RESIN MODIFIER AND RESIN COMPOSITION USING SAME

Abstract

Provided are: a resin modifier which is capable of imparting a resin with excellent moisture resistance, dimensional stability and optical properties; and a resin composition including the same. The resin modifier contains a compound represented by the following Formula (1):

##STR00001##

(wherein, m represents an integer of 1 to 5; n represents an integer of 0 to 50; and R.sup.A, R.sup.B and R.sup.C each represent a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms which has at least one atom selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom).

Claims

1. A resin modifier comprising a compound represented by the following Formula (1): ##STR00008## (wherein, m represents an integer of 1 to 5; n represents an integer of 0 to 50; and R.sup.A, R.sup.B and R.sup.C each represent a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms which has at least one atom selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom).

2. The resin modifier according to claim 1, wherein said R.sup.A, R.sup.B and R.sup.C of said compound represented by said Formula (1) are each a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, or a hydrocarbon group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms which has at least one atom selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom.

3. The resin modifier according to claim 1, which is used in a thermoplastic resin.

4. The resin modifier according to claim 2, which is used in a thermoplastic resin.

5. The resin modifier according to claim 3, wherein said thermoplastic resin is a cellulose-based resin.

6. The resin modifier according to claim 4, wherein said thermoplastic resin is a cellulose-based resin.

7. A resin composition comprising the resin modifier according to claim 1.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0079] The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of examples thereof. The present invention, however, is not restricted to the following Examples by any means.

Examples 1 to 17 and Comparative Examples 1 to 14

[0080] The resin modifiers shown in Tables 1 and 2 below were each evaluated for the moisture resistance (moisture permeability), optical properties (phase difference variation) and dimensional stability in accordance with the below-described procedures. The results thereof are also shown in Tables 1 and 2. The number-average molecular weight was measured by the following procedure.

Number-Average Molecular Weight

[0081] The resin modifiers A to Q of the present invention and Comparative Compounds 1 to 14 were each dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) to prepare 0.5%-by-mass sample solutions, and the number-average molecular weight was measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) under the following conditions. A calibration curve was prepared using polystyrene (molecular weight standards manufactured by GL Sciences Inc.: molecular weight=162, 370, 580, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000). As the column, SHODEX KF-802 manufactured by Showa Denko K.K. was used. The column temperature was set at 40 C., and the measurement was carried out using THF as an eluent at a flow rate of 1 ml/min and a refractometer (RI) as a detector.

Moisture Resistance (Moisture Permeability)

[0082] In a mixed solvent composed of 900 parts by mass of methylene chloride and 100 parts by mass of methyl alcohol, 85 parts by mass of cellulose triacetate (acetylation degree=61%, polymerization degree=260) and 15 parts by mass of each modifier were uniformly dissolved with stirring, whereby various dope solutions for evaluation and film formation were prepared. Then, the thus obtained dope solutions were each flow-casted on a glass plate at a thickness of about 80 m and dried at room temperature for 16 hours, followed by 1-hour drying at 50 C. and 1-hour drying at 120 C., whereby various evaluation films were obtained. The thus obtained films all had a thickness of about 80 m. For these films, the moisture permeability was measured in accordance with the method described in JIS Z 0208 under the conditions of 40 C. and 80% relative humidity. A smaller moisture permeability value represents superior moisture resistance. As for the moisture resistance, a moisture permeability of 360 g/m.sup.2/day or less indicates excellent performance. The thus obtained evaluation results are also shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

Optical Properties (Phase Difference Variation)

[0083] In a mixed solvent composed of 900 parts by mass of methylene chloride and 100 parts by mass of methyl alcohol, 90 parts by mass of cellulose triacetate (acetylation degree =61%, polymerization degree=260) and 10 parts by mass of each modifier were uniformly dissolved with stirring, whereby various dope solutions for evaluation and film formation were prepared. Then, the thus obtained dope solutions were each flow-casted on a glass plate at a thickness of about 80 m and dried at room temperature for 16 hours, followed by 1-hour drying at 50 C. and 1-hour drying at 120 C., whereby various evaluation films were obtained. The thus obtained films all had a thickness of about 80 m. These films were each dried for 48 hours in an environment of 25 C. and 15% relative humidity, and the post-drying phase difference in the film thickness direction was measured as phase difference in dry state. Subsequently, the same film was left to stand for 72 hours at 40 C. and 80% relative humidity, and the phase difference in the film thickness direction was measured as phase difference in high-temperature and high-humidity state. The value of phase difference variation was calculated using the following equation and indicated as an absolute value. A smaller phase difference variation means superior performance, and a phase difference variation of 30 or less indicates excellent performance.

|Phase difference variation|=phase difference in dry statephase difference in high-temperature and high-humidity state

Dimensional Stability

[0084] In a mixed solvent composed of 900 parts by mass of methylene chloride and 100 parts by mass of methyl alcohol, 85 parts by mass of cellulose triacetate (acetylation degree=61%, polymerization degree=260) and 15 parts by mass of each modifier were uniformly dissolved with stirring, whereby various dope solutions for evaluation and film formation were prepared. Then, the thus obtained dope solutions were each flow-casted on a glass plate at a thickness of about 80 m and dried at room temperature for 16 hours, followed by 1-hour drying at 50 C. and 1-hour drying at 120 C., whereby various evaluation films were obtained. The thus obtained films all had a thickness of about 80 m. These films were each left to stand for 24 hours in an environment of 40 C. and 80% relative humidity and then visually observed to make a three-scale evaluation based on the following criteria.

