Polymer composition and use and method for the production thereof

Abstract

To provide a polymer composition containing a plant-derived filler, excellent in moldability and having high mechanical properties.SOLUTION: A polymer composition is prepared by combining a polymer component, a plant-derived filler, and a reduced form of a saccharide, including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide. The reduced form of the saccharide may include a reduced disaccharide having one pyranose ring and a plurality of hydroxyl groups in the molecule. The polymer component may comprise a thermoplastic resin or a rubber. The plant-derived filler may be contained in an amount of 1 to 100 parts by mass and the reduced form of the saccharide may be contained in an amount of 0.01 to 100 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the polymer component. The plant-derived filler may contain a cellulose fiber. The polymer composition may be prepared by mixing a plant-derived filler, a reduced saccharide including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide, and water to obtain a mixture, subjecting the mixture to extrusion granulation to obtain a granulated body, and then mixing the granulated body with a polymer component.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a polymer composition in which a plant-derived filler is blended in a polymer component, as well as uses and production methods thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Cellulose, a plant-derived fiber, is a sustainable resource with a low environmental impact and possesses excellent properties, such as a high modulus of elasticity, high strength, and a low coefficient of linear expansion. Therefore, it is used in a wide range of applications, including materials such as paper, films, and sheets, and composite materials containing polymer components (e.g., as a reinforcing agent for polymer components). In particular, cellulose is added to composite materials as a reinforcing agent to improve the mechanical properties of the polymer components. Therefore, various methods have been proposed for uniformly dispersing cellulose in polymer components such as resins and rubbers.

[0003] WO2020 / 145398 pamphlet (Patent Document 1) discloses a thermoplastic resin composition containing cellulose nanofibers, an alcohol-based compound having 4 to 60 carbon atoms, and a thermoplastic resin, in which the content of the alcohol-based compound is 0.01 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the cellulose nanofibers, and the content of the cellulose nanofibers is 0.5 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic resin.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-128630 (Patent Document 2) discloses a resin composition containing 1% by mass or more of a cellulose preparation containing cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 500 or less and an organic component with a solubility parameter (SP value) of 7.25 or more and a boiling point higher than that of water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] WO2020 / 145398 Brochure [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-128630 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even the resin compositions of Patent Documents 1 and 2 did not have sufficient mechanical properties. In particular, Patent Document 1 uses cellulose nanofibers, which make them difficult to handle and also makes it difficult to uniformly disperse the cellulose nanofibers as a filler in the thermoplastic resin. Furthermore, the alcohol-based compounds of Patent Document 1 and the organic components of Patent Document 2 may suffer thermal degradation during production, reducing moldability, depending on the type of resin.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a polymer composition containing a plant-derived filler and having excellent moldability and high mechanical properties, as well as uses and production methods thereof. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present inventors discovered that by combining a polymer component, a plant-derived filler, and a reduced form of a specific sugar, it is possible to provide a polymer composition containing a plant-derived filler, which has excellent moldability and high mechanical properties, and thus completed the present invention (or the present disclosure).

[0009] That is, the present disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0010] Aspect [1]: A polymer composition comprising a polymer component, a plant-derived filler, and a reduced form of a saccharide, wherein the reduced form of the saccharide comprises a reduced form of a disaccharide and / or a reduced form of a trisaccharide.

[0011] Aspect [2]: The polymer composition according to aspect [1], wherein the reduced form of the saccharide comprises a reduced form of a disaccharide.

[0012] Aspect [3]: The polymer composition according to aspect [2], wherein the disaccharide reduction product comprises a disaccharide reduction product having one pyranose ring and multiple hydroxyl groups in the molecule.

[0013] Aspect [4]: ​​The polymer composition according to aspect [2], wherein the disaccharide reductant comprises isomalt and / or maltitol.

[0014] Aspect [5]: The polymer composition according to any one of aspects [1] to [4], wherein the polymer component contains a thermoplastic resin or a rubber.

[0015] Aspect [6]: The polymer composition according to any one of aspects [1] to [5], comprising, per 100 parts by mass of the polymer component, 1 to 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler and 0.01 to 100 parts by mass of the reduced form of the saccharide.

[0016] Aspect [7]: The polymer composition according to any one of aspects [1] to [6], wherein the plant-derived filler comprises cellulose fibers.

[0017] Aspect [8]: The polymer composition according to aspect [7], wherein the average fiber diameter of the cellulose fibers is on the order of microns.

[0018] Aspect [9]: A method for producing a polymer composition according to any one of aspects [1] to [8], comprising a step of kneading the polymer component, the plant-derived filler, and the reduced form of the saccharide.

[0019] Aspect

[10] : A molded article formed from the polymer composition according to any one of aspects [1] to [8], the molded article being a part or material selected from the group consisting of automobile parts, electrical and electronic parts, building materials, civil engineering materials, agricultural materials, packaging materials, household materials, and optical components.

[0020] Aspect

[11] : A strength improver for improving the strength of a polymer composition comprising a polymer component and a plant-derived filler, the strength improver comprising a reduced form of a sugar, including a disaccharide reduced form and / or a trisaccharide reduced form.

[0021] Aspect

[12] : A method for improving the strength and / or hardness of a polymer composition comprising a polymer component and a plant-derived filler by blending reduced forms of sugars, including reduced disaccharides and / or reduced trisaccharides, into the polymer composition.

[0022] Aspect

[13] : A composition (or preliminary composition) comprising a plant-derived filler and a reduced form of a sugar, including a reduced form of a disaccharide and / or a reduced form of a trisaccharide.

[0023] Aspect

[14] : The composition according to aspect

[13] , which is a granule.

[0024] Aspect

[15] : The composition according to aspect

[13] or

[14] , wherein the reduced sugar comprises a disaccharide reduced sugar, the disaccharide reduced sugar comprises a disaccharide reduced sugar having one pyranose ring in the molecule, the plant-derived filler comprises cellulose fiber, and the proportion of the reduced sugar is 0.01 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler.

[0025] Aspect

[16] : The composition according to any one of aspects

[13] to

[15] , wherein the moisture content is 5% by mass or less.

[0026] Aspect

[17] : A method for producing the composition according to any one of aspects

[13] to

[16] , comprising a mixing step of mixing a plant-derived filler, a reduced form of a saccharide including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide, and water to obtain a mixture, and a composition preparation step of drying the mixture to obtain a composition.

[0027] Aspect

[18] : The manufacturing method according to aspect

[17] , wherein in the composition preparation step, the mixture is extrusion-granulated to obtain a composition as a granule.

[0028] Aspect

[19] : A method for producing a polymer composition, comprising a step of mixing the composition according to any one of aspects

[13] to

[16] with a polymer component.

[0029] In addition, the present disclosure may achieve the following secondary objectives (solve the problems).

[0030] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a strength enhancer that can improve the strength of a polymer composition containing a polymer component and a plant-derived filler, and a method for improving the strength of the polymer component.

[0031] In addition, in this specification and claims, the number of carbon atoms in a substituent or the like is expressed as C1, C6, C 10 For example, "C1 alkyl group" means an alkyl group with 1 carbon atom, and "C 6-10 The term "aryl group" refers to an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

[0032] In this specification and claims, the term "reduced form of a saccharide" refers to a compound in which the carbonyl group (keto group) and formyl group (aldehyde group) of a saccharide have been reduced to a hydroxyl group.

[0033] Furthermore, in this specification and claims, when a numerical range is indicated using "X to Y", the extreme numerical values ​​X and Y may be included. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the present disclosure, a polymer composition having excellent moldability and high mechanical properties can be provided by using a plant-derived filler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] [Polymer component] The polymer composition of the present disclosure includes a polymer component. The polymer component is not particularly limited as long as it is a polymer compound, and may be a resin component or rubber. These polymer components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0036] The resin component may be a thermoplastic resin or a curable resin, and these resin components may be used alone or in combination.

[0037] Examples of thermoplastic resins include polyolefin resins such as chain olefin resins and cyclic olefin resins; styrene resins such as polystyrene, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer (MS resin), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (AS resin), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS resin), and methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MBS resin); and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), (meth)acrylic acid-(meth)acrylic acid ester copolymers. (Meth)acrylic resins; vinyl acetate resins such as polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyvinyl acetal (polyvinyl formal (PVF), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), etc.); vinyl chloride homopolymer (PVC); vinyl chloride resins such as vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers; vinylidene chloride resins such as vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymers and vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymers; fluororesins such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); polyalkylene arylate resins, polyhydroxycarbonate Polyester-based resins such as carboxylic acid-based resins, polyarylate-based resins, liquid crystal polyesters (LCP), and bisphenol-based (e.g., bisphenol A-type) polycarbonate-based resins; polyamide-based resins such as aliphatic polyamide resins, aromatic polyamide resins, or aramid resins; polyacetal-based resins such as polyacetal resins (POM); polyphenylene ether-based resins such as polyphenylene ether (PPE); polyether ketone (PEK), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone ether ketone ketone (PEKEK) Polyetherketone resins such as polyetherketone (K); phenoxy resins; polyketone resins such as aliphatic polyketone resins; polyphenylene sulfide resins such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS); polysulfone resins such as polysulfone (PSF) and polyethersulfone (PES); cellulose esters such as nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, and cellulose acetate propionate; cellulose ethers such as ethyl cellulose; thermoplastic polyimide resins such as polyetherimide (PEI) and polyamideimide; polyethernitrile resins;Examples of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) include polystyrene-based thermoplastic elastomers, polyolefin-based TPEs (TPOs), polydiene-based TPEs, chlorine-based TPEs, fluorine-based TPEs, polyurethane-based TPEs (TPUs), polyester-based TPEs (TPEEs), and polyamide-based TPEs (TPAs). These thermoplastic resins can be used alone or in combination.

