PHA Foam Particles with Dual Melting Peaks for Shrinkage Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles struggle with achieving good surface aspects and low shrinkage ratios in molded articles, due to issues with melting points, gel fractions, and melt viscosities, leading to poor moldability and physical properties.

Innovation Solution

Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles with specific melting peak profiles, gel fractions, and monomer ratios are developed, ensuring a melting calorie range of 0.1 to 20 J/g and a gel fraction of 20 to 75% by weight, satisfying the formula X+Y≥30, to produce foam molded articles with improved surface aspects and reduced shrinkage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles are produced without specific melting calorie control, then production process is simpler, but moldability and surface aspects of molded articles deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemoldabilityVSAvoidproduction process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the melting calorie (X) on the high temperature side to be 0.1 to 20 J/g and gel fraction (Y) to be 20 to 75% by weight, satisfying X+Y≥30. This specific parameter control transforms the resin's melting behavior to achieve both good moldability and surface aspects without excessive process complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-forming foam particles with specific melting characteristics (melting calorie X and gel fraction Y) before the actual molding process. This preliminary preparation ensures that the resin particles have optimal melting behavior predetermined, leading to improved moldability and surface quality during subsequent molding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If gel fraction is increased to reduce shrinkage ratio, then shrinkage control improves, but melt viscosity increases making molding difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshrinkage controlVSAvoidmolding ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by changing multiple parameters simultaneously: gel fraction (Y) is set to 20-75% for shrinkage control, while melting calorie (X) is controlled to 0.1-20 J/g. The relationship X+Y≥30 ensures that the resin maintains appropriate melt flow characteristics even with higher gel fraction, balancing shrinkage control with molding ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If melting calorie on high temperature side is increased to improve thermal stability, then thermal resistance improves, but moldability deteriorates due to excessive rigidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal stabilityVSAvoidmoldability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by limiting the melting calorie (X) on the high temperature side to 0.1 to 20 J/g. This controlled melting calorie provides sufficient thermal stability while maintaining appropriate melt flow characteristics for good moldability, avoiding excessive rigidity that would hinder molding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Strength

If crosslinking is increased to improve physical properties, then strength improves, but surface aspects deteriorate due to excessive shrinkage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysical propertiesVSAvoidsurface aspects

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by controlling gel fraction (Y) to 20-75% and ensuring X+Y≥30. This balanced crosslinking level provides sufficient strength and physical properties while limiting excessive shrinkage that would deteriorate surface aspects. The relationship between X and Y ensures coordinated control of both strength and surface quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The approach results in poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam molded articles with enhanced surface quality and low shrinkage ratios, addressing the limitations of previous methods by optimizing melting behavior and crosslinking.

Implementation Method 1

a differential scanning calorimetry method and the melting points and melting calories thereof measured thereby

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 2

which have at least two melting peaks on a DSC curve obtained by differential scanning calorimetry

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase Change: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentUS11459436B2Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles and poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam molded article

Publication Date: 2022.10.04 KANEKA CORP

AI summary

Provided are poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles, which can give a foam molded article having good surface aspects and a low shrinkage ratio of a molding, and the foam molded article. The poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) foam particles have at least two melting peaks on a DSC curve obtained by differential scanning calorimetry and in which a melting calorie (X) on a high temperature side is 0.1 to 20 J/g, a gel fraction (Y) is 20 to 75% by weight, and the melting calorie (X) and the gel fraction (Y) satisfy Formula: X+Y≥30.