[0085] Excellent: No distortion of the film was observed.

[0086] Good: A slight distortion of the film was observed.

[0087] Not acceptable: A large distortion of the film was observed.

[0088] As for the dimensional stability, evaluations of excellent and good indicate excellent performance. The thus obtained evaluation results are also shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

[0089] The phase difference in the film thickness direction was determined in accordance with the following equation at a wavelength of 590 nm in an environment of 25 C. and 60% relative humidity using an automatic birefringence meter RETS-100 (manufactured by Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.).

Phase difference in thickness direction={(nx+ny)/2nz}d

[0090] (wherein, nx represents the refractive index in the direction of the highest film in-plane refractive index; ny represents the film in-plane refractive index in the direction perpendicular to the direction of nx; nz represents the refractive index in the film thickness direction; and d represents the film thickness (nm))

[0091] The thus obtained evaluation results are also shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Number- Ratio of average compound Moisture Phase molecular wherein n = 0 permeability difference Dimensional Modifier weight (% by mass) (g/m.sup.2/day) variation stability Example 1 A 880 15 279 22 excellent 2 B 880 15 316 27 excellent 3 C 650 20 268 24 excellent 4 D 570 23 246 12 good 5 E 740 17 299 26 good 6 F 660 20 265 22 excellent 7 G 1,190 10 355 29 excellent 8 H 650 29 251 22 excellent 9 I 700 23 291 22 excellent 10 J 550 24 259 22 excellent 11 K 670 27 264 19 excellent 12 L 640 30 269 23 excellent 13 M 640 24 296 24 excellent 14 N 490 39 242 18 excellent 15 O 410 51 280 6 excellent 16 P 370 39 264 11 excellent 17 Q 390 54 248 10 excellent

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Number- average Moisture Phase molecular permeability difference Dimensional Modifier weight (g/m.sup.2/day) variation stability Comparative 1 not added 700 34 Good Example 2 Comparative compound 1 400 40 excellent 3 Comparative compound 2 670 322 34 good 4 Comparative compound 3 1,000 336 38 good 5 Comparative compound 4 1,400 304 36 good 6 Comparative compound 5 450 276 32 not acceptable 7 Comparative compound 6 450 282 36 good 8 Comparative compound 7 1,050 289 34 good 9 Comparative compound 8 1,050 294 38 good 10 Comparative compound 9 500 318 34 good 11 Comparative compound 10 1,130 293 36 good 12 Comparative compound 11 1,300 310 46 good 13 Comparative compound 12 480 295 30 not acceptable 14 Comparative compound 13 500 334 31 good

[0092] Comparative Compound 1: triphenyl phosphate

[0093] Comparative Compound 2: a condensate of succinic acid (50)/terephthalic acid (50)/ethylene glycol (100), whose ends are both not capped (number-average molecular weight: 670)

[0094] Comparative Compound 3: the condensate of Comparative Compound 2 in which ethylene glycol was replaced with 1,2-propylene glycol (number-average molecular weight: 1,000)

[0095] Comparative Compound 4: the condensate of Comparative Compound 2 (number-average molecular weight: 1,400)

[0096] Comparative Compound 5: a condensate of succinic acid (50)/terephthalic acid (50)/ethylene glycol (100), which is capped with benzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 450)

[0097] Comparative Compound 6: a condensate of succinic acid (50)/terephthalic acid (50)/1,2-propylene glycol (100), which is capped with benzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 450)

[0098] Comparative Compound 7: the condensate of Comparative Compound 5 (number-average molecular weight: 1,050)

[0099] Comparative Compound 8: a condensate of succinic acid (30)/terephthalic acid (70)/1,2-propylene glycol (100), which is capped with benzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 1,050)

[0100] Comparative Compound 9: a condensate of succinic acid (50)/terephthalic acid (50)/ethylene glycol (100), which is capped with n-octylic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 500)

[0101] Comparative Compound 10: a condensate of succinic acid (50)/terephthalic acid (50)/ethylene glycol (100), which is capped with acetic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 1,130)

[0102] Comparative Compound 11: a condensate of adipic acid (100)/ethylene glycol (100), which is capped with benzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 1,300)

[0103] Comparative Compound 12: a condensate of terephthalic acid (100)/1,2-propylene glycol (100), which is capped with benzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 480)

[0104] Comparative Compound 13: a condensate of terephthalic acid (100)/ethylene glycol (50)/1,2-propylene glycol (50), which is capped with p-tert-butylbenzoic acid ester on both ends (number-average molecular weight: 500)

[0105] As clearly seen from Tables 1 and 2, the modifiers according to the present invention were satisfactory for all of moisture resistance (moisture permeability), dimensional stability and optical properties (phase difference variation); however, some of the Comparative Compounds had good moisture resistance but poor optical properties, while some of other Comparative Compounds had good dimensional stability but poor moisture resistance and optical properties. Therefore, it is apparent that the resin modifier of the present invention is well-balanced and excellent in all of moisture resistance, dimensional stability and optical properties.