Thermoplastic resin composition made of blending plant lipid and compact thereof

Abstract

To provide a thermoplastic resin composition made of blending a plant lipid as a biomass material.SOLUTION: Blend plant lipid with thermoplastic resin. The plant lipids can include, for example, canola oil, high oleic canola oil, soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rice oil, peanut oil, palm oil, sesame oil, grape seed oil, macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea oil, wheat germ oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. Additionally, the plant lipid is a fat powder with an average particle size of 50 μm or less, and a melting point of 55°C or higher. Furthermore, the plant lipid is lecithin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin composition containing a vegetable lipid, and a molded article thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Biomass materials are materials derived from living organisms such as plants. Plant lipids are included in this. Since biomass materials are organic, they emit carbon dioxide when burned. However, the carbon contained in them is carbon dioxide fixed in the atmosphere during the growth process of the biomass, so if biomass materials are used, it can be considered that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not increased overall. Therefore, biomass materials are attracting attention against the backdrop of environmental issues such as global warming and carbon neutrality. Furthermore, the need for the development of environmentally friendly products, such as biodegradable plastics, has been increasing in recent years.

[0003] In this situation, in order to promote the idea of ​​carbon neutrality, attempts to blend biomass materials into thermoplastic resins used in various aspects of life are being considered. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a biomass plastic containing a biomass material such as soybean hulls, defatted rapeseed, and corn processing by-products, and a thermoplastic resin. In addition, Patent Document 2 describes a thermoplastic resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin and a lignin decomposition product (palm trunks and empty fruit bunches, bagasse, rice straw, wheat straw, corn residue, etc.). Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a modifier that promotes the bonding between the biomass material and the resin to improve compatibility and increase the dispersibility of the biomass material in the resin, which includes a reaction product of 30 to 75% by weight of a styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, 10 to 30% by weight of a monovalent linear or branched alcohol having a boiling point 25° C. or more higher than the glass transition point of the styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, and 2 to 10% by weight of a metal hydroxide.

[0004] Thus, while there have been studies on blending biomass materials with thermoplastic resins, there have not been many studies on blending plant lipids as the biomass material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-59830 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6281854 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-17426 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a thermoplastic resin composition containing plant lipids as a biomass material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that a desired thermoplastic resin composition can be produced by blending a specific amount of vegetable lipids with a thermoplastic resin, and thus completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention relates to the following. [1] A thermoplastic resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and a vegetable lipid. [2] The thermoplastic resin composition according to [1], wherein the thermoplastic resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polypropylene, and polyethylene. [3] The thermoplastic resin composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the vegetable lipid is one or more selected from rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rice oil, peanut oil, palm oil, sesame oil, grape oil, macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, pumpkin oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea oil, wheat germ oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and their hardened oils, fractionated oils, or interesterified oils. [4] The thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the vegetable lipid is a fat or oil powder having an average particle size of 50 μm or less and a melting point of 55° C. or more. [5] The thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the vegetable lipid is lecithin. [6] The thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the vegetable lipid is blended in an amount of 0.1 to 35 mass% in the thermoplastic resin composition. [7] A molded article obtained by molding the thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of [1] to [6]. [8] A transparency reducer for thermoplastic resins, the active ingredient of which is a plant lipid. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a thermoplastic resin composition containing vegetable lipids as a plasticizer for a thermoplastic resin can be provided. Such a thermoplastic resin composition has high naturalness and can be applied to various industrial products as an environmentally friendly plastic. In particular, when vegetable lipids are used in polypropylene, molded articles that do not cause bleeding can be obtained. Furthermore, when lecithin is used in polypropylene, the releasability from a kneader can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing polylactic acid with 10% vegetable lipids by mass. [Diagram 2] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing 10% by mass of vegetable lipids with polypropylene. [Diagram 3] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing 5% by mass of vegetable lipids with polypropylene. [Figure 4] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing 30% by mass of vegetable lipids with polypropylene. [Diagram 5] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing 10% by mass of vegetable lipids with low-density polyethylene. [Figure 6] This is a photograph of a molded product made by blending 5% or 20% by mass of vegetable lipids with low-density polyethylene. [Figure 7] This is a photo of a molded product made by mixing 10% by mass of vegetable lipids with high-density polyethylene. [Figure 8] This is a photograph of a molded product made by mixing 5% or 15% by mass of vegetable lipids with high-density polyethylene. [Figure 9] This is a photograph of a molded product made by blending 5% or 10% by mass of vegetable lipids with low-density polyethylene. [Figure 10] This is a photograph of a molded product made by blending 5% or 10% by mass of vegetable lipids with high-density polyethylene. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the object of the present invention.

