KR102160900B1 - Environmental-friendly polymer composition and method of fabricating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an eco-friendly polymer composition that is easy to mold and minimizes environmental burden due to disposal, and a molded article using the same. Eco-friendly polymer composition according to an embodiment of the present invention, 10% by weight to 90% by weight of polylactic acid (poly lactic acid) matrix resin; And a residual amount of algae extraction plasticizer.

Description

Eco-friendly polymer composition and method of manufacturing the same {Environmental-friendly polymer composition and method of fabricating the same}

The present invention relates to a disposable material technology that is easy to discard, and more particularly, to an eco-friendly polymer composition that is easy to mold and minimizes the environmental burden caused by disposal, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Synthetic polymers are raw materials in the form of films, fibers, or pellets, and using them, various lightweight resin products such as ethylene, propylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyvinyl chloride bottles, bags, spoons and The same variety of products are manufactured and used widely. In particular, the resin-based products based on synthetic polymers are widely applied to disposable products that are easily discarded after use.

The resin-based product is separated from other wastes for reuse and recycled through various treatment steps such as heating or repolymerization. The reason for the necessity of such a regeneration process is that it is not decomposed by microorganisms during landfilling or dumping in the sea, so it may exist in nature for several decades or more, and thus, environmental impact due to waste may occur. When exposed to nature, such garbage is linked to the food chain of the ecosystem and can be sequentially accumulated in the organisms that ingest it, and eventually, it may cause serious diseases to humans.

In addition, even if the synthetic polymer is made of a material that is not toxic to itself, harmful by-products such as plasticizers for molding or pigments or dyes for coloring may additionally occur as additives, and when removing them through combustion, toxic gases are removed. It causes a secondary problem that does not occur or complete combustion.

Recently, research on new polymer materials that biodegrade and disappear without the need for processing such as heating, repolymerization or combustion, and application to actual products are being actively conducted. For example, a polymer material such as butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) is a biodegradable polymer material that replaces conventional polyethylene and is applied to various products. The PBAT has been reported not only to simply change its constituent carbon into carbon dioxide according to microbial respiration, but also to bind to the biomass of the polymer surface microbes. In addition, when the PBAT is applied together with other biodegradable materials, it has been widely applied for removing the hardness peculiar to plastic polymers.

Although the PBAT is biodegradable by microorganisms and is used as a component for improving the feeling of use of plastic products, it still has a problem in that it is a synthetic polymer. Recently, the problem of microplastics has been recognized as an environmental problem that can seriously threaten humanity, and since the PBAT is also a synthetic polymer, there is a problem in that the microplastic acts as a pollutant during decomposition.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an eco-friendly polymer composition that is biodegradable and is easy to dispose of, and is eco-friendly and non-toxic because there is no problem of microplastics.

In addition, it is to provide a method of manufacturing an eco-friendly polymer composition having the above advantages.

Moldable eco-friendly polymer composition according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, 10% by weight to 90% by weight of polylactic acid (poly lactic acid) matrix resin; And a residual amount of algae extraction plasticizer.

In one embodiment, the algae-extracted plasticizer may be obtained by drying and powdering green algae, diatoms, brown algae, red algae, blue-green algae, yellow-green algae, yellow flagella, brown flagellum, flat flagellum, or lotus head worm. In addition, the green algae includes one or two or more selected from the group consisting of cheongtae, haekham, green, auditory, beadchunggak, jade vine and beadjumal, and the brown algae is seaweed, kelp, hut branch, mingo branch, Contains one or two or more species selected from the group consisting of plaque, gorimae, seaweed, Ecklonia, gompi, rhubarb, seaweed cousin, hatban, hoesaengi hatban, groundworm, and red algae. , Kotoni, dog gambling, round stone seaweed, gammon radish, bird bale, champignon gill, chindubal, champignon gambling, thorn gill, silkworm, short cocoon, stone gambling, stone mok, and jinuari It may contain more than one species.

The moldable eco-friendly polymer composition may further include a reinforcing agent powder of 5% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the eco-friendly polymer composition. In one embodiment, the reinforcing agent powder may include at least one of waste coffee powder and diatomaceous earth powder.

In one embodiment, the porous waste coffee powder may include a carbonized body of waste coffee particles. The reinforcing agent powder may have an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 2 mm.

According to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the other technical problem, a beverage straw that is a non-toxic eco-friendly product molded and manufactured using the eco-friendly polymer composition described above. Spoon. Vessel. toy. And school supplies may be provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing an eco-friendly polymer composition that can be molded using a polylactic acid matrix resin as a matrix resin constituting the body of a molded body and an algae extraction plasticizer as a plasticizer, it is non-toxic and eco-friendly, and is disposed of after use. It can be naturally decomposed to provide a molded body without microplastic problems.

