Resin composition, pellets, molded articles, method for improving appearance, and appearance improving agent.

Abstract

The present invention provides a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin blended with recycled A glass fibers and / or C glass fibers, wherein the molded product exhibits excellent appearance after a wet heat test, as well as pellets, molded products, a method for improving appearance, and an appearance improver. [Solution] The resin composition according to this disclosure comprises a thermoplastic resin comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin, and recycled glass fibers, wherein the recycled glass fibers comprise C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin composition, pellets, molded articles, a method for improving appearance, and an appearance improver.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, thermoplastic resins are widely used in electrical and electronic equipment parts, interior and exterior automotive parts, other electrical components, mechanical parts, etc. because they are excellent in mechanical strength, chemical resistance, etc. Here, in order to improve the mechanical strength of these resins, glass fibers may be blended with thermoplastic resins (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, from the viewpoint of effective utilization of resources, the recycling of glass fibers has also been studied. Therefore, it is conceivable to blend recycled glass fibers with thermoplastic resins. Here, many recycled glass fibers are made from inexpensive glass for glass bottles and building materials. Therefore, there are many recycled A glass fibers and C glass fibers. However, as a result of the inventor's study, it was found that when A glass fibers or C glass fibers are blended with polyethylene terephthalate resin, which is a thermoplastic resin, to produce a molded article, appearance defects occur after the wet heat test. Specifically, it was found that powdery substances adhere to the surface of the molded article. The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problems and provides a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin blended with recycled A glass fibers and / or C glass fibers, which exhibits excellent appearance after a wet heat test when molded into a product, as well as pellets, molded products, a method for improving appearance, and an appearance improving agent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Based on the above problems, the inventors conducted investigations and found that the above problems can be solved by blending at least one recycled C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber with at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin. Specifically, the above problem was solved by the following means. [1] A resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin, and recycled glass fibers, wherein the recycled glass fibers comprise C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers. [2] The resin composition according to [1], wherein the content of the thermoplastic resin in the resin composition is 50 to 95 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total components excluding the glass fiber. [3] The resin composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber contains sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide in total, in an amount of 1 part by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber. [4] The content of the thermoplastic resin in the resin composition is 50 to 95 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total components excluding the glass fiber. The resin composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber contains sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide in total, in an amount of 1 part by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber. Pellets of the resin composition described in any of [5], [1], or [4]. A molded article made from any of the resin compositions described in [6], [1], to [4]. A molded product formed from the pellets described in [7] and [5]. [8] A method for improving the appearance of a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and at least one C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin. [9] An appearance enhancer for a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and at least one C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resins, polyarylene sulfide resins, polyphenylene ether resins, and liquid crystal resins. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present invention provides a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin blended with recycled A glass fibers and / or C glass fibers, which exhibits excellent appearance after a wet heat test when molded into a product, as well as pellets, molded products, a method for improving appearance, and an appearance improving agent. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The following describes in detail embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment"). Note that the following embodiment is illustrative for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In this specification, "~" is used to mean that the numbers before and after it are included as the lower and upper limits. "A~B" means that it is greater than or equal to A and less than or equal to B. Furthermore, the upper and lower limits of the numerical values ​​in this specification are given as examples of this embodiment, regardless of the combination of upper and lower limits. In this specification, all physical properties and characteristic values ​​shall be those at 23°C unless otherwise specified. If the measurement methods, etc., described in the standards shown in this specification differ from year to year, unless otherwise specified, the standards as of January 1, 2024 shall apply. If the measurement methods, etc., described in the standards shown in this specification have been discontinued as of January 1, 2024, the standards in effect at the time of discontinuation shall apply.

[0008] The resin composition of this embodiment comprises a thermoplastic resin containing at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin, and recycled glass fibers, wherein the recycled glass fibers contain C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers. This configuration makes it possible to provide a resin composition with excellent appearance after a humid heat test when molded into a product. Furthermore, by incorporating glass fibers, molded products with excellent mechanical properties can be obtained. In other words, because C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers contain a high amount of alkali, it was hypothesized that if they were used in a molded product, for example, by compounding them with polyethylene terephthalate resin, they would react with the carboxylic acid ends of the polyethylene terephthalate resin and the alkali components contained in the C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers during moist heat treatment, causing alkali metal salts to precipitate. It was then hypothesized that these alkali metal salts would adhere to the surface of the molded product as powder, resulting in a poor appearance. Under these circumstances, it is presumed that the resin composition of this embodiment was able to suppress the precipitation of powdery material by incorporating at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin as the main component.

