| abstract |
It is intended to provide an easy-to-use, energy-saving and economical method of producing foamed resin particles having a high environmental compatibility by using an ether, which generates neither sulfur oxide nor sot in the course of disposal and incineration and enables considerable reduction in nitrogen oxide formation, and further using a resin which originates in a plant and contributes to the carbon dioxide fixation. Namely, a method of producing foamed P3HA resin particles comprising the step of feeding particles of a resin containing a copolymer, which is produced by a microorganism and has a repeating unit represented by the general formula (1) [—CHR—CH 2 —CO—O—] (wherein R represents an alkyl group represented by C n H 2n+1 and n is an integer of from 1 to 15), and a foaming agent into an airtight container, and the step of heating the mixture until the resin particles become softening, then releasing one end of the airtight container and discharging the resin particles into an atmosphere with a pressure lower than the pressure in the airtight container to thereby foam the resin particles and give foamed particles. In this method of producing foamed P3HA resin particles, the foaming agent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of dimethyl ether, diethyl ether and methyl ethyl ether. |