Method for producing synthetic resin and method for fixing carbon dioxide

Abstract

The present disclosure addresses the problem of providing a method that is for producing a synthetic resin (X) and that enables reduction in environmental load when producing the synthetic resin (X). A method for producing the synthetic resin (X) according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises causing a reaction to occur between a first material (A) synthesized in a step for causing carbon dioxide to react with hydrogen, and a second material (B) that is different from the first material (A) and that is synthesized from carbon dioxide.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a synthetic resin and a method for fixing carbon dioxide. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a urea resin that is excellent in physical properties such as hardness and heat resistance, and in which the resin itself is biodegradable, and a biodegradable urea resin composition, in which urea resin is produced by reacting 1 mole of urea with 1 mole or more but less than 1.3 moles of formaldehyde, and the urea resin composition is prepared by blending 15 to 80 parts by weight of a cellulose material with 100 parts by weight of the urea resin obtained by this method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-325342 Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for producing a synthetic resin that can reduce the environmental load during the production of the synthetic resin, and a method for immobilizing carbon dioxide that includes synthesizing this synthetic resin.

[0005] A method for producing a synthetic resin according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes reacting a first raw material synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material synthesized from carbon dioxide, the second raw material being different from the first raw material.

[0006] A method for immobilizing carbon dioxide according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes reacting a first raw material synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are flow diagrams showing specific examples of a synthetic resin manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is generally difficult to reuse synthetic resins such as urea resins, and disposing of such resins places a heavy burden on the environment.

[0009] The technology described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 8-325342 A) aims to impart biodegradability to products made from the urea resin composition by blending a cellulose material with a urea resin, thereby reducing the environmental burden when the urea resin is disposed of.

[0010] In response to this, the inventors have attempted to reduce the overall environmental burden from the time synthetic resins are produced until they are disposed of. The inventors have pursued research to develop a method for producing a synthetic resin that can reduce the environmental impact of its production, and a method for fixing carbon dioxide that includes synthesizing this synthetic resin, and have completed the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited by the details of this development.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B as appropriate. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. The following embodiments are merely a portion of various embodiments of the present disclosure, and various modifications are possible depending on the design as long as the object of the present disclosure is achieved. That is, although each of FIGS. 1A and 1B is a flow chart conceptually illustrating an example of a manufacturing process for synthetic resin (X), the manufacturing process for synthetic resin (X) is not limited to the manufacturing process shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0012] The method for producing synthetic resin (X) according to this embodiment involves reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a process including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide, which is different from the first raw material (A). Because carbon dioxide can be used as a carbon source for synthetic resin (X), it is possible to avoid using substances derived from fossil resources such as petroleum as a carbon source for synthetic resin (X), or to reduce the amount of fossil resource-derived substances used. This reduces the consumption of valuable fossil resources and contributes to the prevention of global warming by reducing the opportunity for carbon dioxide derived from fossil resources to be released into the environment. This reduces the environmental impact of producing synthetic resin (X).

[0013] Furthermore, the production of this synthetic resin (X) can be used to fix carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide fixation method according to this embodiment involves reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a process including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material (A). This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment, thereby contributing to the prevention of global warming.

[0014] The method for producing the synthetic resin (X) will now be described in more detail.

[0015] In this embodiment, as described above, the first raw material (A) synthesized in a process including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen is used. The first raw material (A) may be a product produced by the reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, or may be a product produced by further reacting this product.

[0016] The first raw material (A) contains, for example, at least one of methanol and formaldehyde. Methanol is synthesized, for example, by reacting carbon dioxide and hydrogen in the presence of an appropriate catalyst, with heating as necessary. Formaldehyde is synthesized, for example, by heating methanol synthesized from carbon dioxide and hydrogen in the presence of an appropriate catalyst in air (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). However, the first raw material (A) is not limited to the above.

[0017] The carbon dioxide used to synthesize the first raw material (A) may include at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of organic matter (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of organic matter (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation. In this case, carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the environment can be used to synthesize the synthetic resin (X), thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment. This further contributes to the prevention of global warming. The organic matter contains at least one selected from the group consisting of resin materials such as waste plastics and fossil resources. The resin material may contain at least one of the synthetic resin (X) synthesized by the production method of this embodiment and a product made from this synthetic resin (X) (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In this case, carbon dioxide generation during disposal of the synthetic resin (X) can be reduced, and the carbon constituting the synthetic resin (X) can be recycled without being released into the environment, significantly reducing the burden on the environment.

[0018] The hydrogen used to synthesize the first raw material (A) includes, for example, at least one of hydrogen produced by decomposition of water using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of organic matter (see FIG. 1B). In this case, the consumption of electricity fueled by fossil resources, which generates carbon dioxide, can be reduced in the process of producing the synthetic resin (X), thereby further reducing the environmental impact of producing the synthetic resin.