[0012] The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin composition obtained by blending a thermoplastic resin with a vegetable lipid, and a molded article thereof.

[0013] [Thermoplastic resin] The "thermoplastic resin" in the present invention is not particularly limited. Any resin that is commonly used as a thermoplastic resin may be used, and examples thereof include polyolefin-based resins such as polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, polybutene-1, poly3-methylpentene, poly4-methylpentene, α-olefin polymers such as ethylene / propylene block or random copolymers, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyhexamethylene terephthalate, polysulfide resins such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide resins such as polyhexamethylene adipamide, and styrene-based resins such as syndiotactic polystyrene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene ternary copolymers (ABS resins).

[0014] In consideration of environmental circulation, the above-mentioned "thermoplastic resin" may be so-called biodegradable plastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA), and mixtures thereof.

[0015] Among these thermoplastic resins, one or more selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polypropylene, and polyethylene are preferred, as they are general-purpose resins with particularly high marketability.More preferably, one or more selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polypropylene, low-density polyethylene, and high-density polyethylene are preferred.

[0016] The above-mentioned "polylactic acid" is a biodegradable thermoplastic synthetic polyester obtained from renewable resources such as sugars such as sugarcane and corn, as well as other plants. Polylactic acid is also very durable and rigid, and has good processability for most applications. Polylactic acid is not easily decomposed in low temperature and low humidity environments, but is rapidly decomposed in high humidity and high temperature (over 60°C) environments.

[0017] The above-mentioned "polypropylene" refers to a homopolymer of propylene or a copolymer of propylene with one or more other monomers, the content of structural units derived from propylene being 50% by mass or more.

[0018] The above-mentioned "polyethylene" includes polyethylene, ethylene-α-olefin copolymers, and the like, and specific examples thereof include high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), linear very low density polyethylene (VLDPE, ULDPE), and the like. The ethylene-α-olefin copolymer is preferably a copolymer of ethylene and at least one selected from α-olefins having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and more preferably a copolymer of ethylene and at least one selected from α-olefins having 3 to 12 carbon atoms. Examples of the α-olefin include propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, 1-octadecene, and 1-eicosane, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. As the ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, a copolymer of ethylene and at least one comonomer selected from a propylene comonomer, a butene comonomer, a hexene comonomer and an octene comonomer is generally easily available and can be preferably used.

[0019] [Plant lipids] The "plant lipid" used in the present invention will now be explained. The vegetable lipid in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a vegetable lipid, and various types can be used. Examples of vegetable lipids include rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rice oil, peanut oil, palm oil, sesame oil, grape oil, macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, pumpkin oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea oil, wheat germ oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. In addition, these hardened oils, fractionated oils, and interesterified oils are also included in the vegetable oils. The vegetable oils may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The "vegetable oils" in the present invention are preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and palm oil.

[0020] Furthermore, as the "vegetable lipid" of the present invention, a fat or oil powder having an average particle size of 50 μm or less and a melting point of 55° C. or more can be used. Examples of raw materials for this fat or oil powder include palm stearin, extremely hardened palm oil, extremely hardened rapeseed oil, extremely hardened high erucic acid rapeseed oil, extremely hardened soybean oil, extremely hardened sunflower oil, extremely hardened safflower oil, etc., in which 80% by mass or more of the fatty acids constituting the fat or oil are saturated fatty acids having 16 or more carbon atoms, and one or more of these can be used. The melting point of the oil or fat powder is 55°C or higher, preferably 58°C or higher, and more preferably 61°C or higher, and the upper limit of the melting point is preferably 90°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower, and even more preferably 75°C or lower. The oil powder of the present invention is different from powdered oil obtained by spray-drying an emulsion of an aqueous solution containing oil, excipients, emulsifiers, etc.

