| abstract |
The invention includes a process of preparing a coupled polymer characterized by heating an admixture containing (1) at least one ethylene polymer or blend of ethylene polymers having a density of at least about 0.89 g/mL and less than about 0.935 g/mL and a comonomer content between about 0.5 and 50 weight percent of an alpha olefin having greater than 2 and less than 20 carbon atoms per molecule and (2) a coupling amount of at least one poly(sulfonyl azide) to at least the decomposition temperature of the poly(sulfonyl azide) for a period sufficient for decomposition of at least about 80 weight percent of the poly(sulfonyl azide) and sufficient to result in a coupled polymer. The amount of poly(sulfonyl azide) is preferably from about 0.01 to about 5 weight percent of polymers in the admixture. The invention also includes any composition which is the product of any of the processes of the invention and articles made from those compositions, particularly any film of any composition of the invention. Additionally the invention includes a use of any composition of the invention in a process of blowing, casting or calendaring a film. More particularly the invention includes articles of compositions of the invention which are trash bags, agricultural films, construction films, or geomembranes, grocery sacks, sealant layers, tie layers, produce bags, garment bags, shipping sacks, medical films, stretch films, shrink films, agricultural films, greenhouse films, construction films, or stretch hooders. |