[0038] Examples of the curable resin include phenolic resins, amino resins such as melamine resins, urea resins, and benzoguanamine resins, silicone resins, epoxy resins such as bisphenol A epoxy resins, unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, polyurethane resins, and polyimide resins. These curable resins can be used alone or in combination.

[0039] Examples of rubbers include diene rubbers, olefin rubbers, acrylic rubbers (ACM, ANM), butyl rubbers (IIR), epichlorohydrin rubbers (CO), polysulfide rubbers (OT, EOT), urethane rubbers (U), silicone rubbers (Q), fluororubbers (FFKM, FKM), sulfur-containing rubbers, etc. These rubbers can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0040] Among these polymer components, thermoplastic resins and rubbers are preferred, and thermoplastic resins are particularly preferred, because they can easily improve the mechanical properties of the polymer composition. In particular, the reduced forms of saccharides in the present disclosure have excellent heat resistance, and therefore can be easily molded by melt-kneading the thermoplastic resins as polymer components, resulting in excellent moldability.

[0041] (thermoplastic resin) The density of the thermoplastic resin is, for example, 0.85 to 3 g / cm 3 It may be selected from a range of about 0.9 to 2.7 g / cm 3 , preferably 0.9 to 2 g / cm 3 , and more preferably 0.9 to 1.5 g / cm 3 may be.

[0042] The weight-average molecular weight Mw of the thermoplastic resin may be selected, for example, from the range of about 10,000 to 10,000,000. The number-average molecular weight Mn may be selected, for example, from the range of about 13,000 to 1,000,000, preferably 15,000 to 800,000, preferably 18,000 to 500,000, and more preferably 20,000 to 400,000. The molecular weight distribution (Mw / Mn) may be selected, for example, from the range of about 1 to 50, for example, 2 to 25.

[0043] In the present specification and claims, the weight average molecular weight, number average molecular weight and molecular weight distribution can be measured by GPC in terms of standard polystyrene.

[0044] As the polymer component, among the above-mentioned thermoplastic resins, polyolefin resins, polyester resins, and polyamide resins are particularly preferred.

[0045] (Polyolefin resin) Polyolefin resins are α-chain C polymers such as ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene. 2-12 It is sufficient that the α-chain C copolymer contains an olefin unit derived from an olefin, and it may contain other copolymerizable units in addition to the olefin unit. 2-12 Olefins include α-C such as ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, and 4-methyl-pentene-1. 2-6 Olefins are preferred, with ethylene and / or propylene being particularly preferred.

[0046] Examples of polymerization components (copolymerizable monomers) for forming other copolymerizable units include aromatic vinyls such as styrene; aliphatic vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate; unsaturated monocarboxylic acids such as (meth)acrylic acid, crotonic acid, isocrotonic acid, and angelic acid; and (meth)acrylic acid Cs such as methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, and butyl (meth)acrylate. 1-10Alkyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid hydroxy C 1-10 (Meth)acrylic acid esters such as alkyl esters and glycidyl (meth)acrylate; (meth)acrylic acid amides; (meth)acrylonitrile; unsaturated dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides such as maleic acid (anhydride), fumaric acid, citraconic acid (anhydride), itaconic acid (anhydride), and mesaconic acid; unsaturated dicarboxylic acid di-C such as dimethyl maleate, diethyl maleate, and dibutyl maleate. 1-10 Examples of the copolymerizable monomer include alkyl esters and diene monomers such as butadiene and isoprene. These copolymerizable monomers can be used alone or in combination. The molar ratio of the olefin unit to the other copolymerizable unit is, for example, 50 / 50 to 100 / 0, preferably 70 / 30 to 100 / 0, and more preferably 90 / 10 to 100 / 0 (former / latter).

[0047] As the polyolefin resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, and acid-modified polyolefin resin are preferred.

[0048] The polyethylene resin may be a polyolefin resin containing ethylene units as the main units (for example, units containing 50 mol % or more, preferably 80 mol % or more, and more preferably 90 mol % or more).

[0049] Examples of polyethylene-based resins include ethylene homopolymers such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; and copolymers based on ethylene, such as ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-butene-1 copolymers, ethylene-propylene-butene-1 copolymers, ethylene-(4-methylpentene-1) copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA resins), and ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymers. These polyethylene-based resins can be used alone or in combination. Among these polyethylene-based resins, medium-density or high-density polyethylenes are preferred, with HDPE being particularly preferred, due to the excellent mechanical properties of the polymer composition, such as flexural strength and flexural modulus.

[0050] The density of polyethylene resin is 0.910 to 0.980 kg / m according to JIS K 6922-1. 3 The range can be selected from, for example, 0.930 to 0.970 kg / m due to its excellent mechanical properties. 3 , preferably 0.940 to 0.965 kg / m 3 , and more preferably 0.950 to 0.962 kg / m 3 , more preferably 0.955 to 0.960 kg / m 3 is.

[0051] The melt mass flow rate (MFR) of the polyethylene resin is, in accordance with JIS K 6922-2, for example, 3 to 80 g / 10 min, preferably 5 to 50 g / 10 min, further preferably 10 to 30 g / 10 min, and even more preferably 15 to 25 g / 10 min. If the MFR is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved, whereas if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0052] The melting point (DSC method) of the polyethylene resin, in accordance with ISO 11357-3, is, for example, 80 to 150°C, preferably 100 to 145°C, further preferably 120 to 140°C, and even more preferably 130 to 135°C. If the melting point is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the heat resistance of the polymer composition tends to be improved, and if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved.

[0053] The polypropylene resin may contain propylene units as the main units (for example, units contained in an amount of 50 mol % or more, preferably 80 mol % or more, and more preferably 90 mol % or more).

[0054] Examples of polypropylene resins include propylene homopolymers such as isotactic polypropylene (NZ catalyst-based or metallocene catalyst-based polypropylene), syndiotactic polypropylene, and atactic polypropylene; propylene-ethylene copolymers, propylene-C 4-6 Examples of suitable polypropylene resins include copolymers containing propylene as a main component, such as alkene copolymers (e.g., propylene-butene copolymers). These polypropylene resins can be used alone or in combination. Among these polypropylene resins, polypropylene resins containing propylene homopolymers are preferred.

[0055] The density of the polypropylene resin can be selected from a range of about 0.855 to 0.940 in accordance with JIS K 7112, and is preferably, for example, 0.870 to 0.930 kg / m in order to provide excellent mechanical properties to the resin composition. 3 , preferably 0.880 to 0.925 kg / m 3 , and more preferably 0.890 to 0.920 kg / m 3 , more preferably 0.900 to 0.915 kg / m 3 is.

[0056] The melt mass flow rate (MFR) of the polypropylene resin is, for example, 1 to 100 g / 10 min, preferably 3 to 50 g / 10 min, further preferably 4 to 30 g / 10 min, further preferably 5 to 20 g / 10 min, and most preferably 8 to 15 g / 10 min, according to JIS K 7210 (test temperature: 230°C, test load: 2.16 kg). If the MFR is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to improve, whereas if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to improve.

[0057] The tensile modulus of the polypropylene resin is, for example, 1000 to 2500 MPa, preferably 1200 to 2000 MPa, further preferably 1400 to 1900 MPa, even more preferably 1500 to 1800 MPa, and most preferably 1600 to 1700 MPa, in accordance with JIS K 7161. When the tensile modulus is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved, whereas when it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved.

[0058] The Charpy impact strength (23°C) of polypropylene resins is, for example, 1 to 50 kJ / m according to JIS K 7111. 2 , preferably 1.5 to 30 kJ / m 2 , more preferably 2 to 10 kJ / m 2 , more preferably 2.5 to 7 kJ / m 2 , most preferably 3 to 5 kJ / m 2 When the Charpy impact strength is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved, and when it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the balance of the elastic modulus, strength, etc. of the polymer composition tends to be excellent.

[0059] The deflection temperature under load (heat distortion temperature) of the polypropylene resin, according to JIS K 7191 (bending stress: Method B 0.45 MPa), is, for example, 60 to 150°C, preferably 70 to 130°C, further preferably 80 to 120°C, even more preferably 90 to 110°C, and most preferably 95 to 105°C. If the deflection temperature under load is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the heat resistance of the polymer composition tends to improve, and if the deflection temperature under load is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to improve.

[0060] The acid-modified polyolefin resin may be a polyolefin resin modified with a carboxylic acid, specifically a polyolefin resin having a carboxyl group and / or an acid anhydride group. The acid-modification method is not particularly limited as long as a carboxyl group and / or an acid anhydride group is introduced into the skeleton of an unmodified polyolefin resin, but from the viewpoint of mechanical properties, a method of introducing a monomer having a carboxyl group and / or an acid anhydride group by copolymerization is preferred. The copolymerization may be in the form of random copolymerization or block copolymerization, but graft copolymerization is preferred.

[0061] The unmodified polyolefin resin may be any of the α-chain C polyolefin resins exemplified above. 2-12 Among the unmodified polyolefin resins, polyethylene resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene resins such as polypropylene are preferred, with polypropylene resins being particularly preferred.

