Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

Tokuyama Sekisui Co., Ltd.

Yasuko Wada

Hiroshi Yamauchi

Satoshi Haneda

Hiroyuki Morita

The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that has a high expansion ratio and durability at high temperatures, and is not likely to cause discoloration and odor when used for foam molding. The thermally expandable microcapsule of the present invention includes: a shell formed from a polymer; and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated by the shell, the shell obtained by polymerizing a monomer composition that contains a nitrile monomer and a compound having a glycidyl group in a molecule, the shell exhibiting a value y of 50% or higher and a ratio y/x of 1.1 or higher, in which x represents a gel fraction at ordinary temperature, and y represents a gel fraction upon heating at 180&#xb0; C. for 30 minutes.

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Yamaguchi, Japan

Yasuko Wada