Polymer materials based on ethylene copolymers with substituted norbornene

The copolymers of ethylene with 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene containing 10-65% of the cyclic comonomer have been prepared with the use of three ansa-metallocene catalysts, namely, Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2-methylaluminoxane, Et[IndH(4)](2)ZrCl2-methylaluminoxane, and Me2Si[Ind](2)ZrCl2-methylaluminoxane. Side groups > C=CH-CH3 capable of participation in the ozonolysis reaction have been incorporated into polymer chains via the copolymerization of ethylene with the cyclic comonomer. As evidenced by DSC, and X-ray diffraction, and very cold neutron scattering measurements of the supramolecular structure of the copolymers, the enrichment of the copolymer with the cyclic comonomer causes transformation of the ethylene-5-ethylidene-2-norbornene copolymer from the semicrystalline state to the amorphous state. This effect is accompanied by an increase in the density and optical transparency of the material and a rise in its glass transition temperature. Among the copolymers under study, the highest T-g (83 degrees C) is exhibited by the copolymer synthesized with the Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2-methylaluminoxane catalyst and containing 30 mol % 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.