MOLDED WOODY ARTICLE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING MOLDED WOODY ARTICLE

摘要

A process for producing a molded article involving the step wherein a pre-molding material comprising kenaf fiber together with a dispersion of a polylactate-base aliphatic polyester and a compatible copolymer containing a first polymerizable monomer and a second polymerizable monomer is pressurized at such a temperature as softening the polylactate-base aliphatic polyester. The first polymerizable monomer is characterized by having a polymerizable double bond part and a hydrophilic group, while the second polymerizable monomer is characterized by having a polymerizable double bond part and an epoxy group. The compatible copolymer is compatible with the kenaf fiber owing to the hydrophilic group. Also, it is compatible with the polylactate-base aliphatic polyester owing to the epoxy group. Thus, it sufficiently binds to both of the kenaf fiber and the polylactate-base aliphatic polyester. As the results of the binding of the compatible comonomer to the polylactate-base aliphatic polyester, there arise an increase in the molecular weight and the formation of a three-dimensional structure.