SPECIFICATION

POLYOLEFIN RESIN COMPOSITION MOLDED BODY HAVING HIGH SCRATCH RESISTANCE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a polyolefin resin composition and further to a molded article produced from the polyolefin resin composition. From another aspect, the invention relates to a polyolefin resin composition article or a polyolefin resin composition coat layer which shows high resistance to scratches and further a polyolefin resin composition favorably employable for producing the resin article or coat layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin, various pigments (e.g., white pigment and black pigment) , and optionally a chromatic pigment and a number of additives has been widely utilized for producing a variety of vessels, materials of forming interior and exterior members of a variety of articles (e.g., articles for daily use, electric appliances, automotive parts, and construction parts), or sheet-like materials. Further, the polyolefin resin composition has been utilized for coating metallic articles or ceramic articles (e.g., concrete articles) to improve its appearance or visually shielding rough or uneven surface thereof, whereby rendering the roughness or unevenness of the surface unno-ticeable.

Chromatic polyolefin resin articles have been used for a variety of uses. If the chromatic polyolefin resin

articles are used for a long period of time or even if the chromatic polyolefin resin articles are used in a short period of time under such conditions that the resin articles are repeatedly brought into contact with other materials, particularly, hard materials such as metallic materials and ceramic materials (e.g., glass, concrete material) or placed in contact with other materials under high pressure, the chromatic polyolefin resin articles get scratched on their surfaces. If the chromatic resin article gets scratched on its surface, there is produced difference of lightness and color difference between the scratched area and unscratched area, and hence the production of scratch is made very noticeable and the appearance of the scratched resin article becomes markedly worse.

Dl (JP 2007-291402 A) discloses that polyolefin resin articles containing various pigments (particularly, used polyolefin resin articles) can be favorably recycled after having been pulverized and mixed with a white pigment (particularly, white titanium dioxide pigment) and a chromatic pigment in the specific amounts, and then meltmoulded to produce a polyolefin resin article showing good colored appearance which is essentially equivalent to a polyolefin resin article produced from fresh polyolefin resin (i.e., virgin polyolefin resin). However, Dl is silent with respect to resistance to scratch of the polyolefin resin article and the question if natures and amounts of the added white pigment and chromatic pigment affect the appearance of the scratched area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a polyolefin resin composition which can give articles or coat layers having high resistance to scratches, notwithstanding the olefin resin composition comprises unused polyolefin resin (i.e., virgin polyolefin resin) or used polyolefin resin (i.e., recycled polyolefin) collected from waste thermoplastic polyolefin resin articles. In the specification, the "resistance to scratch(es)" means not only resistance to suffering scratch(es) but also tendency visually shielding production of scratch(es) when the material gets scratched on its surface.

The inventors of the invention got an idea that the scratches produced on the surfaces of articles and coat layers of polyolefin resin composition produced from a polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin resin and pigments might be visually shielded by adjusting natures and amounts of the incorporated pigments, and performed various experiments based on the idea. As a result, they have found that the scratches produced on the surfaces of the article or coat layer can be scarcely noticed if the article or coat layer is produced from a polyolefin resin composition containing a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment such as carbon black or iron black in amounts larger than the conventionally adopted amounts and, optionally, a chromatic pigment after melting the resin composition under heating.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned inventors' new finding.

From the first aspect, there is provided a polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

From the second aspect, there is provided an article produced by moulding a polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, par 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

From the third aspect, there is provided a composite material comprising an article of metal or ceramic material and a polyolefin resin composition layer coated on a surface of the article, in which the polyolefin resin composition layer comprises a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

If the articles or coat layers (or coat films) on a variety of substrates produced from a polyolefin resin composition of the invention suffer scratches on their surfaces, the surfaces show little difference of lightness and little color difference between in the scratched area and in the surrounding unscratched area. Therefore, the scratches are scarcely noticed. The inventors understand that the above-mentioned decrease of the difference of lightness and color difference is caused by suitable light shielding owing to the titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment incorporated in the resin composition article in the specific amounts and hence the whitened area (caused by ply separation, micro-crazing, production of micro extended resin area, etc.) produced in the vicinity of the scratches is kept from noticing. Accordingly, the lifetime of the article or coat layer of a substrate which is produced from a polyolefin resin composition of the invention is prolonged. Moreover, the articles and coat layers produced from a polyolefin resin composition of the invention can be employed for the uses in which the articles and coat layers necessarily encounter severe conditions frequently suffering scratches and hence polyolefin resin compositions have not been used previously.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below.

