The present invention provides a soft multimodal random heterophasic polypropylene composition (m-Raheco) with improved stiffness and impact behaviour while maintaining optical properties. The multimodal random heterophasic polypropylene composition (m-Raheco) is suitable as material for injection moulding, e.g. for thin walled injection moulded articles. The present invention also describes specific propylene random copolymers as modifiers or compatibilizers in polyolefins and their according use.

The present invention deals with a process for producing a coated pipe. The process comprises (i) homopolymerising ethylene or copolymerising ethylene and an -olefin comonomer in a first polymerisation step in the presence of a polymerisation catalyst to produce a first ethylene homo- or copolymer having a density of from 940 to 980 kg/m.sup.3 and a melt flow rate MFR.sub.2 of from 1 to 2000 g/10 min; (ii) homopolymerising ethylene or copolymerising ethylene and an -olefin comonomer in a second polymerisation step in the presence of a first ethylene homo- or copolymer to produce a first ethylene polymer mixture comprising the first ethylene homo- or copolymer and a second ethylene homo- or copolymer, said first ethylene polymer mixture having a density of from 940 to 980 kg/m.sup.3 and a melt flow rate MFR.sub.2 of from 10 to 2000 g/10 min; (iii) copolymerising ethylene and an -olefin comonomer in a third polymerisation step in the presence of the first ethylene polymer mixture to produce a second ethylene polymer mixture comprising the first ethylene polymer mixture and a third ethylene copolymer, said second ethylene polymer mixture having a density of from 915 to 965 kg/m.sup.3, preferably from 930 to 955 kg/m.sup.3 and a melt flow rate MFR.sub.5 of from 0.2 to 10 g/10 min; (iv) providing a pipe having an outer surface layer; (v) applying a coating composition onto the pipe outer surface layer to form a top coat layer, wherein the coating composition comprises the second ethylene polymer mixture.

The application provides a bimodal polypropylene random copolymer with good response to nucleating agents, increased crystallization temperature, good mechanical and optical properties, as well as low amounts of extractables and good processability in the sense of high Melt Flow Rate. The present invention further relates to articles made thereof, and the use of the bimodal polypropylene random copolymer for specific applications. It also relates to a process for the preparation of said bimodal polypropylene random copolymer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductive composition comprising (A) at least 52.0 wt %, preferably from 55.0 to 90.0 wt %, more preferably from 60.0 to 85.0 wt %, most preferably from 65.0 to 80.0 wt % of a heterophasic propylene copolymer having a matrix phase and an elastomeric phase dispersed in said matrix phase, based on the total weight amount of the semiconductive composition; and (B) from 5.0 to 40.0 wt %, preferably from 10.0 to 38.0 wt %, more preferably from 15.0 to 35.0 wt %, most preferably from 20.0 to 33.0 wt % of carbon black based on the total weight amount of the semiconductive composition, an article comprising said semiconductive composition, preferably a cable comprising an semiconductive layer comprising said semiconductive composition and the use of said semiconductive composition as inner and/or outer semiconductive layer for medium and high voltage cables.

A process for the preparation of isotactic propylene polymer compositions involving the polymerisation of propylene and optionally one or more comonomers selected from ethylene and -olefins containing 4 to 12 carbon atoms in one or more reaction steps in the present of a catalyst system comprising 45 to 99 wt.-% of a metallocene catalyst and 1 to 55 wt.-% of a Ziegler Natta catalyst having a non-phthalate internal donor and having been prepolymerised with a monomer (I) of the general formula CH.sub.2CHCHR.sup.1R.sub.2 (I) wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are either individual alkyl groups with one or more carbon atoms or form an optionally substituted saturated, unsaturated or aromatic ring or a fused ring system containing 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a propylene-based block copolymer, the deposition thereof on the inner wall of the polymerization vessel having been sufficiently inhibited. The propylene-based block copolymer of the present invention has a flowability evaluation value of 40% or less, the value being calculated with the following equation wherein X (sec) is the number of seconds over which 100 g of the copolymer having ordinary temperature falls from a stainless-steel funnel having an inner diameter of 11.9 mm and Y (sec) is the number of seconds over which 100 g of the copolymer which has been held at 80 C. for 24 hours under a load of 10 kg falls from the funnel having an inner diameter of 11.9 mm.

Flowability evaluation value (%)={(Y/X)1}100.

Embodiments of a method of producing a multimodal ethylene-based polymer comprising a first catalyst and a second catalyst in a first solution polymerization reactor and a third catalyst in a second solution polymerization reactor.

The present invention relates to a bimodal polyethylene composition comprising a low molecular weight polyethylene homopolymer fraction and high molecular weight polyethylene copolymer fraction having a C.sub.4 to C.sub.10 -olefin comonomer content of 0.25 to 3% mol with respect to the total monomer comprised in the high molecular weight polyethylene comonomer fraction, wherein the content of the low molecular weight polyethylene is from 50 to 60 wt % with respect to the total weight of the bimodal polyethylene composition; and the bimodal polyethylene composition has a soluble fraction according to Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene with 300 ppm of butylated hydroxytoluene at 150 C. of less than 6 wt %; and a pipe comprising the same.

The present invention relates to a polyethylene resin suitable for preparing moulded articles, such as caps and closures. The invention provides in particular a polyethylene resin comprising at least two polyethylene fractions A and B, wherein said polyethylene resin has a melt index (MI2), of at least 3.0 g/10 min to at most 5.5 g/10 min as measured according to ISO 1133, condition D, at 190 C. and under a load of 2.16 kg, and a density of at least 0.955 g/cm.sup.3 to at most 0.965 g/cm.sup.3 as measured according to ISO 1183 at 23 C., and a molecular weight distribution M.sub.w/M.sub.n which is at most 7.0, as determined by gel permeation chromatography, with M.sub.w being the weight-average molecular weight and M.sub.n being the number-average molecular weight; and wherein said polyethylene fraction A has a high load melt index (HLMI), as measured according to ISO 1133:1997 condition G at 190 C. and under a load of 21.6 kg, of at least 10.5 and a melt index (MI2) of at least 0.5 g/10 min to at most 1.5 g/10 min as measured according to ISO 1133, condition D, at 190 C. and under a load of 2.16 kg. The invention further relates to a process for preparing said polyethylene resin, to a cap or closure comprising said polyethylene, and to a process for producing such a cap or closure.

The present invention relates to a heterophasic propylene copolymer polymerized the presence of a single-site catalyst with a low tensile modulus, a process for preparing such a heterophasic propylene copolymer and articles made therefrom.