EXPANDED POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE RESIN BEAD, MOLDED OBJECT THEREOF, AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE EXPANDED RESIN BEAD

摘要

An object of the present invention is to provide expanded polyhydroxyalkanoate resin beads which are satisfactory and have biodegradability, the molded product thereof, and process for producing the expanded resin beads. The object can be achieved by expanded poly(3-hydroxyalkaonate) (abbreviatedtoP3HA) resin beads obtained from a P3HA resin composition comprising: a copolymer which comprises repeating units of one or more kinds represented by the formula (1): [-O-CHR-CH 2 -CO-] (wherein R is alkyl represented by CnH2n+1, provided that n is an integer of 1-15) and is yielded by a microorganism (this copolymer is P3HA); and an isocyanate compound, and having a melt viscosity of 500Pa·s or higher when examined under the conditions of a shear rate of 122 sec -1 and a temperature of from Tm1 to Tm2, wherein Tm1 is the melting temperature of the P3HA resin composition and Tm2=Tm1+20°C, provided that Tm2<180°C.