(1) The amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment is in the range of 1.5 to 6 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

(2) The black pigment comprises carbon black and the carbon black is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 1.0 weight part, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

(3) The black pigment comprises iron black and the iron black is contained in an amount of 1.0 to 5 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

(4) The total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is in the range of 3.0 to 7.0 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

(5) The polyolefin resin composition further contains a chromatic pigment in an amount of 0.05 to 3.0 weight parts, preferably in an amount of 0.5 to 3.0 weight parts.

(6) The polyolefin resin is virgin polyolefin resin.

(7) The polyolefin resin is a polyolefin resin obtained from a waste polyolefin resin article.

The various components of the polyolefin resin com-position of the invention are described below in more detail.

[Polyolefin resin]

Examples of the polyolefin resins include polypropylene and polyethylene. Polypropylene is favorably used. Most of the commercially available and generally employed polypropylenes for production of articles are block copolymers comprising a major amount of propylene and a minor amount of ethylene (i.e., propylene-ethylene block copolymer). Accordingly, the polypropylene favorably employable in the invention is the propylene-ethylene block copolymer.

The polyolefin resin can be unused polyolefin resin (generally called virgin polyolefin resin or virgin material). The virgin polyolefin resin may contain a small amount of an additive for the resinous material. The polyolefin resin may be material (generally called "recycling material) obtained by pulverization of articles rejected in the producing procedures or material obtained by pulverization of articles (e.g., automotive interior parts, automotive exterior parts, parts of electric appliance, office equipment) which have been previously-used and disposed.

[White titanium dioxide pigment]

There are no specific limitations with respect to the white titanium dioxide pigment employed in the invention. It is preferred, however, that rutile titanium d-ioxide or anatase titanium dioxide which is generally employed in various fields. It is one characteristic feature that the white titanium dioxide pigment is used in such a large amount as 1.1 to 6 weight parts, preferably 1.2 to 6 weight parts, more preferably 1.5 to 6 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

[Black pigment]

The black pigment employed in the invention can be carbon black or iron black. The black pigment can be used in an amount of 0.1 to 5 weight parts per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin. The black pigment and white titanium dioxide pigment should be used in a total amount of 2.0 weight parts or more, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin. Carbon black and iron black can be used singly or in combination.

Among the black pigments, carbon black shows high light-shielding effect. Accordingly, carbon black can be favorably employed for efficiently shielding scratches. There is such problem, however, that fine carbon black tends to agglomerate and cannot be easily handled.

In the case that the material is the pulverized waste resin material most of which contain pulverized thermosetting resin material or various impurities, black pigment comprising high light-shielding carbon black is favorably employed for improve the appearance of the resulting resin article or light-shielding the impurities in the resulting resin article. On the other hand, iron black may be preferable in view of its high dispersibility and its appropriate power of good balancing with white titanium dioxide pigment and chromatic pigment. Therefore, iron black is favorably employed singly or in combination with a relatively small amount of carbon black if the virgin polyolefin resin composition is used and improved light-shielding of scratches is expected.

Carbon black can be favorably employed in a ratio of 0.01 to 0.30 in terms of the ratio of an amount per the amount of white titanium dioxide pigment (i.e., carbon black/white titanium dioxide pigment). On the other hand, iron black can be favorably employed in a ratio of 0.1 to 3 in terms of the ratio of an amount per the amount of white titanium dioxide pigment (i.e., iron black/white titanium dioxide pigment).

The polyolefin resin composition of the invention may contain a chromatic pigment in addition to the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment. Examples of the chromatic pigments include inorganic chromatic pigments such as iron oxide red, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, titanium yellow, cobalt yellow and cobalt green and organic chromatic pigments such as quinacridone red, polyazo yellow, anthraquinone red, anthraquinone yellow, polyazo red, azolake yellow, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, isoindolinone yellow, permanent red, para red, toluidine maroon, benzidine yellow, first sky blue and brilliant carmine 6B. These pigments can be used singly or in combination, in consideration of their uses.

It is preferred that the polyolefin resin composition of the invention contains both of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment under well uniformly dispersed conditions. For this purpose, the polyolefin composition preferably contains such known dispersants as higher fatty acid, higher fatty amide, higher fatty metal acid (metal soap), glycerol ester, polyethylene wax and polypropylene wax. Most preferred dispersant is magnesium stearate.

