ethylene vinyl acetate and rubber.

20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the polyolefin is present at 50 wt % to 99 wt %, the thermoplastic ethylene vinyl acetate is present at 20 wt % to 50 wt %, and the rubber is present at 20 wt % to 30 wt %.

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber component comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

22. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the polyolefin is present at 10 wt % to 50 wt % and the thermoplastic elastomer is present at 50 wt % to 90 wt %.

23. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition has a breaking strength according to ASTM D882 in a range of 20 MPa to 800 MPa.

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition has an IZOD impact strength at 23° C. according to ASTM D256 Method A that ranges from 1 J/m to no break (NB).

25. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition has a Shore D Hardness according to ASTM D2240 that ranges from 10 to 50 Shore D.

26. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition has a Shore A Hardness according to ASTM D2240 that ranges from 30 to 80 Shore A.

27. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 100 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 300 to 1,500 Pa·s.

28. An article prepared from the composition of claim 1 .

29. A multilayer article, comprising:

two or more layers, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a polymer composition prepared from a mixture of polyolefin and a rubber component;

wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 0.10 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 Pa·s;

wherein the polyolefin comprises polyethylene, wherein the polyethylene is one or more selected from a group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, and ethylene copolymer;

wherein the polyethylene has a high load melt index (HLMI) according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./21.6 kg in a range of 1 g/10 min to 80 g/10 min; and

wherein the polyethylene has a melt flow index according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./2.16 kg (I 2 ) in a range of 0.01 g/10 min to 60 g/10 min.

30. The multilayer article of claim 29 , wherein the layer comprising the tactile polymer is the outermost layer of the multilayer article.

31. A blow molded multilayer article, comprising:

two or more layers, wherein the outermost layer comprises a polymer composition prepared from a mixture of polyolefin and a rubber component;

wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 0.10 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 10,000 to 40,000 Pa·s;

wherein the polyolefin comprises polyethylene, wherein the polyethylene is one or more selected from a group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, and ethylene copolymer;

wherein the polyethylene has a high load melt index (HLMI) according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./21.6 kg in a range of 1 g/10 min to 80 g/10 min; and

wherein the polyethylene has a melt flow index according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./2.16 kg (I 2 ) in a range of 0.01 g/10 min to 60 g/10 min.

32. A method, comprising

preparing a polymer composition by combining a polyolefin and a rubber component by melt mixture to produce a blended polymer composition;

wherein the polymer composition has a complex viscosity at 0.10 rad/s according to ASTM D4440 in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 Pa·s;

wherein the polyolefin comprises polyethylene, wherein the polyethylene is one or more selected from a group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, and ethylene copolymer;

wherein the polyethylene has a high load melt index (HLMI) according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./21.6 kg in a range of 1 g/10 min to 80 g/10 min; and

wherein the polyethylene has a melt flow index according to ASTM D1238 at 190° C./2.16 kg (I 2 ) in a range of 0.01 g/10 min to 60 g/10 min.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein combining comprises adding the polyolefin and the rubber component into an extruder.