Long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet

Abstract

The invention provides a long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet composed of a long fiber filler and a thermoplastic resin blend. In the pellet, the long fiber filler is aligned to form a spiral with a central axis along the longitudinal direction of the pellet, and the pellet has a skin layer part with a lower content of the long fiber filler, and a core part with a higher content of the long fiber filler, thereby the cross-section of the core part is in a range of 30% to 70% of the cross-section of the pellet. The thermoplastic resin blend in the pellet is composed of polyphenylene ether and a thermoplastic resin other than polyphenylene ether.

1 . A long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet, comprising a long fiber filler and a thermoplastic resin blend, wherein:
 the long fiber filler is aligned, in said pellet, to form a spiral with a central axis along a longitudinal direction of said pellet; and   said pellet has a skin layer part with a lower content of the long fiber filler, and a core part with a higher content of the long fiber filler, a cross-section of said core part being in a range from 30% to 70% of the cross-section of said pellet; and   said thermoplastic resin blend comprises polyphenylene ether and a thermoplastic resin other than polyphenylene ether.   
   
   
       2 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an average fiber length of said long fiber filler to the length of said long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet exceeds 1.0. 
   
   
       3 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein a rate of said long fiber filler in said long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet is from 30 to 70% by mass. 
   
   
       4 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein said long fiber filler is a glass fiber. 
   
   
       5 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein a reduced viscosity (a chloroform solution of 0.5 g/dL concentration, measured at 30° C.) of said polyphenylene ether is in a range from 0.30 to 0.55 dL/g. 
   
   
       6 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein said polyphenylene ether is a copolymer comprising 2,3,6-trimethylphenol, and a rate of a unit of said 2,3,6-trimethylphenol in the polyphenylene ether is from 10 to 30% by mass. 
   
   
       7 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic resin other than the polyphenylene ether is one or more selected from the group consisting of a styrenic resin, an olefinic resin, polyester, polyamide, polyarylene sulfide, polyarylate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polysulfone and polyaryl ketone. 
   
   
       8 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic resin other than the polyphenylene ether is one or more selected from the group consisting of homo-polystyrene, rubber-modified polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer and N-phenylmaleimide-styrene copolymer. 
   
   
       9 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 8 , wherein a rate of said polyphenylene ether in said thermoplastic resin blend is from 10 to 90% by mass. 
   
   
       10 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic resin other than the polyphenylene ether is one or more selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, liquid crystal polyester, polyamide, polyarylene sulfide, polyarylate, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polysulfone and polyaryl ketone. 
   
   
       11 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 10 , wherein the rate of said polyphenylene ether in said thermoplastic resin blend is from 1 to 50% by mass. 
   
   
       12 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , further comprising a compatibilizer. 
   
   
       13 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 12 , wherein said compatibilizer is a compound having one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of an epoxy group, an oxazolyl group, an imide group, a carboxylic group and an acid anhydride group. 
   
   
       14 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sterically-hindered phenol-based antioxidant in an amount from 0.1 to 5 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of said thermoplastic resin blend. 
   
   
       15 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flame retardant without halogen in an amount from 5 to 50 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of said thermoplastic resin blend. 
   
   
       16 . The long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 , further comprising a filler other than the long fiber filler. 
   
   
       17 . A resin pellet blend comprising:
 100 parts by mass of the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 ; and   0.5 to 150 parts by mass of a resin pellet without the long fiber filler.   
   
   
       18 . The resin pellet blend according to  claim 17 , wherein a rate of said long fiber filler in said resin pellet blend is from 10 to 60% by mass. 
   
   
       19 . The resin pellet blend according to  claim 17 , wherein said resin pellet without the long fiber filler further comprises a filler other than the long fiber filler. 
   
   
       20 . The resin pellet blend according to  claim 19 , wherein said filler other than the long fiber filler is one or more fillers selected from the group consisting of a hydroxide of an element selected from magnesium and calcium; an oxide of an element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, titanium, iron, copper, zinc and aluminum; zinc sulfide, zinc borate, calcium carbonate, talc, wollastonite, glass, carbon black, carbon nanotube and silica; and an average particle size of said filler other than the long fiber filler is not more than 1 mm. 
   
   
       21 . A molded article produced by melt-molding of the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       22 . A process for producing a long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet, wherein the pellet comprises a long fiber filler and a thermoplastic resin blend;
 said long fiber filler is aligned, in said pellet, to form a spiral with a central axis along a longitudinal direction of said pellet; and   said pellet comprises a skin layer part with a lower content of the long fiber filler, and a core part with a higher content of the long fiber filler, the cross-section of said core part being in a range from 30% to 70% of the cross-section of said pellet,   said thermoplastic resin blend comprises polyphenylene ether and a thermoplastic resin other than polyphenylene ether; and   the process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet comprises the steps of:   (1) producing said thermoplastic resin blend in a molten state by an extruder,   (2) impregnating said long fiber filler with said thermoplastic resin blend in the molten state,   
     (3) forming a resin strand by drawing and twisting, and
 (4) cutting said resin strand to a pellet form. 
 
   
   
       23 . The process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 22 , wherein the process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet comprises the steps (1) to (4) in said successive order. 
   
   
       24 . The process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 22 , wherein the step (1) further comprising producing said thermoplastic resin blend in the molten state by blending said polyphenylene ether and said thermoplastic resin other than the polyphenylene ether. 
   
   
       25 . The process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 22 , wherein a set temperature of a dipping bath in the step (2), in which said long fiber filler is impregnated in said thermoplastic resin blend in the molten state, is higher by 20° C. or more than a set temperature of the extruder in said step (1). 
   
   
       26 . The process for producing the long fiber filler reinforced resin pellet according to  claim 22 , wherein a drawing speed in said step (3) is in a range from 10 to 150 m/min. 
   
   
       27 . A molded article produced by melt-molding of the resin pellet blend according to  claim 17 .