[0062] Examples of monomers having a carboxyl group and / or anhydride group include the unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, unsaturated dicarboxylic acids, and acid anhydrides exemplified above as copolymerizable monomers for polyolefin resins. These monomers can be used alone or in combination. Among these monomers, unsaturated monocarboxylic acids such as (meth)acrylic acid, unsaturated dicarboxylic acids such as maleic anhydride, or acid anhydrides thereof are preferred, with maleic anhydride being particularly preferred.

[0063] As the acid-modified polyolefin resin, an acid-modified polypropylene resin is preferred, and maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene is particularly preferred.

[0064] In the acid-modified polyolefin resin, the proportion of the monomer can be selected from a range of about 0.01 to 30 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the unmodified polyolefin resin, for example, 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, preferably 0.2 to 10 parts by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 8 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by mass.

[0065] The acid value (mgKOH / g) of the acid-modified polyolefin resin, in accordance with JIS K 2510, is, for example, 10 to 100, preferably 20 to 80, further preferably 30 to 50, and even more preferably 35 to 45. When the acid value is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved, and when it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved.

[0066] The viscosity (melt viscosity at 180°C) of the acid-modified polyolefin resin is, for example, 0.5 to 50 Pa·s, preferably 1 to 30 Pa·s, further preferably 1.5 to 10 Pa·s, even more preferably 2 to 5 Pa·s, and most preferably 3 to 4 Pa·s, in accordance with JIS K 6862. If the viscosity is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved, whereas if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved.

[0067] The polyolefin resin preferably contains at least a polyethylene resin and / or a polypropylene resin, as this can improve mechanical properties, and a polyethylene resin alone or a combination of a polypropylene resin and an acid-modified polyolefin resin is particularly preferred.

[0068] When a polypropylene resin is combined with an acid-modified polyolefin resin (particularly an acid-modified polypropylene resin) as the polyolefin resin, the proportion of the acid-modified polyolefin resin is, for example, 0.1 to 100 parts by mass, preferably 1 to 50 parts by mass, further preferably 2 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 3 to 10 parts by mass, and most preferably 5 to 8 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the polypropylene resin. When the proportion of the acid-modified polyolefin resin is equal to or greater than the lower limit, mechanical properties tend to improve, while when it is equal to or less than the upper limit, melt moldability tends to improve.

[0069] When the polymer component contains a polyolefin resin as a thermoplastic resin, the proportion of the polyolefin resin in the polymer component may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, further preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of the polyolefin resin is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the moldability and mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0070] (Polyester resin) Examples of polyester resins include polyesters obtained by reacting (condensation reaction) a diol component with a dicarboxylic acid component, and polyesters obtained by reacting (condensation reaction) a hydroxycarboxylic acid.

[0071] Examples of the diol component include aliphatic diols such as alkanediols and polyalkanediols; alicyclic diols such as cycloalkanediols, di(hydroxyalkyl)cycloalkanes, and alkylene oxide (alkylene carbonate or haloalkanol) adducts thereof; and aromatic diols such as dihydroxyarenes, aromatic aliphatic diols, bisphenols, and alkylene oxide adducts thereof.

[0072] Alkanediols include C alkanediols such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-pentanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,3-pentanediol, and neopentyl glycol. 2-10 Alkanediols and the like.

[0073] The polyalkanediols include di- and tri-C such as diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol. 2-4 Alkanediols and the like.

[0074] Cycloalkanediols include C 5-8 Cycloalkanediols and the like.

[0075] Di(hydroxyalkyl)cycloalkanes include di(hydroxy C) such as cyclopentane dimethanol and cyclohexane dimethanol. 1-4 Alkyl)C 5-8 Cycloalkanes and the like.

[0076] Dihydroxyarenes include hydroquinone, resorcinol, and biphenol.

[0077] Aromatic aliphatic diols include di(hydroxy C) such as 1,4-benzenedimethanol and 1,3-benzenedimethanol. 1-4 Alkyl)C 6-10 arenes, etc.

[0078] Bisphenols include bis(hydroxyphenyl) C, such as bisphenol A. 1-10 Alkanes and the like.

[0079] These diol components can be used alone or in combination. Among these diol components, C olefins such as ethylene glycol and 1,4-butanediol are preferred. 2-6Alkanediols are preferred, C 2-5 Alkanediols are more preferred, C 3-5 Alkanediols are more preferred.

[0080] Examples of the dicarboxylic acid component include aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, aromatic carboxylic acids, and derivatives of these dicarboxylic acids.

[0081] Examples of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids include alkanedicarboxylic acids, such as adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid. 2-20 Alkane-dicarboxylic acids and the like.

[0082] Alicyclic dicarboxylic acids include cycloalkane dicarboxylic acids, di- and tricycloalkane dicarboxylic acids, etc. Examples of cycloalkane dicarboxylic acids include C cyclohexane dicarboxylic acids, etc. 5-10 Examples of di- or tricycloalkanedicarboxylic acids include decalindicarboxylic acid, norbornanedicarboxylic acid, and adamantanedicarboxylic acid.

[0083] Examples of aromatic dicarboxylic acids include arene dicarboxylic acids, biphenyl dicarboxylic acids, diphenylalkane dicarboxylic acids, diphenyl ketone dicarboxylic acids, and diphenyl ether dicarboxylic acids. Examples of arene dicarboxylic acids include C carboxylic acids such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, anthracene dicarboxylic acid, and phenanthrene dicarboxylic acid. 6-14 Examples of diphenyl dicarboxylic acids include 2,2'-biphenyl dicarboxylic acid and 4,4'-biphenyl dicarboxylic acid. Examples of diphenyl alkane dicarboxylic acids include diphenyl C dicarboxylic acids such as 4,4'-diphenylmethane dicarboxylic acid and 2,2-di(4-carboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane. 1-10Examples of diphenyl ketone dicarboxylic acids include 4,4'-diphenyl ketone dicarboxylic acid, and examples of diphenyl ether dicarboxylic acids include 4,4'-diphenyl ether dicarboxylic acid.

[0084] Examples of the derivatives of dicarboxylic acids include dicarboxylic acid halides such as dicarboxylic acid chlorides; dicarboxylic acid anhydrides; and dicarboxylic acid lower alkyl esters such as dicarboxylic acid methyl esters and dicarboxylic acid ethyl esters. The lower alkyl esters are C 1-4 Alkyl esters are preferred, C 1-2 Alkyl esters are particularly preferred.

[0085] These dicarboxylic acid components can be used alone or in combination. Among these dicarboxylic acid components, cycloalkane-dicarboxylic acids such as 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid; arene dicarboxylic acids such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, and naphthalenecarboxylic acid are preferred, and C 3 such as terephthalic acid is preferred. 6-10 Arene-dicarboxylic acids are particularly preferred.

[0086] Examples of the hydroxycarboxylic acid component include glycolic acid, lactic acid, and hydroxybutyric acid.

[0087] Among these polyester resins, polyalkylene arylate resins such as polyalkylene terephthalate resins and polyalkylene naphthalate resins are preferred in terms of mechanical properties and heat resistance.

[0088] The polyalkylene arylate resins include those having alkylene arylate units (especially C such as ethylene terephthalate, butylene terephthalate, and ethylene-2,6-naphthalate). 2-6Examples of the copolymerizable monomers constituting the copolyester include homopolyesters of alkylene arylate units, and copolyesters having an alkylene arylate unit content of, for example, 50 mol % or more, preferably 80 mol % or more (particularly 90 mol % or more). Examples of copolymerizable monomers constituting the copolyester include the above-mentioned dicarboxylic acid components and diol components, as well as hydroxycarboxylic acid components such as hydroxybenzoic acid and lactone components such as caprolactone. Among these copolymerizable monomers, dicarboxylic acid components such as isophthalic acid are commonly used.

[0089] Representative polyalkylene arylate resins include polyC such as polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate. 2-10 Alkylene C 8-16 arylate; poly-C such as poly-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate 5-10 Cycloalkane-diC 1-4 Alkylene C 8-16 Examples include arylates.

[0090] These polyalkylene arylate resins can be used alone or in combination. Among these, polyC such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate are preferred. 2-6 Alkylene C 8-16 Arylate is preferred, and poly(C) such as polybutylene terephthalate. 3-5 Alkylene C 8-12 The arylates are particularly preferred.

[0091] These polyester resins may be crystalline like polyalkylene arylate resins, amorphous like polyarylate resins, or transparent polyester resins (amorphous transparent polyester resins). The crystallinity of the polyester resin can also be adjusted by the copolymerization components described above. For example, the crystallinity may be adjusted by using an asymmetric aliphatic diol component such as propylene glycol or 1,3-butanediol; or an asymmetric aromatic dicarboxylic acid component such as phthalic acid or isophthalic acid.

[0092] The density of polyester resins is 0.95 to 1.8 g / cm according to ISO 1183. 3 In view of the excellent mechanical properties of the polymer composition, for example, 1 to 1.75 g / cm 3 , preferably 1 to 1.7 g / cm 3 , and more preferably 1.1 to 1.5 g / cm 3 , more preferably 1.2 to 1.4 g / cm 3 is.

[0093] The melt volume flow rate (MVR) of polyester resins is, for example, 5 to 100 cm, in accordance with ISO 1133 (test temperature: 250°C, test load: 2.16 kg). 3 / 10 minutes, preferably 10-50cm 3 / 10 minutes, more preferably 15 to 40 cm 3 / 10 minutes, preferably 20-30cm 3 When the MVR is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved, and when it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0094] The weight average molecular weight of the polyester resin can be selected from a range of about 3,000 to 1,000,000, based on an evaluation method using gel permeation chromatography with polystyrene as the standard, and is, for example, 5,000 to 800,000, preferably 8,000 to 600,000, further preferably 10,000 to 500,000, and even more preferably 20,000 to 500,000.

[0095] The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polyester resin is, for example, 30 to 350°C, preferably 40 to 300°C, further preferably 40 to 250°C, and even more preferably 40 to 200°C.

[0096] When the polymer component contains a polyester resin as a thermoplastic resin, the proportion of the polyester resin in the polymer component may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, further preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of the polyester resin is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the moldability and mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0097] (Polyamide resin) The polyamide-based resin may be formed from at least one selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic monomer component, an alicyclic monomer component, and an aromatic monomer component. Among these, it is preferable to contain an aliphatic monomer component, and an aliphatic monomer component is particularly preferable.

[0098] In the present specification and claims, the monomer component having a carboxyl group such as a dicarboxylic acid described later may be an acid halide such as an acid chloride, or an amide-forming derivative such as an acid anhydride.

[0099] Examples of the aliphatic monomer component include aliphatic diamines, aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, aliphatic aminocarboxylic acids, and lactams.

[0100] Examples of aliphatic diamines include linear or branched C diamines such as tetramethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, 2-methylpentamethylenediamine, nonamethylenediamine, 2-methyloctamethylenediamine, trimethylhexamethylenediamine, decamethylenediamine, and dodecamethylenediamine. 2-20 Among these, linear or branched C alkylene diamines are 4-16 Alkylenediamines are preferred, and linear or branched C 6-12Alkylenediamines are particularly preferred.

[0101] Examples of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid include saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids (straight-chain or branched-chain alkane dicarboxylic acids) and unsaturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids.

[0102] The linear or branched alkanedicarboxylic acids include linear or branched C alkanedicarboxylic acids such as malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,10-decanedicarboxylic acid. 1-20 Alkane-dicarboxylic acids, etc. Among these, linear or branched C 2-16 Alkane-dicarboxylic acids are preferred, and linear or branched C alkane-dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,10-decanedicarboxylic acid are preferred. 4-12 Alkane-dicarboxylic acids are particularly preferred.

[0103] Unsaturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids include C such as maleic acid, fumaric acid, and itaconic acid. 2-10 Alkene-dicarboxylic acids and the like.

[0104] Aliphatic aminocarboxylic acids include amino C such as 6-aminohexanoic acid, 11-aminoundecanoic acid, and 12-aminododecanoic acid. 2-20 Among these, amino C 3-16 Alkyl-carboxylic acids are preferred, amino C 5-11 Alkyl-carboxylic acids are particularly preferred.

[0105] The lactam may be a lactam corresponding to the aliphatic aminocarboxylic acid, and examples thereof include lactams having 4 to 13 membered rings such as ε-caprolactam, ω-laurolactam, etc. Among these, lactams having 7 to 13 membered rings are preferred.

[0106] The alicyclic monomer component may be any monomer having an alicyclic skeleton (or an aliphatic hydrocarbon ring skeleton), and examples thereof include alicyclic diamines, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, and alicyclic aminocarboxylic acids.

[0107] Examples of the alicyclic diamine include diaminocycloalkanes, bis(aminoalkyl)cycloalkanes, and bis(aminocyclohexyl)alkanes.

[0108] Examples of diaminocycloalkanes include diamino C such as diaminocyclohexane. 5-10 Cycloalkanes and the like.

[0109] Bis(aminoalkyl)cycloalkanes include bis(amino C) such as bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane. 1-4 Alkyl)C 5-10 Cycloalkanes and the like.

[0110] Bis(aminocyclohexyl)alkanes include bis(aminocyclohexyl) C such as bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and 2,2-bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)propane. 1-6 Alkanes; bis(amino-mono to tri C) such as bis(4-amino-3-methylcyclohexyl)methane, bis(4-amino-3,5-dimethylcyclohexyl)methane, and 2,2-bis(4-amino-3-methylcyclohexyl)propane 1-6 Alkyl-C 5-10 Cycloalkyl)C 1-6 Alkanes and the like.

[0111] Examples of the alicyclic dicarboxylic acid include the alicyclic dicarboxylic acids exemplified as the alicyclic dicarboxylic acid of the dicarboxylic acid component in the polyester resin section.

[0112] Examples of alicyclic aminocarboxylic acids include aminocycloalkanecarboxylic acids, and specifically, amino C such as aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acids. 5-10 Examples include cycloalkane-carboxylic acids.

[0113] The aromatic monomer component may have an aromatic ring skeleton, and examples thereof include aromatic (or araliphatic) diamines, aromatic (or araliphatic) dicarboxylic acids, and aromatic (or araliphatic) aminocarboxylic acids.

[0114] Examples of aromatic (or aromatic aliphatic) diamines include diaminoarenes, bis(aminoalkyl)arenes, etc. Diaminoarenes include diamino C arenes such as m-phenylenediamine and p-phenylenediamine. 6-14 Examples of bis(aminoalkyl)arenes include bis(amino C) such as m-xylylenediamine. 1-4 alkyl arenes.

[0115] Examples of the aromatic (or aromatic aliphatic) dicarboxylic acid include the aromatic dicarboxylic acids exemplified as the aromatic dicarboxylic acid component in the polyester resin section.

[0116] Examples of aromatic aminocarboxylic acid components include aminoarenecarboxylic acids, such as amino C such as aminobenzoic acid. 6-12 arene-carboxylic acids.

[0117] Polyamide-based resins can be formed by using these monomer components alone or in combination. For example, they may be formed by polymerization of a diamine component and a dicarboxylic acid component, polymerization of an aminocarboxylic acid component and / or a lactam component, or polymerization of a diamine component and a dicarboxylic acid component with an aminocarboxylic acid component and / or a lactam component. Furthermore, polyamide-based resins may be homopolyamides formed from a single monomer component (a single diamine component and a dicarboxylic acid component, a single aminocarboxylic acid component, or a single lactam component), or copolyamides in which multiple monomer components are copolymerized. Representative polyamide-based resins include aliphatic polyamide resins, alicyclic polyamide resins, and aromatic polyamide resins. Of these, aliphatic polyamide resins are preferred.

[0118] The aliphatic polyamide resin may be formed from aliphatic monomer units derived from aliphatic monomer components. Examples of aliphatic polyamide-based resins include homopolyamides of aliphatic diamines and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, such as polyamide 46, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, and polyamide 612; homopolyamides of aliphatic aminocarboxylic acids and / or corresponding lactams, such as polyamide 6, polyamide 11, and polyamide 12; and copolymers (copolyamides) of multiple aliphatic monomer components, such as copolyamide 6 / 66, copolyamide 6 / 11, and copolyamide 66 / 12.

[0119] In this specification and claims, the " / " in copolyamide means that the copolyamide is formed from the monomers (units) before and after it as copolymerization components (copolymerization units). In other words, copolyamide 6 / 66 means a copolymer having units that form polyamide 6 and units that form polyamide 66.

[0120] The aliphatic polyamide resin is preferably an aliphatic polyamide resin containing an aliphatic monomer component having an alkylene group with a carbon number of, for example, 4 to 12, preferably 6 to 11, and more preferably 6 to 9. Typical preferred aliphatic polyamide resins include homopolyamides of aliphatic diamines and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, such as polyamide 46, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, and polyamide 612; and homopolyamides of aliphatic aminocarboxylic acids and / or the corresponding lactams, such as polyamide 6.

[0121] The density of polyamide resins is 0.95 to 1.8 g / cm according to ISO 1183. 3 In view of the excellent mechanical properties of the polymer composition, for example, 1 to 1.7 g / cm 3 , preferably 1 to 1.5 g / cm 3 , and more preferably 1.05 to 1.3 g / cm 3 , more preferably 1.1 to 1.2 g / cm 3 is.

[0122] The melt volume flow rate (MVR) of polyamide resins is, for example, 10 to 400 cm according to ISO 1133 (275°C, 5 kg load). 3 / 10 minutes, preferably 50-350cm 3 / 10 minutes, more preferably 100 to 300 cm 3 / 10 minutes, preferably 150-250cm 3 When the MVR is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the melt moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved, and when the MVR is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0123] The number average molecular weight Mn of the polyamide resin can be selected from a range of about 7,000 to 1,000,000, for example, 10,000 to 750,000, preferably 15,000 to 500,000, further preferably 18,000 to 500,000, and even more preferably 20,000 to 500,000, based on an evaluation method using gel permeation chromatography with polystyrene as the standard.

[0124] When the polymer component contains a polyamide-based resin as a thermoplastic resin, the proportion of the polyamide-based resin in the polymer component may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, further preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of the polyamide-based resin is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the moldability and mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0125] (rubber) As the polymer component, among the above rubbers, diene rubbers or olefin rubbers are particularly preferred because they allow the plant-derived filler to be easily dispersed.

[0126] Examples of diene rubbers include natural rubber (NR), epoxidized natural rubber, polybutadiene (e.g., butadiene rubber (BR), 1,2-polybutadiene (VBR), etc.), isoprene rubber (IR), chloroprene rubber (CR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). These diene rubbers may be hydrogenated rubbers (e.g., hydrogenated BR, hydrogenated NBR, hydrogenated SBR, etc.). These diene rubbers may be used alone or in combination.

[0127] When the polymer component contains a diene rubber as the rubber, the proportion of the diene rubber in the rubber may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass.

[0128] Examples of olefin-based rubbers include ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), ethylene-butene rubber, ethylene-1-butene-diene rubber, propylene-1-butene-diene rubber, polyisobutylene rubber, isobutylene-isoprene rubber (IIR), ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber, maleic acid-modified ethylene-propylene rubber (M-EPM), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), chlorinated polyethylene (CM), and maleic acid-modified chlorinated polyethylene (M-CM). Examples of diene units (non-conjugated diene units) that may be contained in olefin-based rubbers such as EPDM include units derived from dicyclopentadiene, 1,4-hexadiene, cyclooctadiene, methylenenorbornene, and ethylidenenorbornene. These olefin-based rubbers can be used alone or in combination.

[0129] When the polymer component contains an olefin-based rubber as the rubber, the proportion of the olefin-based rubber in the rubber may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass.

[0130] The copolymer rubber may be a random or block copolymer, and block copolymers include copolymers having an AB type, ABA type, tapered type, or radial teleblock type structure.

[0131] Among these, at least one selected from the group consisting of SBR, EPM and EPDM is particularly preferred.

[0132] (Preferred Aspects and Proportions of Polymer Components) As the polymer component, a thermoplastic resin or rubber is preferred, more preferably a thermoplastic resin, and even more preferably a polyolefin resin, polyester resin, or polyamide resin, from the viewpoint of facilitating improvement of the mechanical properties of the polymer composition.

[0133] When the polymer component contains a thermoplastic resin, the proportion of the thermoplastic resin in the polymer component may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, further preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of the thermoplastic resin is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the moldability and mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0134] When the polymer component contains rubber, the proportion of rubber in the polymer component may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, even more preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass.

[0135] The proportion of the polymer component in the polymer composition may be 50% by mass or more, for example, 50 to 95% by mass, preferably 55 to 90% by mass, further preferably 60 to 88% by mass, even more preferably 70 to 85% by mass, and most preferably 77 to 82% by mass. When the proportion of the polymer component is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the moldability and mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0136] [Plant-derived filler] The plant-derived filler is not particularly limited as long as it is a filler (a bulking agent, a reinforcing agent, or a strengthening agent) made from a plant.

[0137] Examples of the shape of the plant-derived filler include non-fibrous (spherical, approximately spherical, ellipsoidal, polygonal or polyhedral, flat, rod-shaped or columnar, irregularly shaped granular, etc.), fibrous, etc. Of these, fibrous is preferred.

[0138] Examples of plant raw materials include wood, herbs, seed hairs, bamboo, sugarcane, etc. Examples of wood include conifers such as pine, fir, spruce, hemlock, and cedar; and broad-leaved trees such as beech, birch, poplar, and maple. Examples of herbs include hemp, flax, Manila hemp, ramie, and other hemp species; straw; bagasse; and Mitsumata. Examples of seed hairs include cotton linter, bombax cotton, and kapok.

[0139] The plant raw material may be waste paper, straw, food residue, etc. Examples of food residue include tea extract residue, coffee bean extract residue, grain husks, citrus peels, sugarcane residue, and bean skins.

[0140] These plant materials can be used alone or in combination. The plant material is preferably pulp with a low content of non-cellulose components such as lignin and hemicellulose. Commonly used pulps include wood pulp such as softwood pulp and hardwood pulp, and seed fiber pulp such as cotton linter pulp.

[0141] The plant-derived filler is preferably formed from these plant materials, and cellulose fiber (fibrous cellulose) is particularly preferred.

[0142] The cellulose fibers may be highly crystalline, and the degree of crystallinity of the cellulose fibers is, for example, 40 to 100% (e.g., 50 to 100%), preferably 60 to 100%, more preferably 70 to 100%, and most preferably 75 to 99%. The degree of crystallinity is usually 60% or more (e.g., 60 to 98%). The crystalline structure of the cellulose fibers can be, for example, type I, type II, type III, or type IV, and type I crystal structure is preferred because of its excellent linear expansion properties and elastic modulus.

[0143] In this specification and claims, the crystallinity of cellulose fibers can be measured using a powder X-ray diffractometer ("Ultima IV" manufactured by Rigaku Corporation) or the like.

[0144] The cellulose fibers may contain non-cellulose components such as hemicellulose and lignin, and the proportion of the non-cellulose components in the cellulose fibers is 30% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or less, and more preferably 10% by mass or less. The cellulose fibers may be cellulose fibers that are substantially free of non-cellulose components (particularly, cellulose fibers that do not contain non-cellulose components).

[0145] The cellulose fibers may be high-purity cellulose fibers, and the purity of the cellulose fibers (cellulose purity) may be, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, further preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 75% by mass or more, and most preferably 80% by mass or more (for example, about 80 to 99% by mass). When the purity of the cellulose fibers is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0146] In this specification and claims, the purity of cellulose fibers can be measured by the amount of alpha cellulose according to TAPPI T 203.

[0147] The cellulose fibers may be modified or unmodified, preferably unmodified.

[0148] The degree of polymerization of the cellulose fibers may be 500 or more, preferably 600 or more (for example, 600 to 100,000) from the viewpoint of the mechanical properties of the composition.

[0149] The average fiber diameter of the cellulose fibers may be 0.5 to 100 μm, but is preferably on the order of microns, for example, 1 to 80 μm, preferably 5 to 70 μm, more preferably 10 to 50 μm, and most preferably 30 to 45 μm. If the average fiber diameter is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the cellulose fibers tend to be more easily dispersed uniformly in the polymer component, while if it is equal to or less than the upper limit, it tends to be possible to prevent the cellulose fibers from protruding from the surface of the polymer composition, thereby reducing the appearance.

[0150] The average fiber length of the cellulose fibers can be selected from a range of about 1 μm or more (e.g., 1 μm to 100 mm), for example, 10 μm or more (e.g., 0.01 to 50 mm), preferably 100 μm or more (e.g., 0.1 to 30 mm), further preferably 300 μm or more (e.g., 0.3 to 20 mm), more preferably 500 μm or more (e.g., 0.5 to 10 mm), and most preferably 1 mm or more (e.g., 1 to 5 mm). If the average fiber length is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved, while if it is equal to or less than the upper limit, the cellulose fibers tend to be more easily dispersed uniformly in the polymer composition.

[0151] The ratio of the average fiber length to the average fiber diameter of the cellulose fibers (aspect ratio) is, for example, 5 or more (e.g., 5 to 10,000), preferably 10 or more (e.g., 10 to 5,000), further preferably 15 or more (e.g., 15 to 3,000), more preferably 20 or more (e.g., 20 to 100), and most preferably 25 or more (e.g., 25 to 50). When the aspect ratio is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the mechanical properties tend to be improved, and when it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the cellulose fibers tend to be more easily dispersed uniformly in the polymer composition.

[0152] In this specification and claims, the average fiber diameter, average fiber length, and aspect ratio of cellulose fibers can be calculated by randomly selecting 50 fibers from a scanning electron microscope image and averaging them. The average fiber diameter, average fiber length, and aspect ratio of cellulose fibers are the average fiber diameter, average fiber length, and aspect ratio of cellulose fibers in a polymer composition or a preliminary composition.

[0153] The proportion of the plant-derived filler (particularly cellulose fiber) is, for example, 1 to 100 parts by mass, preferably 2 to 50 parts by mass, further preferably 3 to 30 parts by mass, even more preferably 5 to 20 parts by mass, and most preferably 10 to 15 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the polymer component. If the proportion of the plant-derived filler is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to improve, whereas if it is equal to or less than the upper limit, the dispersibility of the plant-derived filler in the polymer composition tends to improve.

[0154] [Reduced sugars] The polymer composition of the present disclosure contains reduced sugars, including reduced disaccharides and / or reduced trisaccharides, which can improve the mechanical properties of the polymer composition. Although the detailed mechanism by which the presence of reduced sugars of specific sugars improves the mechanical properties of the polymer composition is unknown, it is presumed that reduced disaccharides and / or reduced trisaccharides (particularly reduced disaccharides) have a specific structure and are hydrophilic due to multiple hydroxyl groups, and therefore penetrate into the gaps between plant-derived fillers and form an affinity or bond with the plant-derived fillers through hydrogen bonds or the like, thereby enhancing the reinforcing function of the fillers.

[0155] Examples of reduced disaccharides include reduced heterodisaccharides such as reduced lactose (lactitol), reduced isomerized lactose (lactulose), reduced melibiose, and reduced isomaltulose (isomalto); and reduced homodisaccharides such as reduced cellobiose, reduced maltose (maltitol), reduced gentiobiose, reduced isomaltose, reduced kojibiose, reduced laminaribiose, and reduced sophorose. These reduced disaccharides can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0156] Examples of reduced trisaccharides include reduced nigerotriose, reduced maltotriose, reduced melezitose, reduced maltotriulose, reduced raffinose, reduced kestose, etc. These reduced trisaccharides can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0157] In the present disclosure, the reduced sugars particularly preferably include reduced disaccharides. The structure of the reduced disaccharide is preferably a structure having one cyclic unit [a five-membered ring (furanose ring) or a six-membered ring (pyranose ring)] and multiple hydroxyl groups in the molecule, more preferably a structure having one pyranose ring and multiple hydroxyl groups in the molecule, and even more preferably a structure in which a cyclic unit formed by a pyranose ring having a hydroxyl group is ether-linked to a chain unit (alkane unit) having a hydroxyl group.