[0019] A renewable energy source is an energy source that can be used continuously, and is defined in Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Act on the Promotion of the Use of Non-Fossil Energy Sources and the Effective Use of Fossil Energy Materials by Energy Suppliers in Japan as "solar power, wind power, and other non-fossil energy sources that are recognized as being capable of being used continuously as energy sources." Renewable energy sources include, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, solar heat, atmospheric heat and other heat present in nature, and biomass. Examples of water splitting using renewable energy sources include water electrolysis using electricity generated using renewable energy sources and water splitting using sunlight and photocatalysis.

[0020] In addition, in the steam reforming of organic matter, the organic matter contains at least one selected from the group consisting of resin materials such as waste plastics and fossil resources. The resin material may contain at least one of the synthetic resin (X) synthesized by the manufacturing method according to this embodiment and a product made from this synthetic resin (X) (see FIG. 1B). In this case, the hydrogen constituting the synthetic resin (X) according to this embodiment can be reused to synthesize a new synthetic resin (X).

[0021] It is also preferable that the carbon dioxide and hydrogen used to synthesize the first raw material (A) contain carbon dioxide and hydrogen, respectively, generated by steam reforming of an organic material. In particular, when the organic material contains at least one of a synthetic resin (X) and a product produced from this synthetic resin (X) by the production method according to this embodiment, the carbon and hydrogen constituting the synthetic resin (X) according to this embodiment can be reused to synthesize a new synthetic resin (X) (see FIG. 1B).

[0022] The carbon dioxide used to synthesize the first raw material (A) may contain carbon dioxide obtained by a method other than those described above. Also, the hydrogen used to synthesize the first raw material (A) may contain hydrogen obtained by a method other than those described above.

[0023] On the other hand, the second raw material (B) is synthesized, for example, by a process including reacting carbon dioxide with ammonia (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In this case, a synthetic resin containing nitrogen atoms, such as an amino resin, can be synthesized.

[0024] The second raw material (B) contains, for example, at least one of urea (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) and melamine. Urea is synthesized, for example, by reacting carbon dioxide and ammonia under a heated and pressurized atmosphere (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). Melamine is synthesized from urea synthesized from carbon dioxide, for example, by a low-pressure urea process or a high-pressure urea process. However, the second raw material (B) is not limited to the above.

[0025] The carbon dioxide used to synthesize the second raw material (B) includes at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of organic matter (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), carbon dioxide produced by the steam reforming of organic matter (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation. In this case, carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the environment can be used to synthesize the synthetic resin (X), thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment.

[0026] The organic matter contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of plant-based resources such as wood, resin materials such as waste plastics, and fossil resources. When the organic matter contains a resin material, the resin material may contain at least one of a synthetic resin (X) synthesized by the manufacturing method according to this embodiment and a product made from this synthetic resin (X) (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In this case, the carbon constituting the synthetic resin (X) can be recycled without being released into the environment, thereby significantly reducing the burden on the environment.

[0027] The carbon dioxide used to synthesize the second raw material (B) may contain carbon dioxide obtained by a method other than the above.

[0028] When ammonia is used to synthesize the second raw material (B), the ammonia includes, for example, ammonia synthesized from nitrogen and hydrogen (see Figures 1A and 1B). The Haber-Bosch process or the like can be used to synthesize ammonia. In this case, the hydrogen preferably includes at least one of hydrogen generated by water decomposition using a renewable energy source and hydrogen generated by steam reforming of organic matter (see Figure 1B). The nitrogen preferably includes nitrogen in the air. In these cases, the environmental impact of ammonia production can be reduced, and therefore the environmental impact of synthetic resin (X) production can be further reduced.

[0029] The organic matter in the steam reforming of organic matter has already been described. When the organic matter contains a resin material, the resin material may contain at least one of the synthetic resin (X) according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment and a product made from this synthetic resin (X) (see FIG. 1B). In this case, the hydrogen constituting the synthetic resin (X) according to this embodiment can be reused to synthesize new synthetic resin (X).

[0030] The ammonia used to synthesize the second raw material (B) may contain ammonia obtained by a method other than the above.

[0031] In this embodiment, only the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B) may be used as raw materials for the synthetic resin (X). In addition to the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B), one or more raw materials different from both the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B) may also be used as raw materials for the synthetic resin (X). Furthermore, the synthetic resin (X) may be synthesized in a single reaction using raw materials including the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B), or in a multi-stage reaction. That is, for example, the synthetic resin (X) may be synthesized in a single reaction from the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B), or the synthetic resin (X) may be synthesized by further reacting the product synthesized by reacting the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B).

[0032] There is no limitation on the type of synthetic resin (X) synthesized in this embodiment, as long as it is synthesized using the first raw material (A) and the second raw material (B).

