A new heterogeneous synthesis process, which achieves a significant energy reduction, has been developed for a novel cellulose-based bioplastic for durable products using non-food plant resources. The bioplastic is a cellulose ester synthesized by bonding a short side chain (acetic acid) and a long one (3-pentadecylphenoxy acetic acid (PAA): a derivative of cardanol, extracted from cashew nut shells). In conventional homogeneous processes, cellulose esters are recovered by precipitations using large quantities of poor solvents, which require much energy consumption for their distillation.  In the new process, firstly, limited amounts of these chains were bonded in a heterogeneous system to achieve efficient product recovery (high productivity). Secondly, the short-chain acid was additionally bonded to attain good thermoplasticity of the final product, which was recovered by distilling the reaction solvent and the remaining short-chain acid. The solvent usage was reduced by approximately 90% compared to the homogeneous processes, which leads to about 90% reduction in energy. The thermoplasticity of the resulting resin was comparable to that of homogeneous ones.  Furthermore, the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the resin were greatly improved by adding a specific linear polyester, such as poly(butylene succinate adipate), and a glass fiber, reaching high target levels for durable products. 1. Iji, M., Moon, S. and Tanaka, S., Polym. J. 43, 738-741 (2011).2. Iji, M., Toyama, K. and Tanaka, S., Cellulose 20, 559-569 (2013). 

Development of cardanol-bonded cellulose resin using non-food plant resources: Low energy heterogeneous synthesis process

248th National Meeting (2014)

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