[0158] The reduced disaccharide has, for example, 7 to 16 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 15, more preferably 10 to 14, and even more preferably 11 to 13. The reduced disaccharide may have 5 to 14, preferably 6 to 12, more preferably 7 to 11, and even more preferably 8 to 10 hydroxyl groups in the molecule.

[0159] Among these, reduced forms of heterodisaccharides such as isomalt and lactitol, and reduced forms of homodisaccharides such as maltitol are commonly used, with isomalt and / or maltitol being particularly preferred. Isomalt is commercially available as Palatinit (registered trademark), a reduced form of Palatinose (registered trademark).

[0160] The reduced forms of saccharides may include reduced forms of monosaccharides and reduced forms of tetrasaccharides or higher oligosaccharides (hereinafter also referred to as "reduced oligosaccharides"), as long as the effects of the present disclosure are not impaired.

[0161] Examples of reduced monosaccharides include erythritol, reduced pentoses such as reduced arabinose, reduced xylose (xylitol), reduced ribose, and reduced deoxyribose, and reduced hexoses such as reduced galactose, reduced glucose (sorbitol), reduced mannose (mannitol), reduced fucose, reduced rhamnose, and reduced glucosamine. These reduced monosaccharides can be used alone or in combination.

[0162] Examples of reduced oligosaccharides include reduced nigerotetraose, etc. These reduced oligosaccharides can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0163] The total amount of reduced monosaccharides and reduced oligosaccharides in the reduced saccharides may be, for example, 50% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or less, further preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, and most preferably 0% by mass. When the proportion of the total amount is equal to or less than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0164] In particular, in the polymer composition of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the polymer composition is substantially free of reduced monosaccharides or derivatives thereof (e.g., sugar alcohols such as erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol, and condensates of sugar alcohols such as dipentaerythritol) as reduced sugars, in order to easily improve the mechanical properties and moldability of the polymer composition, and it is more preferable that the polymer composition is completely free of reduced monosaccharides or derivatives thereof.

[0165] The total proportion of the disaccharide and trisaccharide reduction products in the reduced saccharides may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, preferably 10% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the total proportion is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0166] In particular, the proportion of disaccharide reductions may be, for example, 1% by mass or more (particularly 5% by mass or more) of the reduced forms of saccharides, and is preferably 10% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, 98% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of disaccharide reductions is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved.

[0167] The proportion of reduced sugars (particularly reduced disaccharides) can be selected, for example, from a range of about 0.01 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the polymer component (particularly thermoplastic resin or rubber), preferably in the following stepwise manner: 0.1 to 80 parts by mass, 1 to 50 parts by mass, 2 to 30 parts by mass, 3 to 20 parts by mass, 5 to 15 parts by mass, and most preferably 7 to 13 parts by mass. If the proportion of reduced sugars is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the plant-derived filler tends to be reinforced, improving the mechanical properties of the polymer composition. If the proportion is equal to or less than the upper limit, deterioration of the mechanical properties of the polymer composition due to an excess of reduced sugars tends to be suppressed.

[0168] The proportion of reduced sugars (particularly reduced disaccharides) relative to 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler is, for example, 10 to 1000 parts by mass, preferably 20 to 500 parts by mass, further preferably 30 to 300 parts by mass, even more preferably 50 to 200 parts by mass, and most preferably 80 to 150 parts by mass. If the proportion of reduced sugars is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be improved, whereas if it is equal to or less than the upper limit, the moldability of the polymer composition tends to be improved.

[0169] [Other ingredients] In addition to the polymer component, plant-derived filler, and reduced sugar, the polymer composition of the present disclosure may further contain conventional additives. Examples of conventional additives include plasticizers, stabilizers (antioxidants, UV absorbers, light stabilizers, heat stabilizers, etc.), acid scavengers, conductive agents, antistatic agents, flame retardants (phosphorus-based flame retardants, halogen-based flame retardants, inorganic flame retardants, etc.), flame retardant aids, impact modifiers, flow improvers, leveling agents, defoamers, non-plant-derived reinforcing materials (fibrous reinforcing materials such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, and synthetic fiber, fillers such as talc and calcium carbonate), colorants, lubricants, release agents, color modifiers, dispersants, antibacterial agents, preservatives, stress reducers, and nucleating agents. These additives can be used alone or in combination.

[0170] The total proportion of the other components may be, for example, 100 parts by mass or less (e.g., 0.1 to 100 parts by mass) relative to 100 parts by mass of the polymer component, preferably 50 parts by mass or less (e.g., 1 to 50 parts by mass), even more preferably 30 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, and most preferably 5 parts by mass or less.

[0171] When the polymer component of the polymer composition of the present disclosure is a thermoplastic resin or rubber (particularly a thermoplastic resin), it is preferable that the polymer composition does not contain sugars, and it is particularly preferable that the polymer composition does not contain monosaccharides or disaccharides, from the viewpoint of moldability.

[0172] [Characteristics of polymer composition] The polymer composition of the present disclosure has excellent mechanical properties. The flexural strength of the polymer composition of the present disclosure (particularly, the thermoplastic resin composition) can be appropriately selected depending on the type of polymer component, but may be, for example, 10 MPa or more, for example, 10 to 300 MPa, preferably 30 to 250 MPa, further preferably 50 to 200 MPa, even more preferably 80 to 180 MPa, and most preferably 100 to 150 MPa.

[0173] The flexural modulus of the polymer composition (particularly, the thermoplastic resin composition) of the present disclosure can be appropriately selected depending on the type of polymer component, but may be 2000 MPa or more, for example, 2000 to 7000 MPa, preferably 2500 to 6000 MPa, further preferably 3000 to 5500 MPa, even more preferably 3500 to 5000 MPa, and most preferably 4000 to 4500 MPa.

[0174] In the present specification and claims, the flexural strength and flexural modulus of the polymer composition can be measured in accordance with ISO 178.

[0175] The polymer composition (particularly, the rubber composition) of the present disclosure has high hardness. The hardness (Type A durometer) of the polymer composition (particularly, the vulcanizate of the rubber composition) of the present disclosure may be 30 or more, for example, 35 to 60, preferably 37 to 55, further preferably 38 to 53, and further preferably 40 to 51.

[0176] In this specification and claims, hardness (type A durometer) can be measured using a durometer (type A) in accordance with ISO 7619-1.

[0177] [Method of producing polymer composition] The polymer composition of the present disclosure can be produced by a conventional method depending on the type of polymer component. The method for producing the polymer composition of the present disclosure may be a method in which the components are blended and kneaded all at once (a lump-sum method), or a method in which a preliminary composition containing a plant-derived filler and a reduced form of a saccharide is prepared in advance and this preliminary composition is mixed with the polymer component (particularly a thermoplastic resin or rubber) (a divided method).

[0178] In the lump method, when the polymer component is a thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin, a plant-derived filler, a reduced form of a saccharide, and optionally other components are mixed by a conventional method such as dry mixing or melt kneading, and the thermoplastic resin composition may be in the form of pellets or the like. When melt kneading, the kneading temperature can be appropriately selected depending on the type of polymer component, but is, for example, 150 to 300°C, preferably 200 to 280°C, more preferably 200 to 270°C, more preferably 210 to 260°C, and most preferably 230 to 250°C. With the polymer composition of the present disclosure, even at such high temperatures, a thermoplastic resin composition such as pellets can be stably produced using a plant-derived filler. Conventional methods can be used for melt kneading, for example, a twin-screw extrusion kneader may be used.

[0179] In the lump method, when the polymer component is rubber, it can be prepared by kneading unvulcanized rubber, a plant-derived filler, a reduced form of a saccharide, and, if necessary, other components using a conventional method. Examples of kneading methods include kneading using a roll-type kneader such as a mixing roller, and kneading using an internal kneader such as a Banbury mixer, an intermix, a kneader, or an extruder (e.g., a single-screw or twin-screw extruder). Among these kneading methods, kneading using an internal kneader is preferred because it can prevent oxidation, and kneading using a kneader with high shear force, such as a kneader, is particularly preferred. The kneading temperature is, for example, 50 to 200°C, preferably 60 to 150°C, more preferably 65 to 120°C, more preferably 70 to 100°C, and most preferably 75 to 90°C.

[0180] In the division method, the method for producing a preliminary composition in advance may be a method for obtaining the preliminary composition through a mixing step of mixing a plant-derived filler, a reduced form of a saccharide, and water to obtain a mixture, and a preliminary composition preparation step of drying the mixture to obtain the preliminary composition.

[0181] In the mixing step, the proportion of water is, for example, 10 to 500 parts by mass, preferably 50 to 300 parts by mass, even more preferably 100 to 250 parts by mass, even more preferably 130 to 200 parts by mass, and most preferably 150 to 180 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler.

[0182] The plant-derived filler, the reduced form of the saccharide, and water can be mixed (or stirred) by a conventional mixing or stirring method, such as a method using a ball mill, a tumble mixer, a ribbon blender, a Henschel mixer, a mixing roller, a kneader, a Banbury mixer, or an extruder (such as a single-screw or twin-screw extruder).

[0183] Specifically, mixing may be carried out by conventional mixing or stirring means, and in a mixer, mixing may be carried out at a rotation speed of, for example, about 100 to 10,000 rpm, preferably 500 to 5,000 rpm, more preferably 1,000 to 3,000 rpm, and particularly about 1,500 to 2,500 rpm.

[0184] The mixing time is, for example, 1 to 100 minutes, preferably 3 to 60 minutes, and more preferably 5 to 30 minutes.

