Polypropylene-based resin molded article and process for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a crystalline polypropylene-based resin molded article having an excellent impact resistance, in particular a remarkably high Izod impact strength, and a process for producing the molded article. A polypropylene-based resin molded article with an excellent impact resistance in which the β crystals of the polypropylene-based resin are unoriented can be produced by a process comprising the steps of: adding 0.01 to 0.1 parts by weight of at least one amide compound to 100 parts by weight of a polypropylene-based resin; kneading the resulting mixture at a temperature not lower than the dissolution temperature of the amide compound in the molten polypropylene-based resin until the compound dissolves in the molten polypropylene-based resin; and injecting and/or extruding the resulting melt in such a state that the amide compound has dissolved in the molten polypropylene-based resin.

1 . A polypropylene-based resin molded article with an excellent impact resistance, obtained by molding a polypropylene-based resin composition containing at least 0.04 to 0.1 parts by weight of at least one amide compound represented by Formula (1) as a β crystal nucleating agent per 100 parts by weight of a polypropylene-based resin, the β crystals of the polypropylene-based resin being unoriented:  
       R 2 —NHCO—R 1 —CONH—R 3    (1)  
     wherein R 1  is a C 1-24  saturated or unsaturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid residue, a C 4-28  saturated or unsaturated alicyclic dicarboxylic acid residue, or a C 6-28  aromatic dicarboxylic acid residue; and R 2  and R 3  are the same or different and each represent a C 3-18  cycloalkyl group or a group represented by Formula (a), (b), (c) or (d):  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     wherein R 4  is a hydrogen atom, a C 1-12  linear or branched alkyl group, a C 6-10  cycloalkyl group or a phenyl group; R 5  is a C 1-12  linear or branched alkyl group; and R 6  and R 7  are the same or different and each represent a C 1-4  linear or branched alkylene group, 
 wherein, after transition of the β crystals in the molded article to α crystals by heat treatment, the diffraction peak intensities of the (110) and (040) crystal lattice planes in diffraction profiles of the heat-treated molded article measured in the THROUGH, EDGE and END directions by wide-angle X-ray diffractometry using an X-ray diffractometer satisfy the following equation (A):  
   0.8≦( I   040,th   /I   110,th )×( I   040,ed   /I   110,ed )×(I 11 ,en/I040,en)≦1.2   (A)  
 wherein I 040,th  and I 110,th  are the diffraction peak intensities of the (040) and (110) planes, respectively, in the diffraction profile in the THROUGH direction; I 040,ed  and I 110,ed  are the diffraction peak intensities of the (040) and (110) planes, respectively, in the diffraction profile in the EDGE direction; and I 110,en  and I 104,en  are the diffraction peak intensities of the (110) and (040) planes, respectively, in the diffraction profile in the END direction.  
 
   
   
       2 . A polypropylene-based resin molded article according to  claim 1 , wherein, in Formula (1), R 1  is a C 4-28  saturated or unsaturated alicyclic dicarboxylic acid residue or a C 6-28  aromatic dicarboxylic acid residue; and R 2  and R 3  are the same or different and each represent a C 3-18  cycloalkyl group or a group represented by Formula (a), (b), (c) or (d).  
   
   
       3 . A polypropylene-based resin molded article according to  claim 1 , wherein, in Formula (1), R 1  is a C 6-28  aromatic dicarboxylic acid residue, and R 2  and R 3  are the same or different and each represent a C 3-18  cycloalkyl group or a group represented by Formula (b).  
   
   
       4 . A polypropylene-based resin molded article according to  claim 1 , wherein the amide compound has a melting point of 200° C. or higher.  
   
   
       5 . A polypropylene-based resin molded article according to  claim 1 , wherein the amide compound is N,N′-dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide.  
   
   
       6 . A process for producing a polypropylene-based resin molded article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 kneading a polypropylene-based resin composition containing 0.04 to 0.1 parts by weight of at least one amide compound represented by Formula (1) per 100 parts by weight of a polypropylene-based resin, at a temperature not lower than the dissolution temperature of the amide compound in the polypropylene-based resin in a molten state, until the amide compound dissolves in the molten polypropylene-based resin; and    molding the composition in such a state that the amide compound has dissolved in the molten polypropylene resin, by injection and/or extrusion.    
   
   
       7 . A process for producting a polypropylenc-based resin molded article according to  claim 6 , wherein the amide compound is N,N′-dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide.