PFROPFCOPOLYMERES, VERFAHREN ZU SEINER HERSTELLUNG UND DARAUS HERGESTELLTE MISCHUNGEN

A novel graft copolymer capable of imparting to a polyolefin when blended therewith a good balance of tensile modulus, sag resistance and melt viscosity, is a polyolefin trunk having a, preferably relatively high weight-average molecular weight, methacrylate polymer chain grafted thereto. The graft copolymer is formed by dissolving a non-polar polyolefin in an inert hydrocarbon solvent, and, while stirring the mixture, adding methacrylate monomer together with initiator to produce a constant, low concentration of radicals, and covalently graft a polymer chain, preferably of relatively high molecular weight, to the polyolefin backbone. The graft copolymer can be separated from the solvent, by volatilizing the solvent, for example in a devolatilizing extruder, and pelletised or extruded or otherwise shaped into a desired shape such as a sheet, tube or the like. This graft copolymer can be blended with a polyolefin matrix to improve its physical properties in the melt, upon cooling, and in the solid state, and is useful in cast and oriented films, solid extruded rod and profile, foamed rod, profile and sheet and blown bottles. The graft copolymer can also be used to improve compatibility between polymers in a wide range of polymer blends.