[0009] In particular, in the present embodiment, at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin resin, a polyarylene sulfide resin, a polyphenylene ether resin, and a liquid crystal resin, and as components other than C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, at least one selected from the group consisting of an amorphous resin such as a styrene resin and a polycarbonate resin, an elastomer, a filler such as talc, and a flame retardant may be included. This is because even if the blending amount of these components is increased, it is difficult to adversely affect the mechanical properties, appearance, etc. of the obtained molded product.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the description of the constituent elements described below is an example of an embodiment of the present invention and is not limited to these contents.

[0011] <Thermoplastic resin component A> The resin composition of the present embodiment includes a thermoplastic resin (thermoplastic resin component A) containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin resin, a polyarylene sulfide resin, a polyphenylene ether resin, and a liquid crystal resin. These thermoplastic resin components A may be crystalline thermoplastic resins or amorphous thermoplastic resins, and crystalline thermoplastic resins are preferred.

[0012] <<Polyolefin resin>> The polyolefin used in the present embodiment is not particularly defined, and known polyolefins can be used. As the polyolefin resin, linear or branched polyolefin resins such as homopolymers and / or copolymers of ethylene, propylene, butene, norbornene, etc. are preferred, and examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene-butene copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-butene copolymer, and propylene-butene copolymer. In the present embodiment, the polyolefin resin is preferably polypropylene.

[0013] <<Polyarylene sulfide resin>> The polyarylene sulfide (PAS) resin used in this embodiment is not particularly defined, and known polyarylene sulfide (PAS) resins can be used. The polyarylene sulfide (PAS) resin is a polymer compound having an arylene sulfide group (-Ar-S-) as a main structural unit. Further, the PAS resin may be a homopolymer composed of only one kind of structural unit, or may be a copolymer containing a plurality of kinds of structural units. Here, "Ar" represents an arylene group.

[0014] Examples of the above arylene group include an o-phenylene group, a m-phenylene group, a p-phenylene group, a substituted phenylene group, a m-phenylene sulfide group, a p-phenylene sulfide group, a p,p'-diphenylene sulfone group, a p,p'-biphenylene group, a p,p'-diphenylene ether group, a p,p'-diphenylene carbonyl group, a naphthalene group, and the like.

[0015] In this embodiment, the polyarylene sulfide resin preferably contains more than 50 mol%, more preferably 70 mol% or more, and still more preferably 90 mol% or more of p-phenylene sulfide units. Examples of other structural units include m-phenylene sulfide units, o-phenylene sulfide units, phenylene sulfone units, phenylene ketone units, phenylene ether units, and substituted group-containing phenylene sulfide units. Among them, since a resin composition excellent in strength, toughness, heat resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties is obtained, those containing preferably 70 mol% or more, more preferably 90 mol% or more of p-phenylene sulfide units, and particularly poly(p-phenylene sulfide) containing only p-phenylene sulfide units are preferable.

[0016] The method for producing polyarylene sulfide resin is not particularly limited and can be carried out by methods generally known for producing polyarylene sulfide resin. Specifically, it can be obtained by polycondensation reaction of paradichlorobenzene and sodium sulfide in a polar solvent, with the reaction proceeding under high temperature and high pressure, and polymerization occurring through dehydration and desalting reactions. The molecular weight variation (MVR) can also be adjusted by adjusting the polymerization time, the amount of catalyst, and the introduction of a branching agent.

[0017] Polyarylene sulfide resin may be a linear type that maintains a linear structure because no special heat treatment is performed, or it may be a crosslinked type that is crosslinked by treatment at high temperature in the presence of oxygen. However, from the viewpoint of fully obtaining the effects of the present invention, a linear type of polyarylene sulfide resin is preferred over a crosslinked type.

[0018] The melt volume rate (MVR) of polyarylene sulfide resin is measured at 295°C with a load of 1.00 kgf, and the MVR is between 60 and 500 cm³. 3 It is preferable that it be / 10 min.

[0019] <<Polyphenylene ether resin>> Polyphenylene ether resin is a polymer having a main chain of structural units represented by the following formula, and may be either a homopolymer or a copolymer. [ka] (In the formula, two R a Each of these independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a primary or secondary alkyl group, an aryl group, an aminoalkyl group, a haloalkyl group, a hydrocarbon oxy group, or a halohydrocarbon oxy group, and the two R b Each of these independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a primary or secondary alkyl group, an aryl group, a haloalkyl group, a hydrocarbon oxy group, or a halohydrocarbon oxy group. However, two R a (They cannot both become hydrogen atoms.)

[0020] R aand R b Preferred members include hydrogen atoms, primary or secondary alkyl groups, and aryl groups. Suitable primary alkyl groups include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, n-amyl, isoamyl, 2-methylbutyl, 2,3-dimethylbutyl, 2-,3- or 4-methylpentyl, or heptyl groups. Suitable secondary alkyl groups include, for example, isopropyl, sec-butyl, or 1-ethylpropyl groups. In particular, R a R is preferably a primary or secondary alkyl group or phenyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. b It is preferable that it is a hydrogen atom.

[0021] Suitable homopolymers of polyphenylene ether resins include, for example, polymers of 2,6-dialkylphenylene ethers such as poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether), poly(2,6-diethyl-1,4-phenylene ether), poly(2,6-dipropyl-1,4-phenylene ether), poly(2-ethyl-6-methyl-1,4-phenylene ether), and poly(2-methyl-6-propyl-1,4-phenylene ether). Examples of copolymers include 2,6-dimethylphenol / 2,3,6-trimethylphenol copolymers, 2,6-dimethylphenol / 2,3,6-triethylphenol copolymers, 2,6-diethylphenol / 2,3,6-trimethylphenol copolymers, 2,6-dipropylphenol / 2,3,6-trimethylphenol copolymers, and other 2,6-dialkylphenol / 2,3,6-trialkylphenol copolymers; graft copolymers obtained by graft polymerization of styrene onto poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether); and graft copolymers obtained by graft polymerization of styrene onto 2,6-dimethylphenol / 2,3,6-trimethylphenol copolymers.

[0022] As the polyphenylene ether resin, poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and 2,6-dimethylphenol / 2,3,6-trimethylphenol random copolymer are particularly preferred.

[0023] The method for producing polyphenylene ether resin is not particularly limited, and can be employed according to known methods, for example, by oxidative polymerization of a monomer such as 2,6-dimethylphenol in the presence of an amine copper catalyst. In this case, the intrinsic viscosity can be controlled to a desired range by selecting the reaction conditions. Control of intrinsic viscosity can be achieved by selecting conditions such as polymerization temperature, polymerization time, and catalyst amount.

[0024] <<Liquid crystal resin>> The liquid crystal resin used in this embodiment is not specifically defined, and any known liquid crystal resin can be used. The liquid crystal resin is preferably at least one resin selected from aromatic polyesters and aromatic polyesteramides. Furthermore, the liquid crystal resin may also include polyesters that partially contain aromatic polyesteramides within the same molecular chain.

[0025] In this embodiment, the aromatic polyester or aromatic polyesteramide used as the liquid crystal resin is particularly preferably an aromatic polyester or aromatic polyesteramide having repeating units derived from aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid as constituent components. Specifically, the liquid crystal resin can be one of the following resins (1) to (5).

[0026] (1) Polyesters consisting mainly of repeating units derived from one or more aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives;

[0027] (2) A polyester comprising repeating units mainly derived from one or more aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives, and repeating units derived from one or more aromatic dicarboxylic acids, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, and their derivatives;

[0028] (3) A polyester comprising repeating units mainly derived from one or more aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives; repeating units derived from one or more aromatic dicarboxylic acids, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, and their derivatives; and repeating units derived from at least one or more aromatic diols, alicyclic diols, aliphatic diols, and their derivatives;

[0029] (4) Polyesteramides comprising repeating units mainly derived from one or more aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives; repeating units derived from one or more aromatic hydroxyamines, aromatic diamines, and their derivatives; and repeating units derived from one or more aromatic dicarboxylic acids, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, and their derivatives;

[0030] (5) Polyesteramides comprising repeating units mainly derived from one or more aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and their derivatives; repeating units derived from one or more aromatic hydroxyamines, aromatic diamines, and their derivatives; repeating units derived from one or more aromatic dicarboxylic acids, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, and their derivatives; and repeating units derived from at least one or more aromatic diols, alicyclic diols, aliphatic diols, and their derivatives.

[0031] For further details regarding the liquid crystal resin, please refer to paragraphs 0025-0046 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-26989 and paragraphs 0016-0021 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-109891, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0032] The content of thermoplastic resin component A in the resin composition of this embodiment is preferably 50 parts by mass or more, more preferably 60 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 70 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 75 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 80 parts by mass or more, and also preferably 95 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 90 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the resin composition. The resin composition of this embodiment may contain only one type of thermoplastic resin component A, or it may contain two or more types. When it contains two or more types, it is preferable that the total amount is within the above range.

[0033] <Recycled glass fiber> The resin composition of this embodiment contains recycled glass fibers, the recycled glass fibers containing C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers. C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers are glass fibers that contain more alkali metal components (usually sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide) than E glass fibers, and preferably contain a total of 1 part by mass or more (preferably 2 parts by mass or more, more preferably 5 parts by mass or more, and preferably 20 parts by mass or less) of sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide per 100 parts by mass of the total C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers. In this embodiment, even if such glass fibers are used, the appearance of the resulting molded product can be made to be good.

[0034] The recycled glass fibers, C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers, may be materially recycled glass fibers or mechanically recycled glass fibers, but mechanically recycled glass fibers are preferred. A glass is the most commonly used glass and has excellent recyclability. Recycled glass fiber is contrasted with virgin glass fiber and includes not only glass fiber that has already been put on the market, but also defective products and scraps generated during the manufacturing process of glass fiber. In the resin composition of this embodiment, it is preferable that the resin composition contains 1% by mass or more of recycled glass fibers, relative to 100% by mass of the total amount of C glass fibers and A glass fibers, and may also contain 10% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 100% by mass or less.

[0035] C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers are preferably those with a number-average fiber length of 0.5 to 10 mm, and more preferably those with a number-average fiber length of 1 to 5 mm. By using glass fibers with such a number-average fiber length, the mechanical strength can be further improved. The number-average fiber length is calculated by randomly selecting glass fibers to be measured from an image obtained by observation with an optical microscope, measuring their longest side, and then obtaining the measured value. The observation magnification is 20x, and the number of measurements is 1,000 or more. This roughly corresponds to the cut length. Furthermore, the cross-section of the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber may be circular, elliptical, oblong, rectangular, a rectangle with semicircles on both short sides, cocoon-shaped, or any other shape, but circular is preferred. Here, "circular" includes not only a circular shape in the geometric sense, but also what is commonly referred to as circular in the technical field of this embodiment. The number-average fiber diameter of C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers is preferably 4.0 μm or more at the lower limit, more preferably 4.5 μm or more, and even more preferably 5.0 μm or more. The upper limit of the number-average fiber diameter of glass fibers is preferably 15.0 μm or less, and more preferably 14.0 μm or less. Using glass fibers having a number-average fiber diameter within this range tends to yield molded products with superior mechanical strength. The number-average fiber diameter of glass fibers is calculated by randomly selecting glass fibers to be measured from an image obtained by electron microscope observation, measuring the fiber diameter near the center, and obtaining the measured values. The observation magnification is 1,000x, and the number of measurements is 1,000 or more. For glass fibers with a cross-section other than circular, the number-average fiber diameter is the number-average fiber diameter when converted to a circle with the same area as the cross-sectional area. The glass fibers used in this embodiment may be treated with a surface treatment agent or a sizing agent. When the glass fibers are treated with a surface treatment agent or a sizing agent, the content of the surface treatment agent and sizing agent is preferably 0.01 to 1% by mass of the glass fibers.

[0036] In this embodiment, the total content of C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers in the resin composition is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 7% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, and also preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and depending on the application, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. Setting it above the lower limit tends to further improve mechanical properties. Also, setting it below the upper limit tends to further improve the effect of suppressing appearance defects after humid and heat resistance. The resin composition of this embodiment may contain only one type of C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, or it may contain two or more types. When two or more types are included, it is preferable that the total amount is within the above range.

[0037] The resin composition of this embodiment may or may not contain glass fibers other than C glass fibers and A glass fibers. The resin composition of this embodiment can be configured to be substantially free of glass fibers other than C glass fibers and A glass fibers. "Substantially free of glass fibers other than C glass fibers and A glass fibers" means that the content of glass fibers other than C glass fibers and A glass fibers in the resin composition of this embodiment is less than 10% by mass of the resin composition, preferably less than 5% by mass, and more preferably less than 1% by mass. The resin composition of this embodiment may or may not contain virgin glass fibers. The resin composition of this embodiment may also be configured to be substantially free of virgin glass fibers. Substantially free of virgin glass fibers means that the virgin glass fiber content in the resin composition of this embodiment is less than 5% by mass of the resin composition, preferably less than 3% by mass, and more preferably less than 1% by mass.

[0038] In particular, the resin composition of this embodiment may or may not contain E-glass fibers. E-glass fiber may be virgin glass fiber or recycled glass fiber. Furthermore, if the resin composition of this embodiment contains E glass fibers, the amount of E glass fibers is preferably 1 to 50 parts by mass, and more preferably 1 to 30 parts by mass, based on the total content of glass fibers and / or A glass fibers contained in the resin composition per 100 parts by mass. The resin composition of this embodiment can be substantially free of E-glass fibers. Substantially free of E-glass fibers means that the E-glass fiber content in the resin composition of this embodiment is less than 10% by mass of the resin composition, preferably less than 5% by mass, and more preferably less than 1% by mass.

[0039] <Other resin components> The resin composition of this embodiment may further contain amorphous resins such as styrene resins and polycarbonate resins (excluding those corresponding to the thermoplastic resin component A above). Examples of styrene-based resins include rubber-reinforced polystyrene or polystyrene. Rubber-reinforced polystyrene or polystyrene is preferably amorphous. Here, amorphous refers to the property that when a sample is measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), no clear melting point or melting peak is detected. Conversely, crystalline refers to the property that a crystalline structure in which molecules are regularly arranged is easily formed, and that a melting point and melting peak are detected by measurement using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Syndiotactic polystyrene, in which benzene rings are regularly and alternately arranged on the polymer main chain, is crystalline and is preferably excluded from rubber-reinforced polystyrene or polystyrene.

[0040] The rubber-reinforced polystyrene is preferably copolymerized or blended with a butadiene-based rubber component, and the amount of the butadiene-based rubber component is usually 1% by mass or more and less than 50% by mass, preferably 3 to 40% by mass, more preferably 5 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20% by mass. High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) is particularly preferred as the rubber-reinforced polystyrene.

[0041] The polystyrene may be a homopolymer of styrene, or a copolymer of other aromatic vinyl monomers, such as α-methylstyrene, para-methylstyrene, vinyltoluene, vinylxylene, etc., in an amount of 50% by mass or less.

[0042] Any known polycarbonate resin can be used. Polycarbonate resin is typically a branched thermoplastic polymer or copolymer obtained by reacting a dihydroxy compound, or a small amount thereof, with a polyhydroxy compound with phosgene or a diester carbonate. The method for producing polycarbonate resin is not particularly limited, and conventionally known methods such as the phosgene method (interfacial polymerization) or the melting method (transesterification) can be used.

[0043] As the raw material dihydroxy compound, aromatic dihydroxy compounds are preferred, including 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (i.e., bisphenol A), 2,2-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (i.e., bisphenol C), tetramethylbisphenol A, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-p-diisopropylbenzene, hydroquinone, resorcinol, 4,4-dihydroxydiphenyl, and the like, with bisphenol A and / or bisphenol C being preferred. In addition, compounds in which one or more tetraalkylphosphonium sulfonates are bonded to the above aromatic dihydroxy compounds can also be used.

[0044] Among the polycarbonate resins mentioned above, aromatic polycarbonate resins derived from bisphenol A and / or bisphenol C, or aromatic polycarbonate copolymers derived from bisphenol A and / or bisphenol C and other aromatic dihydroxy compounds are preferred. Copolymers such as copolymers with polymers or oligomers having a siloxane structure may also be used. Furthermore, two or more of the above-mentioned polycarbonate resins may be mixed and used.

[0045] The silicone resin is not specifically defined; any known silicone resin can be used. The silicone resin is preferably a resin having repeating units of -Si(R)2-O- (where R is a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group, or one of -O- hydrocarbon groups or -OH). R is preferably a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group, and more preferably a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a phenyl group.

[0046] <Other ingredients> The resin composition of this embodiment may contain other components as needed, as long as they do not significantly impair the desired physical properties. The other components may be present as a single component, or as two or more components in any combination and ratio. Other examples of components include resin additives and fillers other than the glass fibers mentioned above. Examples of resin additives include reactive compounds, stabilizers (heat stabilizers, light stabilizers), flame retardants, flame retardant aids, anti-dripping agents, transesterification inhibitors, UV absorbers, mold release agents, colorants (pigments, dyes), nucleating agents, antistatic agents, anti-fogging agents, anti-blocking agents, flow improvers, plasticizers, and dispersants. The total amount of these other components is preferably 0% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass, more preferably 0% by mass or more and less than 5% by mass, and even more preferably 0% by mass or more and less than 3% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the resin composition.

[0047] <Recycling rate> The resin composition of this embodiment preferably has a high recycling rate. Specifically, the proportion of recycled material is preferably 10 parts by mass or more, more preferably 20 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 30 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 40 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 50 parts by mass or more, and may even be 60 parts by mass or more, 70 parts by mass or more, 80 parts by mass or more, or 90 parts by mass or more. Furthermore, some or all of the thermoplastic resin component A may also be recycled thermoplastic resin.

[0048] <Method for producing resin compositions> The resin composition of this embodiment can be manufactured by conventional methods for preparing resin compositions (e.g., pellets). Typically, each component and various additives added as desired are thoroughly mixed together and then melt-kneaded in a single-screw or twin-screw extruder. Alternatively, the resin composition of this embodiment can be prepared by supplying the components to the extruder using a feeder and melt-kneading them without pre-mixing them, or by pre-mixing only some of the components. For example, it is preferable to supply glass fibers to the extruder using a side feeder and melt-knead them. Alternatively, some components may be melt-kneaded with a thermoplastic resin to prepare a masterbatch, and then the remaining components may be added to this and melt-kneaded.

[0049] <Method for manufacturing molded products> The resin composition or pellets of this embodiment are molded according to known methods. The method for manufacturing the molded product is not particularly limited, and any molding method commonly used for resin compositions can be arbitrarily employed. Examples include injection molding, ultra-high-speed injection molding, injection compression molding, two-color molding, hollow molding methods such as gas-assisted molding, molding using a heat-insulating mold, molding using a rapidly heated mold, foam molding (including supercritical fluid), insert molding, IMC (in-mold coating) molding, extrusion molding, sheet molding, thermoforming, rotational molding, lamination molding, press molding, blow molding, etc., with injection molding being preferred among them. Details of the injection molding method can be found in paragraphs 0113 to 0116 of Japanese Patent No. 6183822, and these contents are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the mold temperature during mold molding, such as injection molding, is preferably between 40 and 150°C.

[0050] <Application> The resin composition of this embodiment is used as a molded article formed from the resin composition or pellets. The resin composition and pellets can be widely used in known applications. For example, they can be widely used both indoors and outdoors in electrical and electronic equipment materials, automotive materials, housing materials, and materials for manufacturing parts in other industrial fields. More specifically, examples include circuit breakers, electromagnetic switches, various relay components, transformer components, sensor components, switch components, connector components, terminal components, actuator components, outlet components, socket components, plug components, capacitor components, resistor components, charging components, battery components, housing components, structural components, and insulating components. In particular, it can be suitably used as a material for components located near electrical contacts. Automotive materials include housings, reflectors, bezels, and extensions for lamps, as well as connectors, ECU cases, enclosures for in-vehicle cameras and millimeter-wave radar, battery cases, and sensor enclosures. Examples of electrical and electronic components include various housings, personal computers, game consoles, display devices such as televisions, printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, electronic organizers and PDAs, electronic desktop calculators, electronic dictionaries, cameras, video cameras, mobile phones, battery packs, drives and readers for recording media, mice, numeric keypads, housings, covers, keyboards, buttons, and switch components for CD players, MD players, portable radios and audio players, power meter housings, battery cases, battery transport trays, relays, sensors, actuators, terminal switches, and components for grill cooking equipment. [Examples]

