Polylactic Acid Resin Composition with Silane-Modified Polyepoxide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Polylactic acid-based resins face challenges in achieving a balance of transparency, heat resistance, flowability, impact resistance, and hydrolysis resistance, with existing solutions failing to provide a resin composition that excels in all these properties simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A resin composition comprising polylactic acid-based resin and methacrylic resins, with specific conditions on glass transition temperature, syndiotacticity, and the inclusion of a multilayer structure polymer and reactive compounds, along with inorganic particles, to enhance the resin's properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If polylactic acid resin is used to achieve transparency and biodegradability, then the resin is transparent and environmentally friendly, but the resin is likely to be thermally deformed at about 60°C due to its glass transition temperature

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetransparencyVSAvoidheat resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite material system consisting of polylactic acid resin as the base material and silane-modified polyepoxide compounds as additives. This composite approach allows the resin to maintain transparency while the silane-modified polyepoxide compound raises the glass transition temperature to above 80°C, thereby improving heat resistance without sacrificing optical properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the polyepoxide compound by introducing silane modification. This modification alters the molecular structure and intermolecular forces, resulting in a significant increase in glass transition temperature from the typical 60°C range to above 80°C, thus resolving the heat resistance issue while maintaining transparency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If polylactic acid resin is used to achieve low cost and transparency, then the resin is economical and transparent, but the resin has poor flowability in injection molding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost effectivenessVSAvoidflowability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The silane-modified polyepoxide compound acts as an intermediary substance that improves the flowability of polylactic acid resin during injection molding. This additive modifies the rheological properties of the resin, enabling better flow and filling of molds without requiring changes to the base polylactic acid resin composition, thus maintaining cost effectiveness while improving manufacturability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If polylactic acid resin is used to achieve biodegradability and transparency, then the resin is environmentally friendly and transparent, but the resin has low impact resistance and is likely to be cracked or broken

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebiodegradabilityVSAvoidimpact resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite material system where silane-modified polyepoxide compounds are incorporated into polylactic acid resin. This composite structure provides impact resistance enhancement while maintaining the biodegradability and transparency of the base polylactic acid resin, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental friendliness and mechanical strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 composition achieves excellent transparency, heat resistance, flowability, impact resistance, and hydrolysis resistance, making it suitable for various applications, including molded articles with improved mechanical and optical properties.

Implementation Method 1

it has become clear that when a silane-modified polyepoxide compound and a polylactic acid-based resin are mixed, the glass transition temperature is enhanced

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGlass transition temperature enhancement:

Data Source

PatentUS8829099B2Resin composition and molded article composed of the same
Publication Date: 2014.09.09 TORAY INDUSTRIES INC

AI summary

A resin composition comprising a polylactic acid-based resin (A) and methacrylic resins (B), wherein the methacrylic resins having at least (a) a difference of 10° C. or more in glass transition temperature or (b) a difference of 3% or more in syndiotacticity; it is preferred that at least one of the methacrylic resins (B) is a methacrylic resin having a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 450,000, a glass transition temperature of 110° C. or higher and a syndiotacticity of 40% or more, and that the resin composition further contains a multilayer structure polymer formed as particles each consisting of a core layer and one or more shell layers covering it (C). A molded article made of said resin composition.