Polymer, production method for same, and molded article

1. A method for producing a polymer, comprising:

polymerizing a starting material composition (I) comprising a monomer mixture (I-1) comprising a macromonomer (a) represented by a Formula (1) and a vinyl monomer (b) and 0.07 to 0.5 parts by mass of a non-metallic chain transfer agent with respect to 100 parts by mass of the monomer mixture (I-1):

wherein in Formula (1),

R and R 1 to R n each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

X 1 to X n each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,

Z represents a terminal group, and

n represents an integer of 3 to 5,000,

wherein the vinyl monomer (b) includes a vinyl monomer (b-1) having a Tg of homopolymer of 25° C. or higher and a vinyl monomer (b-2) having a Tg homopolymer of lower than 25° C., and

a content (X % by mass) of the vinyl monomer (b-1) in the vinyl monomer (b) satisfy the following Formula (3):

20≤ X≤ 75  (3),

wherein the macromonomer (a) is represented in the above-described Formula (1), R and R 1 to R n represent an alkyl group, X 1 to X n each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,

wherein the non-metallic chain transfer agent is sulfur-containing chain transfer agent,

wherein the monomer mixture (I-1) comprises 15 to 60% by weight of the macromonomer (a), and 40 to 85% by weight of the mixture of vinyl monomers (b),

wherein the polymerization of the starting material composition (I) is performed by suspension polymerization,

wherein the macromonomer (a) is obtained by polymerizing a starting material composition (II) that includes: a monomer composition (II-1) containing a (meth)acrylic acid ester; and a cobalt chain transfer agent,

wherein the monomer composition (II-1) contains 85 to 99% by mass of methacrylic acid ester and 1 to 15% by mass of acrylic acid ester with respect to the total mass of the monomer composition (II-1), and,

wherein a 5% by mass reduction temperature of a polymer produced by the method for producing a polymer is 280° C. or higher.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the vinyl monomer (b) comprises a vinyl monomer (b-1) having a Tg of homopolymer of 25° C. or higher and a vinyl monomer (b-2) having a Tg of homopolymer of lower than 25° C., and

a content (X % by mass) of the vinyl monomer (b-1) in the vinyl monomer (b) and a content (Y % by mass) of the macromonomer (a) in the monomer mixture (I-1) satisfy Formulae (2) and (3):

45≥ Y≥− 0.5 X+ 45  (2)

5≤ X≤ 55  (3).

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the vinyl monomer (b) comprises a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the vinyl monomer (b) comprises a vinyl monomer (b-1) having a Tg of homopolymer of 25° C. or higher and a vinyl monomer (b-2) having a Tg of homopolymer of lower than 25° C., and

a content (X % by mass) of the vinyl monomer (b-1) in the vinyl monomer (b) and a content (Y % by mass) of the macromonomer (a) in the monomer mixture (I-1) satisfy Formulae (4) and (5):

45≥ Y≥−X+ 75  (4)

30< X< 75  (5)

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the vinyl monomer (b) comprises a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vinyl monomer (b) comprises a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the content (X % by mass) of the vinyl monomer (b-1) in the vinyl monomer (b) satisfy the following Formula (3):

20≤ X≤ 60  (3).

8. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a molded article obtained by molding a molding material comprising the polymer has a haze value with less than 3.6%, or a yellow index with less than 10.4.

9. The method according to claim 8 ,

wherein the molded article has a haze value with 0.1 to 1.5%.

10. The method according to claim 8 ,

wherein the molded article has a yellow index with 1.1 to 3.

11. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein R and R 1 to R n represent a methyl group, X 1 to X n each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and n is 3 to 5000,

wherein the non-metallic chain transfer agent is sulfur-containing chain transfer agent,

wherein the monomer mixture (I-1) comprising 20 to 40% by weight of the macromonomer (a), and 60 to 80% by weight of the mixture of vinyl monomers (b).

12. A method for producing a polymer, comprising:

polymerizing a starting material composition (I) that includes a monomer mixture (I-1) containing a macromonomer (a) represented by the following Formula (1) and a vinyl monomer (b) and 0.07 to 0.5 parts by mass of a non-metallic chain transfer agent with respect to 100 parts by mass of the monomer mixture (I-1):

wherein in Formula (1),

R and R 1 to R n each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group,

X 1 to X n each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,

represents a terminal group, and

n represents an integer of 3 to 5,000,

wherein the vinyl monomer (b) includes a vinyl monomer (b-1) having a Tg of homopolymer of 100° C. or higher and a vinyl monomer (b-2) having a Tg of homopolymer of lower than 25° C.,

a content (X % by mass) of the vinyl monomer (b-1) in the vinyl monomer (b) and a content (Y % by mass) of the macromonomer (a) in the monomer mixture (I-1) satisfy the following Formulae (2), (4) and (6):

45≥ Y≥− 0.5 X+ 45  (2)

45≥ Y≥−X+ 75  (4)

30≤ X≤ 55  (6),

wherein the polymerization of the starting material composition (I) is performed by suspension polymerization,

wherein the macromonomer (a) is obtained by polymerizing a starting material composition (II) that includes: a monomer composition (II-1) containing a (meth)acrylic acid ester; and a cobalt chain transfer agent,

wherein the monomer composition (II-1) contains 85 to 99% by mass of methacrylic acid ester and 1 to 15% by mass of acrylic acid ester with respect to the total mass of the monomer composition (II-1), and,

wherein a 5% by mass reduction temperature of a polymer produced by the method for producing a polymer is 280° C. or higher.