In addition, the eco-friendly polymer composition can be applied to a product requiring non-toxicity without harsh surface hardness while being a product that is required to be discarded or recycled after a single use or several times, such as drinking straws, spoons, containers, toys or school supplies. There is an advantage that can be widely applied to short-lived products.

In addition, in the case of molding by adding waste coffee powder to the eco-friendly polymer composition, not only can the surface hardness be improved, but also the aesthetic feeling due to coffee color development can be given to the product, and the economic advantage of reducing the cost of disposing of waste coffee is obtained. Can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view showing a straw according to embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely describe the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the following examples may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is as follows. It is not limited to the examples. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more faithful and complete, and to completely convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

In addition, in the following drawings, the thickness or size of each layer is exaggerated for convenience and clarity of description, and the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in the drawings. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the corresponding listed items.

The terms used in this specification are used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular form may include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates another case. Further, as used herein, "comprise" and/or "comprising" specifies the presence of the mentioned shapes, numbers, steps, actions, members, elements and/or groups thereof. And does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, actions, members, elements and/or groups.

The eco-friendly polymer composition according to the present invention, as a material constituting the matrix of the final resin-based molded product, is a polylactic acid and an algae extraction plasticizer that softens the polylactic acid as a plasticizer, preferably a powdery algae It may contain extracted fiber. The eco-friendly polymer composition according to an embodiment may include a plasticizer including 10% to 90% by weight of a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix resin and a balance of algae-extracted plasticizer. It can be solidified in the form of powder or pellets, and may have other suitable properties.

The algae-extracted plasticizer may be obtained through a drying and powdering process for green algae, diatoms, brown algae, red algae, blue-green algae, yellow-green algae, yellow flagella algae, brown flagella algae, flat flagellum algae, or lotus head worm. In one embodiment, the green algae may include one or two or more selected from the group consisting of cheongtae, haekham, green, auditory, bead hearing, jade vine, and bead jumal.

The brown algae is one kind selected from the group consisting of seaweed, kelp, hut branched horse, min branched horse, plaque, gorimae, seaweed, Ecklonia cava, gompi, rhubarb, deer seaweed cousin, mother and child half, hoesaengni hat half, groundworm and tot Or it may include two or more, wherein the red algae is agaric agar, laver, kotoni, dog gambling, round stone seaweed, walnut agar, birdfoot, champignon agar, sorghum, jindubal, champignon, thorny radish, silk grass, short leaf, stone It may include one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Kasari, Seokmok, and Jinuari. Preferably, the algae extraction plasticizer may include alginic acid extracted from seaweed. The alginic acid has moisture affinity, which facilitates the selection and molding process of the solvent for making the resin.

Since the polylactic acid increases the surface hardness of the molded article, the mixing ratio with the algae extraction plasticizer can be adjusted according to the surface hardness required for the applied product. For example, in the case of a soft film, it is 65 R or less, and in the case of a straw, since it is in contact with the mouth of a person, the surface hardness should be set within the range of 70 R to 90 R in order to secure stability with a feeling of use such as softness. I can. On the other hand, in the case of a disposable cup or container, it is desirable to have a surface hardness of 90 R to 110 R because it is necessary to withstand a predetermined load or a change in temperature depending on the type of food. In addition, when strong surface strength is required, such as a toothpick or a toy, it is preferably in the range of 100 R to 120 R.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface hardness of the molded body and its use can be adjusted by adjusting the component ratio of the algae-extracting plasticizer to the total amount of the polylactic acid matrix resin and the algae-extracting plasticizer.

In one embodiment, the plasticizer component ratio to the total weight of the polylactic acid matrix resin and the total weight of the plasticizer within the range of 65 R or less of the plasticizer molded product using the eco-friendly polymer composition is 85% by weight to It is in the range of 95% by weight. When the surface hardness of the resin-molded product is in the range of 70 R to 90 R, the component ratio of the plasticizer to the total amount of the polylactic acid matrix resin and the plasticizer is in the range of 60% to 85% by weight, and the thermoplastic When the surface hardness of the resin-molded product is in the range of 90 R to 110 R, the component ratio of the plasticizer to the total amount of the polylactic acid matrix resin and the plasticizer may be in the range of 35% to less than 45% by weight. In addition, when the surface hardness of the thermoplastic resin molded product is within the range of 100 R to 120 R, the component ratio of the plasticizer to the total amount of the polylactic acid matrix resin and the plasticizer is within the range of 10% to less than 35% by weight. I can.

The eco-friendly polymer composition is a plastic resin molded product (hereinafter referred to as a molded body) by adding an organic solvent such as water or alcohol to the mixture of the eco-friendly polymer composition and the plasticizer and molding it using a non-limiting example, sintering, injection or mold. ) Can be obtained. The molding process may further include a drying process or a sterilization process as necessary.