[0033] The synthetic resin (X) is, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of urea resin (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) and melamine resin.

[0034] When the synthetic resin (X) is a urea resin, for example, the first raw material (A) is formaldehyde and the second raw material (B) is urea (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In this case, the urea resin can be synthesized, for example, by a dehydration condensation reaction between formaldehyde and urea. In this case, a cured (i.e., C-stage) urea resin can be synthesized by allowing the reaction between formaldehyde and urea to proceed completely, or a urea resin in a prepolymer state (urea resin prepolymer) can be synthesized by not allowing the reaction between formaldehyde and urea to proceed completely. The C-stage urea resin can also be synthesized by further reacting and curing the urea resin prepolymer.

[0035] Urea resins can be widely used in applications such as parts such as casings for electrical devices such as wiring devices, other electrical components, molded products such as tableware, buttons, and lacquerware products, and adhesives. However, recycling of urea resins is difficult. Therefore, if urea resins are produced by the production method according to this embodiment, the burden on the environment can be significantly reduced.

[0036] When the synthetic resin (X) is a melamine resin, for example, the first raw material (A) is formaldehyde and the second raw material (B) is melamine. In this case, the melamine resin can be synthesized by, for example, reacting formaldehyde and melamine under alkaline conditions to synthesize methylolmelamine, and then heating the methylolmelamine to polycondense it. In this case, the reaction of the methylolmelamine may be allowed to proceed completely to synthesize a cured (i.e., C-stage) melamine resin, or the reaction of the methylolmelamine may not be allowed to proceed completely to synthesize a melamine resin in a prepolymer state (melamine resin prepolymer). The melamine resin prepolymer may be further reacted and cured to synthesize a C-stage melamine resin.

[0037] Melamine resins are widely used in applications such as building materials, parts such as casings for electrical devices such as wiring devices, other electrical components, molded products such as tableware, and adhesives. However, recycling of melamine resins is difficult. Therefore, if melamine resins are produced by the production method according to the present embodiment, the burden on the environment can be significantly reduced.

[0038] In the carbon dioxide immobilization method according to this embodiment, carbon dioxide can be immobilized by synthesizing a synthetic resin (X) using, for example, the method for producing a synthetic resin (X) described above. In this embodiment, carbon dioxide can be immobilized more easily than carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), which immobilizes carbon dioxide by storing it underground, and carbon dioxide can be immobilized more stably than when carbon dioxide is immobilized as a liquid such as methanol. Furthermore, all or most of the carbon contained in the synthetic resin (X) can be carbon derived from carbon dioxide, and in this case, carbon dioxide can be immobilized at a high concentration in the synthetic resin (X). Furthermore, particularly when the synthetic resin (X) is a thermosetting resin, carbon dioxide can be stably immobilized for a long period of time.

[0039] The results of trial calculations of the reduction rate of carbon dioxide load in the case of the method according to this embodiment compared to the case of the conventional method are presented below.

[0040] First, the calculation of the carbon dioxide load in the conventional method for producing a urea resin will be described.

[0041] Let us assume that a conventional method for producing urea resin is as follows: ammonia is synthesized from hydrogen derived from fossil resources and nitrogen in the air, and this ammonia is reacted with carbon dioxide generated in the ammonia synthesis process to synthesize urea; methanol is synthesized from fossil resources, and this methanol is oxidized with air and dissolved in water to synthesize an aqueous formaldehyde solution; urea resin is synthesized from the urea and formaldehyde solution; and the energy used for these syntheses is energy derived from fossil resources.

[0042] The carbon dioxide load for the above-mentioned conventional urea resin manufacturing method was calculated as the sum of the amount of carbon dioxide used and the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment when producing 1 kg of urea resin. This calculation was carried out using data for "urea resin" registered in the LCI database IDEA Ver. 2.3, developed by the Society and LCA Research Group of the Safety Science Research Institute at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the Sustainable Management Organization (SMMO), using MiLCA Ver. 2.3, an LCA system developed by the SMMO. The resulting carbon dioxide load was 1.96 kg.

[0043] Of the total carbon dioxide load in this conventional method, the carbon dioxide load for methanol synthesis is 25.9%, the carbon dioxide load for ammonia synthesis is 25.4%, the carbon dioxide that is a raw material for urea is 32.6%, and the total carbon dioxide load of the remaining carbon dioxide other than the above is 16.1%.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, when producing urea resin, if methanol is synthesized from carbon dioxide and hydrogen and renewable energy is used to synthesize the methanol, the carbon dioxide load reduction rate is calculated to be up to about 26%. Furthermore, if at least one of hydrogen produced by water decomposition using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of organic matter is used as the hydrogen source for ammonia, and if at least one carbon dioxide selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of organic matter, carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of organic matter, and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation is used as the carbon dioxide source for ammonia, the carbon dioxide load is calculated to be reduced by a further up to about 58%, i.e., a total reduction of up to about 84%.

