Unsaturated copolymers

Claim 2

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer which is a random copolymer of an α-olefin selected from one member of the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and 4-methyl-1-pentene with a branched 1,4-diene of the formula ##STR5## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, and each of R 2 and R 3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, the case where R 2 and R 3 are both hydrogen being excluded, said copolymer having a content of said branched 1,4-diene of 0.01 to 20 mol percent, an initial modulus of elasticity of 500 to 100,000 kg.f./cm. 2 and a melt index of at the most 500 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 3

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1 in which the α-olefin is propylene.

Claim 4

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1 in which the α-olefin is ethylene.

Claim 5

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1 in which the α-olefin is 4-methyl-1-pentene.

Claim 6

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 in which the branched 1,4-diene is a member selected from the group consisting of 4-methyl-1,4-hexadiene, 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

A process for producing a thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer which is a random copolymer of an α-olefin selected from one member of the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and 4-methyl-1-pentene with a branched 1,4-diene, said process comprising causing a mixture consisting essentially of said α-olefin and said branched 1,4-diene to contact a Ziegler-Natta catalyst whose transition metal component is a solid halogen-containing titanium compound or a solid composition thereof in the presence of hydrogen in a quantity such that the ratio of the partial pressure of hydrogen to the partial pressure of said α-olefin is a minimum of 0.01, said branched 1,4-diene having the formula ##STR6## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, and each of R 2 and R 3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, the case where R 2 and R 3 are both hydrogen being excluded, said copolymer having a content of said branched 1,4-diene of 0.01 to 30 mol percent and a melt index of at the most 500 grams/10 minutes, thereby producing a thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer having an initial modulus of elasticity of 500 to 100,000 kg. f./cm. 2 .

Claim 8

A process for producing a thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer which is a random copolymer of an α-olefin selected from one member of the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, and 4-methyl-1-pentene with a branched 1,4-diene, said process comprising causing a mixture consisting essentially of said α-olefin and said branched 1,4-diene to contact a Ziegler-Natta catalyst whose transition metal component is a solid halogen-containing titanium compound or a solid composition thereof in the presence of hydrogen in a quantity such that the ratio of the partial pressure of hydrogen to the partial pressure of said α-olefin is a minimum of 0.01, said branched 1,4-diene having the formula ##STR6## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, and each of R 2 and R 3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, the case where R 2 and R 3 are both hydrogen being excluded, said copolymer having a content of said branched 1,4-diene of 0.01 to 30 mol percent and a melt index of at the most 500 grams/10 minutes, thereby producing a thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer having an initial modulus of elasticity of 500 to 100,000 kg. f./cm. 2 .

Claim 9

A process for producing a thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer according to claim 6 in which said branched 1,4-diene is a member selected from the group consisting of 4-methyl-1,4-hexadiene, 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 6 in which said branched 1,4-diene is treated with alumina beforehand prior to polymerization.

Claim 11

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer which is a substantially random copolymer of propylene and a branched 1,4-diene of the formula ##STR7## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, and each of R 2 and R 3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, the case where R 2 and R 3 are both hydrogen being excluded, wherein prior to copolymerization, propylene is caused to undergo homopolymerization in a quantity of about 0.25 to 3 percent by weight of the total polymer and said copolymer has a content of said branched 1,4-diene of about 0.01 to 20 mol. percent, an initial modulus of elasticity of 500 to 100,000 kg./f./cm. 2 and a melt index of at the most 500 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 12

A thermoplastic, substantially resinous, unsaturated copolymer which is a substantially random copolymer of propylene and a branched 1,4-diene of the formula ##STR7## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, and each of R 2 and R 3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group of at the most 8 carbon atoms, the case where R 2 and R 3 are both hydrogen being excluded, wherein prior to copolymerization, propylene is caused to undergo homopolymerization in a quantity of about 0.25 to 3 percent by weight of the total polymer and said copolymer has a content of said branched 1,4-diene of about 0.01 to 20 mol. percent, an initial modulus of elasticity of 500 to 100,000 kg./f./cm. 2 and a melt index of at the most 500 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 13

The unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1 which has a melt index of from about 0.001 to 200 g./10 min. and an initial modulus of elasticity of about 1,000 to 80,000 kg.f./cm. 2 .

Claim 14

The unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1, which has a melt index of from about 0.01 to 100 g./10 min. and an initial modulus of elasticity of about 2,500 to 50,000 kg.f./cm. 2 .

Claim 15

The unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1, in which the content of said branched 1,4-diene is about 0.05 to 15 mol percent.

Claim 16

The unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1, in which the content of said branched 1,4-diene is about 0.1 to 10 mol percent.

Claim 17

The unsaturated copolymer according to claim 1 which has been prepared by copolymerization of said α-olefin and said branched 1,4-diene by contact with Ziegler-Natta catalyst having a transition metal component comprising a solid halogen-containing titanium compound or a solid composition thereof.