[0021] The melting point of the oil powder used in the present invention can be determined by DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) measurement, for example, a sample was heated at a temperature increase rate of 10°C / min using a DSC (DSC1 manufactured by Mettler Toledo) to measure the endothermic curve. The melting point can be determined as the temperature at the intersection of the baseline before the start of endothermic reaction by heating and the descending line of the endothermic peak.

[0022] The average particle size (effective diameter) of the oil or fat powder used in the present invention is 50 μm or less, preferably 0.5 to 50 μm, more preferably 0.5 to 40 μm, even more preferably 1 to 30 μm, most preferably 1 to 20 μm, and even more preferably 5 to 15 μm. This is because a chiffon cake made using meringue to which oil / fat powder with an average particle size of more than 50 μm has been added does not increase in volume after heating. Here, the average particle size (effective diameter) refers to the volume average diameter [MV], and the volume average diameter [MV] is obtained by measuring the volume-based particle size distribution by dry measurement using a particle size distribution measuring device (e.g., Shimadzu Corporation, device name: SALD-2300) based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO13320, JIS Z 8825-1), and the obtained volume average diameter [MV] is the average particle size. The volume average diameter [MV] can be calculated from the following formula using the particle size, particle volume, and the sum of the particle volumes. Volume mean diameter [MV] = sum of (particle diameter x volume of the particle) / sum of particle volumes The effective diameter means the particle diameter of the sphere when the measured diffraction pattern of the crystal to be measured matches the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming the crystal to be spherical. In this way, in the case of the laser diffraction scattering method, the effective diameter is calculated by matching the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming the crystal to be spherical with the measured diffraction pattern, so that the measurement can be performed under the same principle whether the measurement object is plate-shaped or spherical.

[0023] The method for producing the oil and fat powder used in the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the oil and fat powder raw material having a melting point of 55° C. or higher can be produced by pulverizing the oil and fat powder raw material using a pulverizer such as a cyclone mill or a hammer mill, airflow pulverization using a fluidized bed jet mill or a counter type jet mill, freeze pulverization, extrusion granulation, spray cooling, or other conventionally known method.

[0024] The fat and oil powder used in the present invention contains a fat and oil component. The fat and oil component contains at least a XXX type triglyceride and optionally contains other triglycerides. The oil and fat component contains one or more XXX type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X with carbon number x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin. The XXX type triglycerides are triglycerides having fatty acid residues X with carbon number x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, and each fatty acid residue X is the same as each other. Here, the carbon number x is an integer selected from 16 to 20, preferably an integer selected from 16 to 18, and more preferably 18. The fatty acid residue X may be a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid residue. Specific examples of the fatty acid residue X include, but are not limited to, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid. More preferred fatty acids are palmitic acid and stearic acid, and even more preferred is stearic acid. The content of the XXX triglyceride is, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more, with the lower limit being, for example, 100% by mass or less, preferably 99% by mass or less, and more preferably 95% by mass or less, when the total mass of the oil powder or oil component is taken as 100% by mass. One or more types of XXX triglyceride can be used, preferably one or two types, and more preferably one type is used. When two or more types of XXX triglyceride are used, the total value is the content of the XXX triglyceride.

[0025] The fat and oil component may contain other triglycerides other than the above-mentioned XXX triglyceride, so long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. The other triglycerides may be a plurality of types of triglycerides, and may be synthetic fats and oils or natural fats and oils. Examples of synthetic fats and oils include glyceryl tricaprylate and glyceryl tricaprate. Examples of natural fats and oils include cocoa butter, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and the like. When the total triglycerides in the fat and oil powder or the fat and oil component are taken as 100% by mass, there is no problem even if the other triglycerides are contained in an amount of, for example, 1% by mass or more, or about 5 to 50% by mass, when the total mass of the fat and oil powder or the fat and oil component is taken as 100% by mass. The content of other triglycerides is, for example, 0 to 50 mass%, preferably 5 to 40 mass%, more preferably 10 to 30 mass%, and even more preferably 15 to 25 mass%, when the total mass of the oil and fat powder or the oil and fat component is 100 mass%.

