Radiation sterilizable propylene polymer compositions and articles manufactured therefrom

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A high energy radiation sterilizable propylene polycomposition comprising a propylene polymer mixture of from about 0 to about 50 wt % of propylene homopolymer, from about 40 to about 97 wt % of a random copolymer of propylene and ethylene and from about 3 to about 10 wt % of a linear low density copolymer of ethylene and at least one C.
sub.
4 -C.
sub.
18 alpha-olefin having a density in the range from about 0.
910 to about 0.
935 gm/cc, said composition containing (a) from about 0.
02 to about 2.
0 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer of a hindered amine which is the polycondensation product of a dialkyl-substituted alkanedioic acid with a 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetraalkylpiperidine alkanol, the product having the general formula ##STR4## wherein R.
sub.
1 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, x and y are each integers from 2 to 4 and n is an integer from 5 to 20; (b) from about 0.
02 to about 1.
0 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer of a di(alkyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite having the general formula ##STR5## wherein R.
sub.
2 and R.
sub.
3, independently from each other, are alkyl groups containing from 10 to 30 carbon atoms, and (c) from about 0.
01 to about 0.
5 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer of a hindered phenolic antioxidant having the formula ##STR6## wherein R.
sub.
4 is a group selected from isopropyl, t-butyl or isoamyl and x and y are each an integer from 2 to 4.
2.
The composition of claim 1, wherein the concentration of component (a) is between about 0.
1 and about 0.
4 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer.
3.
The composition of claim 1, wherein the concentration compound (b) is between about 0.
05 and about 0.
2 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer.
4.
The composition of claim 1, wherein the concentration of component (c) is between about 0.
03 and about 0.
15 wt % based on the weight of the propylene polymer.
5.
The composition of claim 1 wherein the propylene polymer is a propylene homopolymer