Polymers comprising units derived from ethylene, said polymer having: a) a
Melt Index of from 0.05 to 20 g/10 min. as determined by ASTM-1238
Condition E; b) at least 10 per 1000 C-atoms of short chain branches,
containing five carbon atoms or less, as determined by C13 NMR, and less
than 3.5 mol %, of units derived from a copolymerizable ethylenically
unsaturated ester; c) a density of from 0.90 to 0.94 g/cm.sup.3,
preferably 0.91 to 0.935 g/cm.sup.3, especially 0.92 to 0.93 g/cm.sup.3
as determined by ASTM D1505; and d) a relaxation time as described herein
of at least 10 s. Such polymers can be obtained by free radical
polymerization using a chain transfer agent that incorporates into the
polymer chain such as an alpha-olefin, preferably propylene, as a chain
transfer agent, preferably in a tubular reactor under circumstances to
favor LCB formation in a down stream part of the tubular reactor.