The polyolefin resin composition of the invention may further contain various elastomers and known additives. Examples of the known additives include fillers (e.g., talc), lubricants, antistatic agents, surface active agents, nucleating agents, UV absorbers, oxidation inhibitors and flame retardants.

The polyolefin resin composition of the invention can be employed for the production of such articles as interior parts of automotives such as motor cars, trucks, and motor busses, exterior parts of electric appliances such as vacuum cleaners and electric washing machines, household furniture, office equipments, and daily necessaries. Further, the polyolefin resin composition of the invention can be favorably employed for forming a coat layer formed on the surfaces of metallic substrates and ceramic substrates (e.g., concrete substrates for construction).

The polyolefin resin composition of the invention can be employed for producing sheet materials ordinarily having a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 6 mm, particularly 1 to 4 mm, more particularly 1.5 to 3.5 mm. The polyolefin resin composition also can be used for covering the surfaces of metallic substrates or ceramic substrates . The covering layer can have thickness in the same range.

EXAMPLES

[Example 1] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material One hundred weight parts of polypropylene resin (fresh propylene-ethylene block copolymer: virgin material) were mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment (4.40 weight parts), iron black (1.44 weight parts), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.0 8 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 0.56 weight part), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.40 weight part) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.3 0 weight part in total). The mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface (color plate, 100 mm x 100 mm x 3.35 mm).

[Example 2] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material

The procedures of Example 1 were repeated except for using no chromatic pigments (red pigment, yellow pigment and blue pigment), to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Comparison Example 1] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material

The procedures of Example 1 were repeated except that the amounts of pigments were changed to 0.55 weight part for the white titanium dioxide pigment, 0.18 weight part for the iron black, 0.01 weight part for the red pigment, 0.07 weight part for the yellow pigment and 0.05 weight part for the blue pigment, to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 3] - Preparation of brown sheet material from virgin material

One hundred weight parts of polypropylene resin (fresh propylene-ethylene block copolymer: virgin material) were mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment

(1.92 weight parts), iron black (2.80 weight parts), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.48 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 1.2 8 weight parts), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.32 weight part) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Comparison Example 2] - Preparation of brown sheet material from virgin material

The procedures of Example 3 were repeated except that the amounts of pigments were changed to 0.24 weight part for the white titanium dioxide pigment, 0.35 weight part for the iron black, 0.06 weight part for the red pigment, 0.16 weight part for the yellow pigment and 0.04 weight part for the blue pigment, to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 4] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material A mixture of 8 0 weight parts of polypropylene resin (fresh propylene-ethylene block copolymer: virgin material) and 2 0 weight parts of talc was mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment (3.76 weight parts), iron black (1.92 weight parts), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.08 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 0.64 weight part), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.48 weight part) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 5] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material The procedures of Example 1 were repeated except for using no chromatic pigments (red pigment, yellow pigment and blue pigment), to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Comparison Example 3] - Preparation of gray sheet material from virgin material The procedures of Example 4 were repeated except that the amounts of pigments were changed to 0.4 7 weight part for the white titanium dioxide pigment, 0.24 weight part for the iron black, 0.01 weight part for the red pigment, 0.08 weight part for the yellow pigment and 0.06 weight part for the blue pigment, to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 6] - Preparation of brown sheet material from virgin material A mixture of 8 0 weight parts of polypropylene resin (fresh propylene-ethylene block copolymer: virgin material) and 20 weight parts of talc was mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment (1.04 weight parts), iron black (3.84 weight parts), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.56 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 1.20 weight part), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.16 weight part) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The resulting mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Comparison Example 4] - Preparation of brown sheet material from virgin material The procedures of Example 6 were repeated except that the amounts of pigments were changed to 0.13 weight part for the white titanium dioxide pigment, 0.48 weightpart for the iron black, 0.07 weight part for the red pigment, 0.15 weight part for the yellow pigment and 0.02 weight part for the blue pigment, to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 7] - Preparation of gray sheet material from recycling material One hundred weight parts of polypropylene resin (obtained by pulverization of used household electric appliance made of propylene-ethylene block copolymer containing white pigment and black pigment in an amount not more than 1.0 wt.%, for each) were mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment (4.100 weight parts), a black pigment (carbon black: 0.170 weight part), a red pigment iron oxide red: 0.050 weight part), a yellow pigment

(titanium yellow: 0.330 weight part), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.350 weight part) and other additives

(dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a gray test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 8] - Preparation of brown sheet material from recycling material One hundreds weight parts of polypropylene resin (obtained by pulverization of the used household electric appliance comprising propylene-ethylene block copolymer which was the same as employed in Example 7) were mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment: 2.250 weight parts), a black pigment (carbon black: 0.440 weight part), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.500 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 1.800 weight parts) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.3 0 weight part in total). The mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 9] - Preparation of gray sheet material from recycling material A mixture of 80 weight parts of polypropylene resin (obtained by pulverization of the used household electric appliance comprising propylene-ethylene block copolymer which was the same as employed in Example 7) and 20 weight parts of talc was mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment: 4.000 weight parts), a black pigment (carbon black: 0.160 weight part), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.040 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 0.430 weight parts), a blue pigment (ultramarine blue: 0.370 weight part) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The resulting mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Example 10] - Preparation of brown sheet material from recycling material A mixture of 80 weight parts of polypropylene resin (obtained by pulverization of the used household electric appliance comprising propylene-ethylene block copolymer which was the same as employed in Example 7) and 20 weight parts of talc was mixed with a white titanium dioxide pigment: 2.030 weight parts), a black pigment (carbon black: 0.460 weight part), a red pigment (iron oxide red: 0.570 weight part), a yellow pigment (titanium yellow: 1.930 weight parts) and other additives (dispersant, lubricant, etc.: 0.30 weight part in total). The resulting mixture was melted under heating and injected to prepare a brown test piece having embossed surface.

[Evaluation: whether scratches are noticeable or not](1) Method for examining whether scratches are noticeable or not

A solid weight (2 kg) having a sand paper (#80 sand paper) on its bottom surface was placed on each of the test pieces (color plates) prepared in Examples 1-10 and Comparison Examples 1-4. The solid weight was slid once on the surface of color plate forward and backward to produce scratches on the color plate.

Subsequently, the difference of lightness and color difference between in the scratched area and unscratched area were determined three times with respect to lightness L*, hue a* and hue b* (CIE 1976), using a spectrophotometer (light source: D-65, viewing angle: 10°) available from Kurashiki Spinning Co., Ltd. The difference of lightness (AL*) and the color difference (AE*) were converted to their average values.

(2) Results of evaluation

The results of evaluation obtained in (1) above are set forth in Table 1.

Table 1

(3) Summary of results of evaluation

The results set forth in Table 1 indicate that the scratches produced on the test pieces prepared from the polyolefin resin compositions of the invention are less noticeable as is apparent from the less difference of lightness and less color difference in any cases where the starting polyolefin resin is virgin polyolefin resin and is recycling polyolefin resin, and further the starting polyolefin resin contains filler (talc) or not.

In contrast, the scratches produced on the test pieces prepared from the polyolefin resin compositions containing white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment in the conventionally adopted amounts are well noticeable as is apparent from the large difference of lightness and the large color difference.

What is claimed is:

1. A polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

2. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 1, in which the amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment is in the range of 1.5 to 6 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

3. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 1, in which the black pigment comprises carbon black and the carbon black is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 1.0 weight part, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

4. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 1, in which the black pigment comprises iron black and the iron black is contained in an amount of 1.0 to 5 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

5. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 1, in which the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is in the range of 3.0 to 7.0 weight parts, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin.

6. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 1, which contains a chromatic pigment in an amount of 0.05 to 3.0 weight parts.

7. The polyolefin resin composition of claim 6, in which the amount of the chromatic pigment is in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 weight parts.

8. The polyolefin resin composition of any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the polyolefin resin is virgin polyolefin resin.

9. The polyolefin resin composition of any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the polyolefin resin is a polyolefin resin obtained from a waste polyolefin resin article.

10. An article produced by moulding a polyolefin resin composition comprising a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, per 100 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

11. The article of claim 10, in which the polyolefin resin composition contains a chromatic pigment in an amount of 0.05 to 3.0 weight parts.

12. The article of claim 10, which is in the form of sheet.

13. The article of claim 10, which is in the form of sheet having an embossed surface.

14. A composite material comprising an article of metal or ceramic material and a polyolefin resin composition layer coated on a surface of the article, in which the polyolefin resin composition layer comprises a polyolefin resin, a white titanium dioxide pigment and a black pigment in which the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment are contained in amounts of 1.1 to 6 weight parts and 0.1 to 5 weight parts, respectively, par 10 0 weight parts of the polyolefin resin, under such condition that the total amount of the white titanium dioxide pigment and black pigment is 2.0 weight parts or more.

15. The composite material of claim 14, in which the polyolefin resin composition contains a chromatic pigment in an amount of 0.05 to 3.0 weight parts.