Carbodiimide-containing hardening type reactive particles, process for producing the same, and use of the same

Abstract

A hardening type reactive particles which contain a carbodiimide compound in such a way to have the reactive performance the carbodiimide group inherently has only in the surface layer section or both surface layer section and inside of the base particle, without deforming shape of the base particle. The hardening type reactive particles each comprising a base particle (A) of thermoplastic resin having a functional group and carbodiimide compound (B) impregnated only in the surface layer section or both surface layer section and inside of the base particle, wherein the base particle (A) and carbodiimide compound (B) are strong bonded to each other by the crosslinking reaction taking place under heating between the functional group in the former and carbodiimide group in the latter, and a process for producing the same.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
     
     
         12 . A process for producing the hardening type reactive particles comprising two steps: the first step in which the base particle (A) of thermoplastic resin having a functional group is mixed with the carbodiimide compound (B) in the presence of at least one type of solvent which dissolves (B) but not (A), selected from the group consisting of water and organic solvents, to have the latter impregnated only in the surface layer section or both surface layer section and inside of the former; and the subsequent second step in which the above mixture is thermally treated.  
     
     
         13 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said base particle (A) is morphologically truly or nearly spherical.  
     
     
         14 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 13 , wherein said base particle (A) is the one prepared beforehand by suspension, emulsion, dispersion or seed polymerization.  
     
     
         15 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said base particle (A) is immersed in a solution of the carbodiimide compound (B) dissolved in at least one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of water and organic solvents in said first step.  
     
     
         16 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 15 , wherein concentration of said carbodiimide compound (B) in said solution is 5 to 60% by weight, determined by the following formula:  
         Solution concentration (% by weight)=100×(whole solution-solvent)/whole solution.  
     
     
         17 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said solvent is water, a mixture of water and a lower alcohol, or toluene.  
     
     
         18 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said base particle (A) is mixed with said carbodiimide compound (B) in a ratio of 0.1 to 20 equivalents of the carbodiimide group in said carbodiimide compound (B) to equivalent of the functional group in said base particle (A).  
     
     
         19 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said thermal treatment in the second step is effected at 10 to 200° C.  
     
     
         20 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said thermal treatment in the second step is effected for 1 to 24 hours.  
     
     
         21 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said functional group is at least one type of active hydrogen group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and thiol group.  
     
     
         22 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 21 , wherein said thermoplastic resin is one of styrene-based polymer, (meth)acrylate-based polymer, a copolymer produced by addition polymerization with another vinyl-based polymer, polymer produced by hydrogen transfer polymerization, polymer produced by polycondensation or polymer produced by addition condensation.  
     
     
         23 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said carbodiimide compound (B) has an average molecular weight of 200 to 100,000.  
     
     
         24 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein said carbodiimide compound (B) has at least one type of hydrophilic segment and is soluble in water.  
     
     
         25 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 24 , wherein said hydrophilic segment is represented by the chemical formula (1) with R 1  and R 3  being each at least one type of residue represented by one of the chemical formulae (2) to (5).  
     
     
         26 . The process for producing the hardening type reactive particles according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one type of additive selected from the group consisting of dispersant, antioxidant, stabilizer and emulsifier is added to said first step, in addition to the base particle (A) and carbodiimide compound (B).  
     
     
         27 - 33 . (canceled)