[0051] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. The materials, amounts used, proportions, processing content, and processing procedures shown in the following examples can be modified as appropriate, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific examples shown below. If the measuring instruments used in the examples are difficult to obtain due to discontinuation or other reasons, measurements can be taken using other instruments with equivalent performance.

[0052] 1. Raw materials The following ingredients were used. [Table 1]

[0053] 2. Example 1, Comparative Example 1 <Compound> Each component shown in Table 1 was uniformly mixed in a tumbler mixer in the proportions shown in Table 2 (each component in Table 2 is expressed in parts by mass), excluding the glass fibers. The resulting mixture was supplied to a twin-screw extruder (TEX30α, manufactured by Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) through the main feed port. For Examples 1, 5, and Comparative Example 1, the cylinder temperature in the first kneading section was set to 260°C, and the glass fibers were supplied from a side feeder. The cylinder temperature after the addition of glass fibers was set to 220°C. For Examples 2 and 3, the cylinder temperature was set to 310°C, and the glass fibers were supplied from a side feeder. The cylinder temperature after the addition of glass fibers was set to 280°C. For Example 4, the cylinder temperature was set to 350°C, and the glass fibers were supplied from a side feeder. The cylinder temperature after the addition of glass fibers was set to 310°C. The resin composition, melt-kneaded at a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, was rapidly cooled in a water bath and pelletized using a pelletizer to obtain pellets of the resin composition.

[0054] <Forming of test specimens> The resin composition pellets obtained above were dried at 120°C for 5 hours, and then JIS K7139 multipurpose test specimens (4 mm thick) were injection molded using an injection molding machine (J-85AD-60H) under the following conditions: Examples 1, 5, and Comparative Example 1 were produced under a cylinder temperature of 265°C and a mold temperature of 80°C; Examples 2 and 3 were produced under a cylinder temperature of 310°C and a mold temperature of 140°C; and Example 4 was produced under a cylinder temperature of 350°C and a mold temperature of 80°C. The obtained multipurpose test specimens (4 mm thick) were treated using a pressure cooker tester under the conditions of a temperature of 121°C, a relative humidity of 100%, and a pressure of 2 atm for 25 hours. The pressure cooker used for testing was the ESPEC EH8-221M. The test specimens were visually inspected after the aforementioned 25-hour treatment. The following evaluation was performed. A: The test specimen maintained a good appearance. B: A small amount of powdery material was observed on the surface of the test specimen, but it was at a practical level. C: Powdery material was observed on the surface of the test specimen.

[0055] [Table 2]

[0056] As is clear from the above results, the resin composition of this embodiment did not precipitate any powdery material and exhibited an excellent appearance.

[0057] Although the present invention has been described in detail using specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible without departing from the intent and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A thermoplastic resin comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin, Contains recycled glass fibers, A resin composition wherein the recycled glass fibers include C glass fibers and / or A glass fibers.

2. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of the thermoplastic resin in the resin composition is 50 to 95 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total components excluding the glass fibers.

3. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber contains a total of 1 part by mass or more of sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide per 100 parts by mass of the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber.

4. The content of the thermoplastic resin in the resin composition is 50 to 95 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total components excluding the glass fibers. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber contains a total of 1 part by mass or more of sodium oxide and / or potassium oxide per 100 parts by mass of the C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber.

5. Pellets of the resin composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A molded article formed from the resin composition described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A molded article formed from the pellets described in claim 5.

8. A method for improving the appearance of a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and at least one C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin.

9. An appearance-improving agent for a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin and at least one C glass fiber and / or A glass fiber, wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resin, polyarylene sulfide resin, polyphenylene ether resin, and liquid crystal resin.

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