[0185] In the preliminary composition preparation step, the mixture may be pulverized or granulated by a conventional method. The granulation method can be selected from conventional granulation methods, such as tumbling granulation, fluidized bed granulation, stirring granulation, crushing granulation, compression granulation, extrusion granulation, and dissolution granulation. Among these, compression granulation and extrusion granulation are preferred, and extrusion granulation is particularly preferred. Extrusion granulation can be performed using a conventional extrusion granulator such as a disc pelletizer.

[0186] The granulation temperature can be selected from the range of room temperature (e.g., 25°C) to about 200°C, but is preferably room temperature to 100°C, and more preferably room temperature to 50°C. Since the temperature may rise due to kneading, for convenience, granulation may usually be carried out at room temperature in an unheated state.

[0187] The obtained granules (preliminary composition) may be subjected to a drying step. In the drying step, the drying method may be natural drying, but vacuum drying is preferred from the viewpoint of productivity, etc. The drying time is, for example, 0.1 to 24 hours, preferably 0.5 to 10 hours, and more preferably 1 to 5 hours. The moisture content may be adjusted to the range described below.

[0188] In the preliminary composition, the proportion of reduced sugars (particularly reduced disaccharides) is, for example, 10 to 1000 parts by mass, preferably 20 to 500 parts by mass, even more preferably 25 to 300 parts by mass, even more preferably 30 to 50 parts by mass, and most preferably 30 to 45 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler.

[0189] The total amount of the plant-derived filler and reduced sugars in the preliminary composition may be 50% by mass or more, for example, 80% by mass or more, preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, even more preferably 99% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass.

[0190] The water content of the preliminary composition may be 5% by mass or less, preferably 3% by mass or less, further preferably 2% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1% by mass or less. When the water content of the preliminary composition is equal to or less than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the polymer composition tend to be easily improved.

[0191] In this specification and claims, the moisture content of the preliminary composition can be measured by a conventional method, specifically, using a heat-drying moisture meter (MX-50, manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd.).

[0192] The shape of the preliminary composition is not particularly limited, but granular (or powder) form is preferred. The granular form may be spherical, approximately spherical, ellipsoidal, polygonal or polyhedral, flat, rod-like or columnar, or irregular. Among these, the granular form is preferably an isotropic form such as a sphere, or an approximately isotropic form such as an approximately spherical or approximately cylindrical shape. Therefore, in a granular granule, the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (aspect ratio) is preferably close to 1, for example, 1 to 10, preferably 1 to 8, more preferably 1 to 6, even more preferably 1 to 4, and most preferably 1 to 3. When the preliminary composition is cylindrical, the major axis corresponds to the larger of the height of the cylinder and the diameter of the circular base, and the minor axis corresponds to the smaller of the height of the cylinder and the diameter of the circular base.

[0193] The average particle size (D50) of the preliminary composition is, for example, 0.1 to 20 mm, preferably 1 to 10 mm, further preferably 1.5 to 5 mm, more preferably 2 to 4 mm, and most preferably 2.5 to 3.5 mm. If the average particle size of the preliminary composition is equal to or greater than the lower limit, it tends to be easier to uniformly mix the reduced sugar and the plant-derived filler, while if it is equal to or less than the upper limit, it tends to be easier to prepare the preliminary composition.

[0194] In this specification and claims, the average particle size of the preliminary composition can be measured by a conventional method, for example, by randomly selecting 50 particles from an image of a scanning electron microscope photograph and calculating the arithmetic average.

[0195] Of these methods, the division method is preferred because it is easy to improve the mechanical properties of the polymer composition.

[0196] [Strength improver] The strength-enhancing agent of the present disclosure is a strength-enhancing agent for improving the strength of a polymer composition containing a polymer component and a plant-derived filler, and includes a reduced sugar, including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide. The reduced sugar, including preferred embodiments, is the same as the reduced sugar of the polymer composition.

[0197] In the strength improver of the present disclosure, the proportion of the reduced form of the saccharide in the strength improver may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, further preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass. When the proportion of the reduced form of the saccharide is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the strength of the polymer composition tends to be highly improved.

[0198] Furthermore, the strength improver of the present disclosure may contain a plant-derived filler, and the preliminary composition obtained by the division method may be used as the strength improver.

[0199] [Molded body] The molded article of the present disclosure can be produced by molding the polymer composition using a conventional molding method.

[0200] When the polymer composition is a thermoplastic resin, conventional molding methods include compression molding, injection molding, injection compression molding, extrusion molding, transfer molding, blow molding, pressure molding, casting molding, etc. Since the thermoplastic resin composition of the present disclosure has excellent moldability, among these molding methods, molding methods that require high moldability, such as injection molding, injection compression molding, and extrusion molding, are preferred, with injection molding being particularly preferred.

[0201] In the injection molding method, the cylinder temperature is, for example, 150 to 300° C., preferably 180 to 280° C., and more preferably 180 to 260° C. If the cylinder temperature is equal to or higher than the lower limit, moldability tends to be improved, and if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the molded article tend to be improved.

[0202] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyolefin resin, the cylinder temperature is, for example, 150 to 250°C, preferably 180 to 230°C, and more preferably 190 to 210°C.

[0203] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyester resin, the cylinder temperature is, for example, 150 to 300°C, preferably 220 to 280°C, and more preferably 240 to 260°C.

[0204] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyamide resin, the cylinder temperature is, for example, 150 to 300°C, preferably 220 to 280°C, and more preferably 240 to 260°C.

[0205] The injection pressure is, for example, 10 to 100 MPa, preferably 20 to 80 MPa, and more preferably 40 to 60 MPa.

[0206] The mold temperature is, for example, 10 to 130° C., preferably 15 to 120° C., and more preferably 20 to 100° C. If the mold temperature is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the productivity of the molded article tends to improve, and if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the mechanical properties of the molded article tend to improve.

[0207] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyolefin resin, the mold temperature is, for example, 10 to 100°C, preferably 15 to 50°C, and more preferably 20 to 40°C.

[0208] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyester resin, the mold temperature is, for example, 30 to 120°C, preferably 50 to 90°C, and more preferably 60 to 80°C.

[0209] When the thermoplastic resin is a polyamide resin, the mold temperature is, for example, 30 to 130°C, preferably 60 to 100°C, and more preferably 70 to 90°C.

[0210] When the polymer composition is a rubber composition, the conventional molding method includes a method including a vulcanization step of vulcanizing (or crosslinking) the rubber composition.

[0211] In the vulcanization step, the vulcanization temperature can be selected depending on the type of rubber and is, for example, 100 to 250°C, preferably 130 to 200°C, further preferably 140 to 190°C, and even more preferably 145 to 180°C.

[0212] The shape of the molded article of the present disclosure is not particularly limited and can be selected depending on the application, and examples thereof include one-dimensional structures such as linear or thread-like structures, two-dimensional structures such as film-like, sheet-like, and plate-like structures, and three-dimensional structures such as block-like, rod-like, tubular, and hollow structures. In particular, the thermoplastic resin composition of the present disclosure allows molded articles to be produced with high productivity by injection molding, so that even three-dimensional structures can be produced with high productivity. [Example]

[0213] The present disclosure will be described in more detail below based on examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. The raw materials, instruments, and evaluation methods used in the examples are as follows.

[0214] [Raw materials] (Plant-derived filler) Cellulose fiber: A sheet of plant-derived pulp (chemically unmodified fiber, average fiber diameter 40 μm, average fiber length 1 mm or more, cellulose purity 80% or more) cut into chips of approximately 4 mm x 4 mm, bulk density 0.15 g / cm 3

[0215] (reduced sugars, including reduced disaccharides) Maltitol: manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., disaccharide reduction ratio 98% by mass or more Palatinit (registered trademark): Manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., disaccharide reduction ratio 98% by mass or more Amalti Syrup: 75% by mass aqueous solution of maltitol manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., with a ratio of each reduced sugar in the solid content (reduced monosaccharide ratio 1-4% by mass, reduced disaccharide ratio 75-80% by mass, reduced trisaccharide ratio 10-17% by mass, reduced tetrasaccharide or higher sugar ratio 6-12% by mass). SO syrup: 70% by mass aqueous solution of reduced starch syrup manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., with a ratio of each reduced sugar in the solid content (reduced monosaccharide ratio 3-10% by mass, reduced disaccharide ratio 35-50% by mass, reduced trisaccharide ratio 20-30% by mass, reduced tetrasaccharide or higher sugar ratio 15-30% by mass). PO-30: 70% by mass aqueous solution of reduced starch syrup manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., with a ratio of each reduced sugar in the solid content (reduced monosaccharide ratio 3-6% by mass, reduced disaccharide ratio 13-19% by mass, reduced trisaccharide ratio 14-19% by mass, reduced tetrasaccharide or higher sugar ratio 58-66% by mass). PO-10: Reduced starch syrup manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., with each reduced sugar ratio (reduced monosaccharide ratio 0-3% by mass, reduced disaccharide ratio 1-5% by mass, reduced trisaccharide ratio 1-5% by mass, reduced tetrasaccharide or higher sugar ratio 90-95% by mass).

[0216] (Comparative material) Erythritol: meso-erythritol manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., monosaccharide reduction ratio 99% by mass or more Xylitol: Manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., monosaccharide reduction ratio 98% or more by mass Sucrose: D-(+)-sucrose manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., disaccharide (not reduced form) ratio 99% by mass or more

[0217] (thermoplastic resin) High-density polyethylene resin (HDPE): "Novatec HD HJ490" manufactured by Japan Polyethylene Co., Ltd. Polypropylene resin (PP): Prime Polypro J105G manufactured by Prime Polymer Co., Ltd. Maleic anhydride modified polypropylene resin (PP-MAH): "Rikeaid MG-400P" manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT): "NovaDuran 5010R5" manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Corporation Polyamide 6 resin (PA6): Unitika Nylon A1030BRL manufactured by Unitika Ltd.