[0026] The fat and oil powder preferably consists essentially of the fat and oil component, and the fat and oil component preferably consists essentially of triglycerides. Moreover, "substantially" means that the components other than the fat and oil component contained in the fat and oil powder or the components other than triglycerides contained in the fat and oil component are, for example, 0 to 15% by mass, preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 5% by mass, when the fat and oil powder or the fat and oil component is taken as 100% by mass.

[0027] In addition, lecithin can be used as the "vegetable lipid" of the present invention. The "lecithin" used in the present invention refers to a mixture of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylserine. Specifically, for example, vegetable lecithin produced from rapeseed, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, corn, linseed, sesame, olive, rice, coconut, or palm can be mentioned. In addition, hydrogenated products, enzyme-treated products, enzyme decomposition products, lecithin fractions, etc. of these are also included in the "lecithin". These lecithins may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0028] The content of the vegetable lipid in the thermoplastic resin composition is preferably 0.1 to 35 mass%, more preferably 0.5 to 30 mass%, even more preferably 1 to 25 mass%, and most preferably 2 to 20 mass%. When the content of the plant lipid in the thermoplastic resin composition is within this range, the plant lipid is uniformly dispersed in the resin, and a thermoplastic resin composition having appropriate transparency and little bleeding can be obtained.

[0029] [Biomass materials] Next, biomass materials will be described as materials that can be arbitrarily blended into the thermoplastic resin composition. The biomass material used in the present invention is a material derived from a living organism such as a plant, and includes materials in which the solar light energy is converted and stored in the form of starch or cellulose by the photosynthetic action of a plant, the bodies of animals that grow by eating plants, products made by processing plants or animals, etc. Among these, more preferred biomass materials include, for example, wood, rice straw, rice husks, rice bran, old rice, corn, sugar cane, cassava, sago palm, soybean pulp, corn cob, tapioca waste, bagasse, vegetable oil residue, potato, buckwheat, soybean, waste paper, papermaking residue, marine product residue, livestock waste, sewage sludge, food waste, etc. The content of the biomass material in the thermoplastic resin composition may be any amount within a range that does not affect the effects of the present invention, and is, for example, preferably 10 to 60 mass%, more preferably 15 to 55 mass%, and even more preferably 20 to 50 mass%.

[0030] [Optional ingredients] In addition to the above components, the thermoplastic resin composition of the present invention may contain optional components such as known additives and processing aids, as necessary, within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of such optional components include release agents, flame retardants, dispersants, antioxidants, weathering agents, antistatic agents, fillers, antiblocking agents, colorants, antiblooming agents, surface treatment agents, and antibacterial agents. The content of the optional components in the thermoplastic resin composition is, for example, preferably less than 5% by mass, more preferably less than 3% by mass, and even more preferably less than 1% by mass.

[0031] [Method for producing thermoplastic resin composition] Next, a method for producing the thermoplastic resin composition will be described. The thermoplastic resin composition of the present invention can be appropriately used with a conventionally known method for heating and kneading thermoplastic resins. For example, the thermoplastic resin and the vegetable lipid can be compounded by putting them into a heating kneader such as a single-screw extruder, a twin-screw extruder, or a mixing plasticizer. After premixing using a mixer such as a Nauta mixer, a V-type blender, or a Henschel mixer, the mixture can be compounded using the heating kneader.

[0032] [Method for producing molded article using thermoplastic resin composition] In the present invention, after the heating and kneading, a molding process can be carried out using a conventional press machine to produce a thermoplastic resin composition in the form of a molded product of various shapes. In addition, a thermoplastic resin composition in the form of a molding raw material can be produced by pelletizing using a pelletizer or the like. As a method for producing a thermoplastic resin composition in the form of a molded product following the heating and kneading process or using the pelletized molding raw material, a conventionally known molding method for thermoplastic resins can be appropriately adopted. For example, molded products in various shapes such as sheet, film, and tube can be produced by a press molding method, an extrusion molding method (including an inflation method and a T-die method), an injection molding method (including injection press molding and injection foam molding), a calendar molding method, a casting molding method, etc.

