Recycled Styrene Resin Composition for Extrudability and Impact Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Recycled styrene-based materials exhibit degraded physical properties and inconsistent quality, making it difficult to achieve stable manufacturing with high impact strength and favorable appearance in plastic components.

Innovation Solution

A recycled styrene-based resin composition containing styrene-based recycled and virgin materials, with controlled ash content, molecular weight, and magnetic adhesion rate, ensuring high extrudability and impact resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If the content of styrene-based recycled material is increased to reduce environmental load, then the environmental sustainability is improved, but the extrudability and impact resistance of the resin composition deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental loadVSAvoidimpact resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the mass-average molecular weight (Mw) of the recycled styrene-based resin composition to be 170,000 or more, and adjusting the ash content to 2.5 mass% or less. These specific parameter thresholds ensure that the resin composition maintains adequate impact resistance while incorporating high proportions of recycled material, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental sustainability and mechanical strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite resin composition by combining styrene-based recycled material with virgin styrene-based resin in specific ratios (recycled material content of 10-90 mass%). This composite approach allows the benefits of recycled materials to be realized while the virgin material compensates for any degradation in impact resistance, effectively balancing environmental goals with performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Loss of substance

If the content of styrene-based recycled material is increased to reduce environmental load, then the environmental sustainability is improved, but the extrudability of the resin composition deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental loadVSAvoidextrudability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent controls the mass-average molecular weight (Mw) to be 170,000 or more and ash content to be 2.5 mass% or less. These parameter specifications ensure that the resin composition maintains proper flow characteristics and extrudability even when containing high proportions of recycled material, thereby resolving the contradiction between environmental sustainability and manufacturing ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of substance

If recycled styrene-based resin composition is used to reduce environmental load, then the environmental sustainability is improved, but the appearance quality of molded products deteriorates due to metallic contaminants

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental loadVSAvoidappearance quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies that the ash content of the recycled styrene-based resin composition must be 2.5 mass% or less. This parameter control effectively limits the amount of metallic contaminants and other inorganic impurities that would otherwise cause appearance defects such as black spots or discoloration in molded products, thereby resolving the contradiction between environmental sustainability and appearance quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Loss of substance

If recycled styrene-based resin composition is used to reduce environmental load, then the environmental sustainability is improved, but the manufacturing stability deteriorates due to inconsistent quality of discarded equipment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental loadVSAvoidmanufacturing stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes specific parameter thresholds (Mw ≥ 170,000, ash content ≤ 2.5 mass%) that must be met regardless of the source or batch of recycled material. By controlling these parameters, the patent ensures consistent and stable manufacturing outcomes even when the composition and quality of discarded equipment vary, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental sustainability and manufacturing stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4692219A1Recycled styrene-based resin composition and molded article comprising same

Publication Date: 2026.02.11 TOYO STYRENE CO LTD

AI summary

Provided are a recycled styrene-based resin composition that has high extrudability and impact resistance even when the styrene-based recycled material content is high, and a molded article that is obtained by molding the recycled styrene-based resin composition and has an excellent molded article appearance. The recycled styrene-based resin composition includes a styrene-based recycled material (A) and a styrene-based virgin material (B), and is characterized in that the ash content of the recycled styrene-based resin composition after firing at 550°C is 2.5 mass% or less, and the mass average molecular weight (Mw) of the recycled styrene-based resin composition is 170,000 or greater.