In one embodiment, the eco-friendly polymer composition may further include a biocompatible binder together with the solvent. The biocompatible binder may preferably be a biodegradable material. The biodegradable material is chitosan, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid (HA), pectin, carrageenan, chondroitin (sulfate), dextran (sulfate), polylysine. , Carboxymethyl titine, fibrin, agarose, pullulan, cellulose, gum arabic, alginate, cyclodextrin, dextrin, glucose, fructose, starch, trehalose, glucose, maltose, lactose, lactulose, fructose, turanose, Melitose, mellegitose, dextran, sorbitol, xylitol, palatinite, polyglycolic acid (polyglycolic acid), and may include at least one of polyethylene oxide.

In another embodiment, the biocompatible binder may be vegetable fiber extracted from any one or more of plants including wood, cotton wool, ramie grass, corn meal, corn stalk, and soybean meal, or a known natural biopolymer. These materials are only exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and non-toxic natural biosaccharides or polymers may be used as the biocompatible material of the present invention.

In another embodiment, a dye or pigment for coloring the eco-friendly polymer composition may be further included. The eco-friendly polymer composition may have a transparent or translucent color, and may be colored green, blue or red as a non-limiting example through coloring for commercialization.

The mixture of the waste coffee powder and the biocompatible binder may be prepared in the form of a slurry using a solvent contained therein. The solvent may be water or alcohol. In other embodiments, the solvent may be a non-toxic organic solvent that may be appropriately selected according to the above-described binder, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. The slurry may undergo a predetermined sterilization process, and may be molded and dried by firing, injection, or molding using a suitable heat source to produce a resin-based molded product.

In one embodiment, porous waste coffee powder may be further provided to the eco-friendly polymer composition. The porous waste coffee powder may improve the surface hardness and strength of the entire molded body like gravel of cement when the entire eco-friendly polymer composition is molded. The porous waste coffee powder promotes high molecular weight by actively reacting with the liquid polylactic acid matrix resin by providing a reaction site with a large surface area of the pores of the porous waste coffee powder, and for aggregation of the formed resin crystals. By serving also as a core, the surface hardness and strength of the molded article can be improved.

In another embodiment, the eco-friendly polymer composition may further contain diatomaceous earth powder. The diatomaceous earth powder, like the porous waste coffee powder, may improve the surface hardness and strength of the entire molded body. However, since the diatomaceous earth powder does not have pores compared to the porous waste coffee powder, the surface and strength improvement effect is lower than that of the porous waste coffee powder. Hereinafter, the porous waste coffee powder and the diatomaceous earth powder will be collectively referred to as a reinforcing agent powder.

In one embodiment, the reinforcing agent powder may have an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 2 mm. When the average diameter of the reinforcing agent powder is less than 2 µm, it causes an increase in manufacturing cost due to a separate grinding process or classification process, and is too fine to improve surface hardness and strength. Likewise, when the average diameter of the reinforcing agent powder exceeds 2 mm, especially in the case of porous waste coffee powder, the particle diameter is large, so that the coagulation nucleation effect due to pores is difficult to appear, and the surface roughness of the molded body is increased. Is difficult to secure.

In one embodiment, the porous waste coffee powder may be a carbonized body of waste coffee particles. The waste coffee particles themselves may contain a predetermined oil content, and when the waste coffee particles are simply dried and mixed as a part of the eco-friendly polymer composition, polylactic acid matrix resin and algae extraction plasticizer and unnecessary oxidation by the oil content The reaction may be caused to deteriorate the quality such as strength or surface hardness of the manufactured molded body, or the molding itself may be poor. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, residual oil of the waste coffee particles can be removed by using a carbonized body obtained by heating and carbonizing the waste coffee particles, and further, while the porosity increases with the removal of the oil, the specific gravity is small and weight is reduced. While achieving, it can function as the agglomerated nucleus described above to improve the strength and/or surface hardness of the molded article.

Depending on the type of the molded body, the reinforcing agent powder, preferably the waste coffee powder, may be contained in a range of 5% to 25% by weight based on the total weight of the polylactic acid, algae extraction plasticizer, and reinforcing agent powder. Within this range, the molded article is a thermoplastic molded article, so that process suitability and strength and hardness of the product can be secured.