[0033] [Transparency reducer for thermoplastic resins] As described later, the vegetable lipid used in the present invention can reduce the transparency of a molded article using a thermoplastic resin to a level lower than that of a molded article not using the vegetable lipid, and the present invention also relates to a transparency reducer for thermoplastic resins containing the vegetable lipid as an active ingredient. Here, "transparency" refers to an index of how much light a thermoplastic resin composition transmits, and is measured by visual inspection based on, for example, how clearly the background picture can be seen. In addition, "reduction" means that the transparency of a thermoplastic resin to which vegetable lipid is added is reduced compared to the transparency of a thermoplastic resin not containing vegetable lipid. As shown below, by blending the transparency reducer of the present invention in any amount with a thermoplastic resin, the transparency of a molded article using a thermoplastic resin can be appropriately reduced, and a thermoplastic resin composition such as ground glass can be produced. Note that, depending on the type of thermoplastic resin, some do not have high transparency to begin with, and some do not reduce transparency much when vegetable lipids are blended, so in that case, it is preferable to adjust the desired transparency by reducing or increasing the blending amount of vegetable lipid. In addition, the transparency reducer for thermoplastic resins of the present invention may be any one that contains the above-mentioned vegetable lipid as an active ingredient, and may also contain other ingredients such as excipients such as dextrin and starch, and quality improvers, within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0034] Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following, "%" indicates mass % unless otherwise specified.

[0035] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition] The raw materials used in the production of the thermoplastic resin composition are shown in Table 1.

[0036] [Table 1]

[0037] Here, the fat powder A is a fat powder (product name "KonaFat #2") sold by Nisshin Oillio Group Ltd., which has an average particle size of 10.0 μm, a melting point of 68.2°C, and a content of XXX type triglyceride having fatty acid residue X (stearic acid residue) with 18 carbon atoms at the 1st to 3rd positions of glycerin of 79.6% by mass when the total mass of the fat powder is taken as 100% by mass. Conafat #2 is a white oil powder made from edible oils and fats derived from plants.

[0038] The analytical method for oil and fat powder is described below. Average particle size of oil powder The average particle size was determined by measuring the volumetric particle size distribution by dry measurement using a particle size distribution analyzer (Shimadzu Corporation, device name: SALD-2300) based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO13320, JIS Z 8825-1) to obtain the volume average diameter [MV], which was then used as the average particle size. The volume average diameter [MV] was calculated from the following formula using the particle size, particle volume, and the sum of the particle volumes. Volume mean diameter [MV] = sum of (particle diameter x volume of the particle) / sum of particle volumes Melting point of oil powder Using a DSC (Mettler Toledo DSC1), the sample was heated at a rate of 10°C / min to measure the endothermic curve. The melting point was determined as the temperature at the intersection of the baseline before the endothermic peak began and the descending line of the endothermic peak. Triglyceride composition The triglyceride composition was analyzed by gas chromatography under the following gas chromatography analysis conditions. DB1-ht (0.32mm x 0.1μm x 5m) Agilent Technologies (123-1131) Injection volume: 1.0μL Inlet: 370℃ Detector: 370℃ Split ratio: 50 / 1 35.1kPa constant pressure Column CT: 200℃(0min hold)~(15℃ / min)~370℃(4min hold)

[0039] A molded article of the thermoplastic resin composition was produced as follows. Specifically, a test kneader (Labo Plastomill 4C150, Banbury Mixer B75, manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisakusho) was used to prepare a kneaded product (corresponding to a thermoplastic resin composition; the same applies below) by kneading a thermoplastic resin and a vegetable lipid. Then, a kneaded product containing 10% by mass of vegetable lipid was prepared, and the kneaded state and the presence or absence of bleeding (immediately after kneading, after pressing, and one day after pressing) were confirmed, and kneaded products with concentrations higher and lower than 10% by mass were also prepared. In addition, the kneaded product was cut and molded into a sheet shape using a small heat press machine (AH-2003, manufactured by AS ONE Corporation). This produced a molded product of the thermoplastic resin composition of the present invention.