[0045] As is clear from the above embodiment, the method for producing synthetic resin (X) according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material (A).

[0046] According to the first aspect, the burden on the environment during the production of the synthetic resin (X) can be reduced.

[0047] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, at least one of the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the first raw material (A) and the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the second raw material (B) contains at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of organic matter, carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of organic matter, and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation.

[0048] According to the second aspect, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment can be reduced, and the burden on the environment during the production of synthetic resin (X) can be further reduced.

[0049] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first or second aspect, the hydrogen for synthesizing the first raw material (A) includes at least one of hydrogen produced by water decomposition using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of an organic substance.

[0050] According to the third aspect, the burden on the environment during the production of the synthetic resin (X) can be further reduced.

[0051] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, the first raw material (A) contains at least one of methanol and formaldehyde.

[0052] According to the fourth embodiment, a synthetic resin (X) can be produced using at least one of methanol and formaldehyde as a raw material.

[0053] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the carbon dioxide used to synthesize the second raw material (B) includes at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of organic matter, carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of organic matter, and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation.

[0054] According to the fifth aspect, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment can be reduced, and the burden on the environment during the production of the synthetic resin (X) can be further reduced.

[0055] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the second raw material (B) is synthesized by a process including reacting carbon dioxide and ammonia.

[0056] According to the sixth embodiment, a resin containing a nitrogen atom, such as an amino resin, can be synthesized as the synthetic resin (X).

[0057] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the sixth aspect, the ammonia includes ammonia synthesized from hydrogen and nitrogen, the hydrogen includes at least one of hydrogen produced by decomposition of water using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of organic matter, and the nitrogen includes nitrogen in air.

[0058] According to the seventh aspect, the burden on the environment during the production of the synthetic resin (X) can be further reduced.

[0059] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, the first raw material (A) is formaldehyde, the second raw material is urea, and the synthetic resin (B) is a urea resin.

[0060] According to the eighth aspect, it is easy to significantly reduce the burden on the environment.

[0061] A method for fixating carbon dioxide according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure includes reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material (A).

[0062] According to the ninth aspect, carbon dioxide can be immobilized by synthesizing the synthetic resin (X) using carbon dioxide as a carbon source.

Claims

1. A method for producing a synthetic resin, comprising reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material (A), At least one of the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the first raw material (A) and the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the second raw material (B) contains at least one of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of an organic matter and carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of an organic matter, The organic matter includes at least one of the synthetic resin synthesized by the manufacturing method and a product made from the synthetic resin synthesized by the manufacturing method. A method for manufacturing synthetic resins.

2. At least one of the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the first raw material (A) and the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the second raw material (B) further contains carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation. A method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 1.

3. The hydrogen for synthesizing the first raw material (A) includes at least one of hydrogen produced by decomposition of water using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of the organic matter, A method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first raw material (A) contains at least one of methanol and formaldehyde. A method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The carbon dioxide used to synthesize the second raw material (B) includes at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of the organic matter, carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of the organic matter, and carbon dioxide extracted from volcanic gas during geothermal power generation. A method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The second raw material (B) is synthesized by a process including reacting the carbon dioxide with ammonia. The method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 4.

7. The ammonia includes ammonia synthesized from hydrogen and nitrogen, The hydrogen includes at least one of hydrogen produced by decomposition of water using a renewable energy source and hydrogen produced by steam reforming of the organic matter; The nitrogen includes nitrogen in air. The method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 6.

8. The first raw material (A) is formaldehyde, the second raw material (B) is urea, The synthetic resin is a urea resin. The method for producing the synthetic resin according to claim 4.

9. A method for fixation of carbon dioxide, comprising: synthesizing a synthetic resin by reacting a first raw material (A) synthesized in a step including reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen with a second raw material (B) synthesized from carbon dioxide and different from the first raw material (A), At least one of the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the first raw material (A) and the carbon dioxide for synthesizing the second raw material (B) contains at least one of carbon dioxide produced by combustion of an organic matter and carbon dioxide produced by steam reforming of the organic matter, The organic matter includes at least one of the synthetic resin synthesized by the immobilization method and a product made from the synthetic resin synthesized by the immobilization method. Methods for fixing carbon dioxide.

10. The synthetic resin is a thermosetting resin. The method for fixation of carbon dioxide according to claim 9.

11. The synthetic resin is a urea resin. The method for fixation of carbon dioxide according to claim 9.

12. A product is made from the synthetic resin, and carbon dioxide is immobilized in the product. The method for fixation of carbon dioxide according to any one of claims 9 to 11.

13. The product is a component of a wiring device. The method for fixation of carbon dioxide according to claim 12.

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