Foamable Composition, Process for Producing the Same and Foam

• US 20120322905A1
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusanose, Yasuhiro, Horiuchi, Mika, Araki, Yoshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,179,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 521/139
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/14 made of plastics A43B1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/026 Crosslinking before of after foaming
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/08 Copolymers of ethene C08J2323/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2453/02 of vinyl aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0042 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0066 Use of inorganic compounding ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/06 by a chemical blowing agent
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2203/14 used for foams
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/025 containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/035 containing four or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0853 Vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2310/00 Masterbatches
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2312/08 by silane
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/44 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes

Abstract

The present invention provides a foam which maintains high hardness while being lightweight and has excellent peel strength and permanent compression set, and a foamable composition used to obtain the aforementioned foam. A foamable composition comprising (A) an olefin-based copolymer; (B) a copolymer that is (B-I) and/or (B-II) described below, (B-I) a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic compound and a conjugated diene, and/or a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic compound and alkylene,(B-II) an ethylene-based copolymer having an unsaturated group; (C) an inorganic filler; (D) an organic silane coupling agent; and (E) a foaming agent; wherein a mass ratio of the component (A) to the component (B), (A/B), is from 5/95 to 100/0; an amount of the component (C) is from 0.5 to 35 mass parts, and an amount of the component (E) is from 0.1 to 20 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of a total amount of the components (A) and (B); and an amount of the component (D) is from 0.1 to 50 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of the component (C).

Claims

1. A foamable composition comprising:

(A) an olefin-based copolymer;

(B) a copolymer that is (B-I) and/or (B-II) described below;

(B-I) a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and a conjugated diene monomer unit, and/or a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and alkylene monomer unit

(B-II) an ethylene-based copolymer having an unsaturated group

(C) an inorganic filler;

(D) an organic silane coupling agent; and

(E) a foaming agent;

wherein

a mass ratio of the component (A) to the component (B), (A/B), is from 5/95 to 100/0;

an amount of the component (C) is from 0.5 to 35 mass parts, and an amount of the component (E) is from 0.1 to 20 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of a total amount of the components (A) and (B); and

an amount of the component (D) is from 0.1 to 50 mass parts, based on 100 mass parts of the component (C).

2. The foamable composition according to claim 1, wherein the component (A) is an ethylene-based copolymer.

3. The foamable composition according to claim 1, wherein the component (B-I) comprises from 5 to 90 mass % of a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and from 5 to 65 mass % of a conjugated diene monomer unit.

4. The foamable composition according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the component (B) is a copolymer having a functional group in a molecular chain thereof

5. The foamable composition according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the component (C) is an inorganic filler selected from the group consisting of a silica-based inorganic filler, a metal oxide, and a metal hydroxide, and a mean dispersed particle diameter thereof is from 0.01 to 4 μ

m.

6. The foamable composition according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the component (D) is an organic silane coupling agent having a group exhibiting affinity for or binding ability to the component (A) and/or the component (B), and further a surface of the component (C).

7. The foamable composition according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the component (D) is a polysulfide silane coupling agent.

13. A foam obtainable by foaming, or crosslinking and foaming the foamable composition according to claim 1.

15. The foam according to claim 13 or 14, which has a specific gravity of from 0.05 to 0.20, a hardness (Shore C) of from 45 to 60, and a value of peel strength/specific gravity of 18 or more.

16. A footwear comprising the foam according to claim 13 or 14.

17. A building material comprising the foam according to claim 13 or 14.

18. An automobile member comprising the foam according to claim 13 or 14.

19. A foam obtained by foaming, or crosslinking and foaming the foamable composition according to claim 7.

8. The foamable composition according to 1 or 3, wherein the vinyl aromatic-based copolymer of the component (B-I) has a tan δ

peak within a range of more than 0°

C. and 30°

C. or less and a tan 8 value at 15°

C. of 0.4 or more, as determined by dynamic viscoelasticity measurement (1 Hz).

9. The foamable composition according to 1 or 3, wherein the vinyl aromatic-based copolymer of the component (B-I) has a tan δ

peak of 0°

C. or less, as determined by dynamic viscoelasticity measurement (1 Hz).

10. The foamable composition according to 1 or 3, further comprising from 0.1 to 20 mass parts of (F) a crosslinking agent, based on 100 mass parts of the total amount of the components (A) and (B).

11. A process for producing a foamable composition comprising the steps of:

previously melt-kneading, at a first stage, at least

(B) a copolymer that is (B-I) and/or (B-II) described below;

(B-I) a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and a conjugated diene monomer unit, and/or a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and alkylene monomer unit

(B-II) an ethylene-based copolymer having an unsaturated group

(C) an inorganic filler, and

(D) an organic silane coupling agent,

at a temperature of 120°

C. or more to obtain a master batch; and

melt-kneading, at a second stage, the master batch, (A) an olefin-based copolymer, (E) a foaming agent, and/or (F) a crosslinking agent.

12. A process for producing a foamable composition comprising the steps of:

previously melt-kneading, at a first stage, at least

(A) an olefin-based copolymer,

(B) a copolymer that is (B-I) and/or (B-II) described below;

(B-I) a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and a conjugated diene monomer unit, and/or a vinyl aromatic-based copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer unit and alkylene, monomer unit and

(B-II) an ethylene-based copolymer having an unsaturated group,

(C) an inorganic filler, and

(D) an organic silane coupling agent,

at a temperature of 120°

C. or more to obtain a master batch; and

melt-kneading, at a second stage, the master batch, (E) a foaming agent, and as required, (F) a crosslinking agent.

14. A foam comprising an olefin-based copolymer composition having a specific gravity of from 0.01 to 0.70 and a hardness (Shore C) of from 15 to 70.