[0040] The molded articles of the thermoplastic resin compositions were evaluated based on the following criteria. (1) Dispersion state Whether the blended vegetable lipids were uniformly dispersed in the thermoplastic resin was visually confirmed according to the following criteria. Note that a rating of △ or lower was deemed to be suitable for practical use. 〇: Uniformly distributed △: Dispersed but slightly uneven ×: Not uniformly dispersed (2) Transparency The thermoplastic resin composition containing the vegetable lipid was visually checked for transparency according to the following criteria. The Nissin Linseed Oil product package was used as the background for measuring transparency. However, since not only high transparency is required in the market, the ◎, 〇, △, × transparency does not indicate superiority or inferiority. Low transparency is suitable for use in bathrooms, for example. ◎: High transparency (the background is clearly visible) 〇: Transparency (the background is vaguely visible) △: Slightly opaque (a little of the background is visible) ×: Opaque (background not visible) Bleeding Bleeding refers to the seeping out of liquid or solid from the surface of a resin. The thermoplastic resin composition containing vegetable lipids was visually inspected for the presence or absence of bleeding according to the following criteria. It was determined that the composition was suitable for practical use up to the grade of △. ◎: No bleeding occurs one day after pressing 〇: No bleeding immediately after pressing, but occurs one day after pressing △: Bleeding does not occur immediately after kneading, but occurs after pressing. ×: Bleeding occurs immediately after kneading

[0041] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 1-2, Comparative Example 1)] A molded product of a thermoplastic resin composition based on polylactic acid (PLA) was manufactured as described above, with the composition shown in Table 2. More specifically, the raw materials were mixed in the above-mentioned test mixer, and then shear mixed at 195°C and 100 rpm for 5 minutes, after which the mixture (corresponding to the thermoplastic resin composition) was melted at 195°C for 5 minutes and press molded at 195°C, 5 tons, and 1 minute in the above-mentioned small heat press. A photograph of the final molded product is shown in Figure 1.

[0042] [Table 2]

[0043] Comparative Example 1 did not contain vegetable lipids, and the obtained thermoplastic resin composition was transparent. Example 1 contained 10% by mass of canola oil, which was uniformly dispersed. The transparency was lower than that of Comparative Example 1. There was no problem immediately after kneading, but some bleeding occurred after pressing. Example 2 contained 10% by mass of oil powder A, which was uniformly dispersed. The transparency was even lower than that of Example 1. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. When the thermoplastic resin was polylactic acid, it was found that using oil powder A instead of canola oil resulted in a molded product that did not bleed after one day of pressing.

[0044] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 3-4, Comparative Example 2)] A molded product of a polypropylene (PP)-based thermoplastic resin composition was manufactured as described above, with the composition shown in Table 3. More specifically, the raw materials were mixed in the above-mentioned test mixer, and then shear mixed at 195°C and 100 rpm for 5 minutes. The mixture (corresponding to the thermoplastic resin composition) was then melted at 195°C for 5 minutes and press molded at 195°C, 5 tons, and 1 minute in the above-mentioned small heat press. A photograph of the final molded product is shown in Figure 2.

[0045] [Table 3]

[0046] In Comparative Example 2, no vegetable lipids were included, but the molded product of the obtained thermoplastic resin composition was translucent from the beginning, with the background being vaguely visible. In Example 3, canola oil was included as much as 10% by mass, so the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. The transparency was lower than that of Comparative Example 2 (some yellowing due to heating was also observed), but the background was slightly visible. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 4, the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. The transparency was lower than that of Comparative Example 2 and Example 3, and the background was no longer visible. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing.

[0047] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 5 to 6, Comparative Example 2)] A molded article of a polypropylene (PP)-based thermoplastic resin composition was produced as described above, with the blending amount of vegetable lipids reduced to 5% by mass, as shown in Table 4. A photograph of the final molded article is shown in Figure 3.

[0048] [Table 4]

[0049] In Example 5, since 5% by mass of canola oil was contained, the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform, similar to the 10% by mass content. The transparency was somewhat lower than in Comparative Example 2, but the background was visible (not significantly different from the addition of 10% by mass of canola oil). There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 6, the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. Since the transparency was almost the same as in Comparative Example 2, it was found that the effect on transparency could be suppressed by reducing the blending amount of oil powder A. In other words, it was found that the content of oil powder A has a large effect on transparency. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing.