Table 1 below shows the measured performance values of various molded products manufactured using eco-friendly polymer compositions having various component ratios according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Example Molded body Polylactic acid
(weight %) Algae extraction
Plasticizer
(weight%) Waste coffee powder
(weight%) surface
Hardness
(R scale) density
(g/m ³ ) Melt index
(10 min
/g) Sample 1 Flexible film 10 15 15 63 0.9 7 Sample 2 straw 30 55 15 88 0.9 3.1 Sample 3 Disposable cups 50 35 15 96 0.9 0.6 Sample 4 toy 70 15 15 108 0.9 0.4

Referring to Table 1 above, it can be seen that the surface strength, density, and melt index, which are required performances, are realized for various products injected simply by adjusting the content of the waste coffee powder, which is polylactic acid, algae extraction plasticizer, and reinforcing agent. The test environment had a temperature of 25 (error ± 2) ℃ and a relative humidity condition of 65 (± 2)% R.H., the hardness test was performed according to the Rockwell R-Scale test method, and the solubility index was performed according to the ISO E1133 standard. Even if all of these products are disposed of as they are, they are eco-friendly products that do not cause problems of fine plastics or environmental pollution. 1 is a perspective view showing a straw, a molded body using porous waste coffee powder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, it is a straw according to Sample 2 of Table 1. As shown in Figure 1, the porous waste coffee powder has the advantage of imparting a coffee color to the prepared molded body. An eco-friendly and non-toxic molded article can be manufactured by not adding a separate colorant to color the coffee color.

The straw as the above-described molded article is exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The eco-friendly polymer composition according to an embodiment of the present invention is a disposable product and should be biodegraded in nature, and may be widely applied to the conventional plastics industry, which is non-toxic and suppresses the production of fine plastics. Preferably, the eco-friendly polymer composition may be applied to spoons, containers, toys or school supplies. In addition, the molded body is not limited to a three-dimensional shape, and may have the shape of a film, sheet, or surface coating layer to be applied as a wrapping paper or an envelope.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and that various substitutions, modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be obvious to those who have the knowledge of.

Claims (8)

10% to 90% by weight of a polylactic acid matrix resin;
5% to 20% by weight of reinforcing agent powder; And
Including; residual amount of algae extraction plasticizer,
The reinforcing agent powder includes at least one of porous waste coffee powder and diatomaceous earth powder,
The porous waste coffee powder is a carbonized body of waste coffee particles,
The reinforcing agent powder is an eco-friendly polymer composition having an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 2 mm. The method of claim 1,
The algae-extracted plasticizer is an eco-friendly polymer composition obtained by drying and powdering green algae, diatoms, brown algae, red algae, blue-green algae, yellow-green algae, yellow flagella algae, brown flagella algae, flat flagellum algae, or lotus leaf worms. The method of claim 2,
The green algae includes one or two or more selected from the group consisting of cheongtae, haekham, green, auditory, marble auditory, jade vine, and beadjumal,
The brown algae is one kind selected from the group consisting of seaweed, kelp, hut branched horse, min branched horse, plaque, gorimae, seaweed, Ecklonia cava, gompi, rhubarb, deer seaweed cousin, mother and child half, hoesaengni hat half, groundworm and tot Or two or more,
The red algae is from the group consisting of agaric agar, laver, kotoni, dog gambling, round stone seaweed, walnut radish, birdfoot, champignon agar, kosiraegi, jindubal, red gambling, thorny radish, silkworm, sweet leaf, stone agar, stone mok and jinuari Eco-friendly polymer composition comprising one or two or more selected. 10% to 90% by weight of a polylactic acid matrix resin;
5% to 20% by weight of reinforcing agent powder; And
Including; residual amount of algae extraction plasticizer,
The reinforcing agent powder includes at least one of porous waste coffee powder and diatomaceous earth powder,
The porous waste coffee powder is a carbonized body of waste coffee particles,
The reinforcing agent powder is an eco-friendly polymer molded article having an average diameter in the range of 2 μm to 2 mm. The method of claim 4,
The eco-friendly polymer molded body,
An eco-friendly polymer molded body that can be molded into any of a straw, spoon, container, toy, or school supplies. Mixing 10% to 90% by weight of polylactic acid matrix resin, 5% to 20% by weight of reinforcing agent powder, remaining amount of algae extraction plasticizer, and organic solvent to form a mixture in the form of a slurry; And
Forming the mixture in the form of a slurry,
The reinforcing agent powder includes at least one of porous waste coffee powder and diatomaceous earth powder,
The porous waste coffee powder is a carbonized body of waste coffee particles,
The reinforcing agent powder is a method for producing an eco-friendly polymer composition having an average diameter in the range of 2 ㎛ to 2 mm. The method of claim 6,
The organic solvent includes water, alcohol or a combination thereof,
The molding is a method of manufacturing an eco-friendly polymer composition including firing, injection, mold, or a combination thereof. The method of claim 6,
The molding step is a method of manufacturing an eco-friendly polymer composition further comprising a drying process or a sterilization process.

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