[0218] (rubber) SBR: "ESBR 1502" manufactured by ENEOS Material Co., Ltd. EPDM: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. "Mitsui EPT 3045"

[0219] [Equipment used] Twin-screw extruder: Thermo Fisher Scientific "Process 11" Injection molding machine: Thermo Fisher Scientific "HAAKE MiniJet Pro" Mixer: Kawata Co., Ltd. "Super Mixer SMV-20B" Extrusion granulator: Dalton "Disc Pelleter F-5", die diameter 3 mm Batch kneader: Technovel Co., Ltd. "MSR-60" Manual hydraulic vacuum heating press: Imoto Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

[0220] [Pelletization] The pellet-shaped resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin prepared using a twin-screw extruder was evaluated according to the following criteria.

[0221] Good: The kneaded material was able to be stranded and cut stably. Not possible...could not be carried out due to thermal degradation

[0222] [Flexural strength and flexural modulus] The flexural strength and flexural modulus of the strip specimens were measured in accordance with ISO 178.

[0223] [Durometer hardness] The durometer hardness of the sheet-like test specimen was measured in accordance with ISO 7619-1.

[0224] [Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 11] Using a twin-screw extruder, the raw materials were kneaded at the mass ratios shown in Tables 1 to 3 at a temperature of 200°C, a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, and a discharge rate of approximately 500 g / h to prepare pelletized resin compositions, and the pelletization was evaluated.

[0225] The obtained resin composition was injection molded using an injection molding machine under conditions of a cylinder temperature of 200°C and a mold temperature of 30°C to obtain strip-shaped test pieces.

[0226] When PBT was used as the thermoplastic resin, the temperature of the twin-screw extruder was changed to 240°C, the cylinder temperature of the injection molding machine to 250°C, and the mold temperature to 70°C.When PA6 was used, the temperature of the twin-screw extruder was changed to 240°C, the cylinder temperature of the injection molding machine to 250°C, and the mold temperature to 80°C.

[0227] The bending strength and bending modulus of the obtained strip-shaped test pieces were measured, and the results are shown in Tables 1 to 3. In Tables 1 to 5, the compositions are mass ratios based on the solid content.

[0228] [Table 1]

[0229] [Table 2]

[0230] [Table 3]

[0231] As is clear from Tables 1 and 2, Examples 1 to 8, which contained PP, PP-MAH, cellulose fiber, and reduced disaccharides and / or trisaccharides, showed improved flexural strength and flexural modulus compared to Comparative Example 1, which contained only PP, and Comparative Example 2, which contained only PP, PP-MAH, and cellulose fiber. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 3 and 4, which contained reduced monosaccharides or non-reduced disaccharides in addition to PP, PP-MAH, and cellulose fiber, showed inferior flexural strength and flexural modulus compared to Examples 1 to 8, and Comparative Example 5 was unmoldable. Comparing Examples 1 to 6, the flexural strength and flexural modulus tended to increase with the proportion of reduced disaccharides in the additives. Comparing Examples 1, 7, and 8, the flexural modulus increased with increasing amounts of reduced disaccharides, but the increase in flexural strength was relatively small.

[0232] As is clear from Table 3, Examples 9, 10, and 11, which contained the corresponding resin, cellulose fiber, and disaccharide reduction product, had improved bending strength and bending modulus compared to Comparative Examples 6, 8, and 10, which contained only resin. Furthermore, Examples 9, 10, and 11, which contained the corresponding resin, cellulose fiber, and disaccharide reduction product, had improved bending strength and bending modulus compared to Comparative Examples 7, 9, and 11, which contained only resin and cellulose fiber.

[0233] [Example 12] 100 parts by mass of cellulose fiber, 33.3 parts by mass of maltitol, and 166.7 parts by mass of water were stirred for 10 minutes at 2000 rpm using a mixer (Kawata Corporation, "Super Mixer SMV-20B"). The resulting mixture was granulated using an extrusion granulator (Dalton Corporation, "Disc Pelletter F-5 Type", die diameter 3 mm). The mixture was then dried for 1 hour using a vacuum dryer to remove moisture, yielding granules of cellulose fiber and maltitol. The moisture content of the granules was 1% by mass.

[0234] [Examples 13 to 14] Pellets of resin compositions and strip-shaped test pieces were produced and evaluated using the raw materials in the mass proportions shown in Table 4 in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 11. The evaluation results are shown in Table 4.

[0235] [Table 4]

[0236] As is clear from Table 4, in Examples 13 and 14, in which the granules of cellulose fiber and maltitol obtained in Example 12 were mixed with resin, the bending strength and bending modulus were improved compared to Examples 9 and 11, in which the cellulose fiber and maltitol were directly kneaded.

[0237] [Examples 15 to 16 and Comparative Examples 12 to 15] A block rubber composition was prepared by kneading each component in the mass proportions shown in Table 5 for 5 minutes using a batch kneader at a temperature of 80°C and a screw rotation speed of 40 rpm. The obtained rubber composition was pressed for 2 minutes using a manual hydraulic vacuum heating press under conditions of a hot plate temperature of 150°C and a pressure of 2 MPa to obtain a sheet-like test piece.

[0238] [Table 5]

[0239] As is clear from Table 5, Example 15, which contained SBR, cellulose fiber, and maltitol, had improved hardness compared to Comparative Example 12, which contained only SBR, and Comparative Example 13, which contained only SBR and cellulose fiber. Furthermore, Example 16, which contained EPDM, cellulose fiber, and maltitol, had improved hardness compared to Comparative Example 14, which contained only EPDM, and Comparative Example 15, which contained only EPDM and cellulose fiber. [Industrial Applicability]

[0240] The strength improver of the present disclosure has excellent dispersibility in polymer components such as resins and rubbers, and can be used as a strength improver for polymer compounds.

[0241] The resin composition of the present disclosure can be used for resin molded products in various fields [for example, automobile parts, electrical and electronic parts, building materials (wall materials, etc.), civil engineering materials, agricultural materials, packaging materials (containers, cushioning materials, etc.), living materials (daily commodities, etc.), optical components, etc.].

[0242] The rubber or elastomer composition of the present disclosure can be used in various industrial components (belts such as conveyor belts; rolls such as rubber cover rolls and printing rolls; gaskets; seals such as oil seals; packings; hoses such as oil-resistant hoses, etc.), building components (window frame rubber, vibration-damping materials, carpet bagging materials, etc.), transportation components (automobile components, tires, power transmission belts, etc.), and electrical and electronic equipment components (wire coatings, etc.).

Claims

1. A polymer composition comprising a polymer component, a plant-derived filler, and a reduced form of a sugar, wherein the reduced form of the sugar comprises a reduced form of a disaccharide and / or a reduced form of a trisaccharide.

2. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduced sugar comprises a reduced disaccharide.

3. 3. The polymer composition according to claim 2, wherein the reduced disaccharide comprises a reduced disaccharide having one pyranose ring and multiple hydroxyl groups in the molecule.

4. The polymer composition of claim 2, wherein the reduced disaccharide comprises isomalt and / or maltitol.

5. The polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the polymer component comprises a thermoplastic resin or a rubber.

6. 5. The polymer composition according to claim 1, comprising 1 to 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler and 0.01 to 100 parts by mass of the reduced form of the saccharide relative to 100 parts by mass of the polymer component.

7. The polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plant-derived filler comprises cellulose fibers.

8. 8. The polymer composition according to claim 7, wherein the average fiber diameter of the cellulose fibers is on the order of microns.

9. 5. The method for producing the polymer composition according to claim 1, comprising a step of kneading the polymer component, the plant-derived filler, and the reduced form of the saccharide.

10. A molded article formed from the polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a part or material selected from the group consisting of automobile parts, electric / electronic parts, building materials, civil engineering materials, agricultural materials, packaging materials, daily living materials, and optical components.

11. A strength-enhancing agent for improving the strength of a polymer composition comprising a polymer component and a plant-derived filler, the strength-enhancing agent comprising a reduced form of a sugar, including a reduced form of a disaccharide and / or a reduced form of a trisaccharide.

12. A method for improving the strength and / or hardness of a polymer composition comprising a polymer component and a plant-derived filler by blending reduced forms of sugars, including reduced disaccharides and / or reduced trisaccharides, into the polymer composition.

13. A composition comprising a plant-derived filler and a reduced sugar, including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide.

14. The composition according to claim 13, which is in the form of granules.

15. The composition according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the reduced sugar comprises a reduced disaccharide, the reduced disaccharide comprises a reduced disaccharide having one pyranose ring in the molecule, the plant-derived filler comprises cellulose fiber, and the proportion of the reduced sugar is 0.01 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the plant-derived filler.

16. The composition according to claim 13 or 14, having a moisture content of 5% by mass or less.

17. 15. A method for producing the composition according to claim 13 or 14, comprising a mixing step of mixing a plant-derived filler, a reduced form of a saccharide including a reduced disaccharide and / or a reduced trisaccharide, and water to obtain a mixture, and a composition preparation step of drying the mixture to obtain a composition.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the mixture is extruded and granulated in the composition preparation step to obtain the composition as granules.

19. A method for producing a polymer composition, comprising the step of mixing the composition of claim 13 or 14 with a polymer component.

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