[0050] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 7 to 8, Comparative Example 2)] A molded article of a polypropylene (PP)-based thermoplastic resin composition was produced in the same manner as above, using the composition shown in Table 5, i.e., increasing the amount of vegetable lipids to 30 mass%. A photograph of the final molded article is shown in Figure 4.

[0051] [Table 5]

[0052] In Example 7, canola oil was contained at 30% by mass, so the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. The transparency decreased as the amount of canola oil was increased. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 8, oil powder A was contained at 30% by mass, so the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. The transparency decreased as the amount of oil powder A was increased, and the mixture became opaque. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing.

[0053] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 9 to 10, Comparative Example 3)] The formulation shown in Table 6, that is, a thermoplastic resin composition based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE), was manufactured as described above. More specifically, the raw materials were mixed in the above-mentioned test mixer and shear mixed at 135°C and 100 rpm for 5 minutes, after which the kneaded material (corresponding to the thermoplastic resin composition) was melted at 150°C for 5 minutes and press molded at 150°C, 5 tons, and 1 minute in the above-mentioned small heat press. A photograph of the final molded product is shown in Figure 5.

[0054] [Table 6]

[0055] Comparative Example 3 had a higher transparency than Comparative Example 2, and the background was clearly visible. In Example 9, even though 10% by mass of canola oil was included, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly compared to Comparative Example 3, even though 10% by mass of canola oil was blended. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, but a small amount of bleeding occurred after pressing. In Example 10, oil powder A was uniformly dispersed. The transparency was reduced by the addition of 10% by mass of oil powder A (the background was slightly visible), but the reduction was not as great as that of the above-mentioned polypropylene (PP). There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. It was found that when the vegetable lipid was canola oil, it did not have much effect on transparency. When oil powder A was used, the transparency decreased, but it was found that a molded product without bleeding after one day of pressing was obtained.

[0056] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 11-12, Comparative Example 3)] A molded article was produced in the same manner as above from a thermoplastic resin composition based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE), using the composition shown in Table 7, i.e., the amount of canola oil was reduced to 5% by mass and the amount of oil powder A was increased by 20% by mass. A photograph of the final molded article is shown in Figure 6.

[0057] [Table 7]

[0058] In Example 11, even when canola oil was contained at 5% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed, similar to 10% by mass. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of canola oil was reduced, and it was transparent. Although not immediately after pressing, a small amount of bleeding occurred after one day. By reducing it to 5% by mass, the occurrence of bleeding was improved. In Example 12, even when the amount of oil powder A was increased to 20% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency was almost the same as when it was 10% by mass by adding 20% ​​by mass of oil powder A, and did not change as much as polypropylene (PP). Bleeding did not occur immediately after kneading, but occurred after pressing. In low-density polyethylene, it was predicted that the upper limit of the amount of oil powder A to be added was about 20% by mass.

[0059] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 13-14, Comparative Example 4)] A thermoplastic resin composition based on high density polyethylene (HDPE) was manufactured as described above, with the formulation shown in Table 8. More specifically, the raw materials were mixed in the test mixer described above, and after shear mixing at 165°C and 100 rpm for 5 minutes, the mixture (corresponding to the thermoplastic resin composition) was melted at 175°C for 5 minutes and press molded at 175°C, 5 tons, and 1 minute in the small heat press described above. A photograph of the final molded product is shown in Figure 7.

[0060] [Table 8]

[0061] In Comparative Example 4, no vegetable lipid was contained, but the obtained thermoplastic resin composition had lower transparency than Comparative Examples 2 and 3, and the background was not visible. In Example 13, canola oil was contained at 10% by mass, but was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly compared to Comparative Example 4, even though 10% by mass of canola oil was blended. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, but a small amount of bleeding occurred after pressing. In Example 14, oil powder A was uniformly dispersed even when blended at 10% by mass. There was no significant change in transparency compared to Comparative Example 4 due to the blending of 10% by mass of oil powder A. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing.

[0062] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 15 to 16, Comparative Example 4)] A molded article of a thermoplastic resin composition based on high density polyethylene (LDPE) was produced in the same manner as above, using the composition shown in Table 9, i.e., lowering the amount of canola oil to 5% by mass and increasing the amount of oil powder A to 15% by mass. Figure 8 shows a photograph of the final molded article.

[0063] [Table 9]

[0064] In Example 15, even when canola oil was contained at 5% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of canola oil was reduced. Bleeding was not observed immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 16, even when the amount of oil powder A was increased to 15% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of oil powder A was increased to 15% by mass. Since the amount of oil powder A was increased to 15% by mass, bleeding did not occur immediately after kneading, but did occur after pressing. It was predicted that the upper limit of the amount of oil powder A in high-density polyethylene was about 15% by mass. In the case of high density polyethylene, it was found that when canola oil was used, no bleeding occurred immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing.

[0065] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 17-18, Comparative Example 3)] Molded articles of thermoplastic resin compositions based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were produced in the same manner as above, using the formulation shown in Table 10, i.e., replacing the vegetable lipids with 5% by mass and 10% by mass of palm oil. Figure 9 shows a photograph of the final molded article.

[0066] [Table 10]

[0067] In Example 17, even when palm oil was contained at 5% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of palm oil was increased. Although not immediately after pressing, a small amount of bleeding occurred after one day. In Example 18, even when the amount of palm oil was increased to 10% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of palm oil was increased. Since the amount of palm oil was increased to 10% by mass, bleeding did not occur immediately after kneading, but did occur after pressing. In low-density polyethylene, the overall tendency was the same as canola oil, and it was predicted that there would be no difference if it was a normal liquid vegetable oil.

[0068] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 19-20, Comparative Example 4)] Molded articles of thermoplastic resin compositions based on high density polyethylene (HDPE) were produced in the same manner as above, using the formulation shown in Table 11, i.e., replacing the vegetable lipids with 5% by mass and 10% by mass of palm oil. Figure 10 shows a photograph of the final molded article.

[0069] [Table 11]

[0070] In Example 19, even when palm oil was contained at 5% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of palm oil was increased. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 20, even when the amount of palm oil was increased to 10% by mass, it was uniformly dispersed. The transparency did not change significantly even when the amount of palm oil was increased. Since the amount of palm oil was increased to 10% by mass, there was no bleeding immediately after kneading, but a small amount of bleeding occurred after pressing. In high-density polyethylene, it was predicted that there would be no difference from canola oil overall, and that there would be no difference if it was a normal liquid vegetable oil.

[0071] [Production of Thermoplastic Resin Composition Molded Articles (Examples 21-22, Comparative Examples 2-3)] Molded articles of thermoplastic resin compositions based on polypropylene and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were produced in the same manner as described above, using the formulation shown in Table 12, that is, adding 5% by mass of lecithin as a vegetable lipid.

[0072] [Table 12]

[0073] In Example 21, even when 5% by mass of lecithin was contained in polypropylene, the dispersion was somewhat non-uniform. The color of the lecithin became darker and browner upon heating, and the transparency was considerably reduced. There was no bleeding immediately after kneading, after pressing, or one day after pressing. In Example 22, when 5% by mass of lecithin was contained in low-concentration polyethylene, the dispersion was uneven. The transparency reflected the color of the lecithin and turned yellow, but the background was somewhat visible. Bleeding did not occur immediately after pressing, but occurred one day after pressing. When lecithin was used, it was found that the kneading state (dispersion state, transparency) tended to be similar to that of vegetable oil. It was found that the release property of the thermoplastic resin composition from the test kneader was better when lecithin was used than when vegetable oil was used.

Claims

1. A thermoplastic resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and a vegetable lipid.

2. The thermoplastic resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

3. The thermoplastic resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable lipid is one or more selected from rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rice oil, peanut oil, palm oil, sesame oil, grape oil, macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, pumpkin oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea oil, wheat germ oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and their hardened oils, fractionated oils, or interesterified oils.

4. The thermoplastic resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable lipid is a fat powder having an average particle size of 50 μm or less and a melting point of 55° C. or more.

5. The thermoplastic resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the vegetable lipid is lecithin.

6. The thermoplastic resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable lipid is blended in an amount of 0.1 to 35% by mass in the thermoplastic resin composition.

7. A molded article obtained by molding the thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A transparency reducer for thermoplastic resins, containing plant lipids as the active ingredient.

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