Multilayer containers and preforms having barrier properties utilizing recycled material
View Patent ↗Preferred embodiments relate to methods and apparatus for making articles made of polyester, preferably virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET), having coated directly to at least one of the surfaces thereof one or more layers of recycled or post-consumer PET and one or more layers of a material with good gas-barrier characteristics, preferably silicon oxide. Preferably, the recycled PET layer comprises about 25% to about 50% of the entire material content. Preferably the articles take the form of preforms and the containers are blow-molded therefrom and the barrier layer is subsequently applied. The preferred barrier materials have a lower permeability to oxygen and carbon dioxide than PET. In addition, the neck of the preforms and bottles is at least partially in the crystalline state and the body is primarily in the amorphous or semi-crystalline state. This structure in a preform enables the preform to be easily blow molded by virtue of the amorphous material in the body, while being able to have dimensional stability in hot-fill applications.
1. A preform comprising:
a neck finish;
a body portion including an end cap, the body portion comprising an inner layer and one or more outer layers, wherein the inner layer comprises virgin polyester and the one or more outer layers comprises recycled polyester and a derivative of resorcinol; and
wherein the recycled polyester of the one or more outer layers comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform.
2. The preform of claim 1 , wherein the one or more outer layers comprises a first layer comprising one or more derivatives of resorcinol; and the inner layer comprises PET.
3. The preform of claim 1 , wherein the one or more outer layer comprises at least two layers, wherein at least one of the at least two layers comprises recycled polyester and at least one of the layers comprises phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
4. The preform of claim 1 , wherein the one or more outer layers comprises poly(hydroxyamino ether) which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
5. The preform of claim 1 , wherein the derivative of resorcinol is resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
6. The preform of claim 2 , wherein the first layer forms an exterior surface of the body portion.
7. The preform of claim 2 , wherein the first layer comprises a phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
8. A preform comprising:
a neck portion defining an opening and a support ring and a cylindrical body therebetween, the cylindrical body defining a plurality of threads; and
a body portion extending from the neck portion and terminating in an end cap, the body portion comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises recycled polyester and phenoxy-type thermoplastic, and has a thickness that is generally less than a thickness of the second layer, and wherein the second layer comprises virgin polyester; and wherein the recycled polyester of the first layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the perform.
9. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic comprises resorcinol.
10. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the first layer is less than about half the thickness of the second layer.
11. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the first layer comprises a layer of recycled polyester and a layer of phenoxy-type thermoplastic.
12. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic is poly(hydroxyamino ether).
13. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the derivative of resorcinol is resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
14. The preform of claim 8 , wherein the first layer and the second layer form a wall of the body portion, the first layer surrounds the second layer.
15. The preform of claim 14 , wherein the second layer comprises virgin PET.
16. A preform comprising:
a neck portion defining an opening and a support ring and a cylindrical body therebetween, the cylindrical body defining a plurality of threads; and
a body portion being an elongated cylindrical body extending from the neck portion and terminating in an end cap, the body portion comprising an inner layer of virgin polyester and one or more outer layers comprising recycled polyester and a derivative of resorcinol;
wherein the recycled polyester of the one or more outer layers comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform.
17. The preform of claim 16 , wherein the neck portion comprises mostly crystalline material, and the body portion comprises mostly amorphous or semi-crystalline material.
18. The preform of claim 16 , wherein the one or more outer layers comprises a second layer of recycled polyester, and a third layer comprising phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
19. The preform of claim 16 , wherein the body portion further comprises a barrier material comprising said derivative of resorcinol.
20. The preform of claim 16 , wherein the body portion further comprises phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
21. The preform of claim 20 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic is poly(hydroxyamino ethers) and the derivative of resorcinol is resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
22. A preform comprising:
a first layer comprising virgin polyester; and
a second layer comprising recycled polyester and phenoxy-type thermoplastic, the recycled polyester of the second layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform.
23. The preform of claim 22 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic includes at least one derivative of resorcinol.
24. The preform of claim 22 , wherein the first layer comprises virgin PET and the second layer comprises recycled PET.
25. The preform of claim 22 , wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of layers, at least one layer of the second layer comprises recycled polyester and at least another layer of the second layer comprises said phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises resorcinol.
26. The preform of claim 22 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic is poly(hydroxyamino ethers).
27. The preform of claim 22 , further comprising an uppermost portion of the preform comprising at least partially crystalline material and a body portion of the preform comprising non-crystalline material.
28. The preform of claim 27 , wherein the uppermost portion forms a neck portion that comprises mostly crystalline material, and the body portion comprises mostly amorphous or semi-crystalline material.
29. The preform of claim 22 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic comprises a derivative of resorcinol.
30. The preform of claim 29 , wherein the derivative of resorcinol is resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
31. A preform comprising:
a neck finish comprising virgin polyester; and
a body portion including an end cap, the body portion comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, wherein the first layer comprises virgin polyester, one of the second layer and the third layer comprises recycled polyester, and the other of the second layer and the third layer comprises phenoxy-type thermoplastic;
wherein the recycled polyester of the second layer or the third layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform.
32. The preform of claim 31 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic comprises a derivative of resorcinol.
33. The preform of claim 31 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic comprises poly(hydroxyamino ethers) with resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
34. A preform comprising:
a neck finish;
a neck cylinder;
a body portion comprising an end cap; and
wherein said neck finish, neck cylinder, and body portion comprise a first layer, the first layer comprising virgin polyester, and
wherein the body portion comprises a second layer comprising recycled polyester and phenoxy-type thermoplastic, the recycled polyester of the second layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform.
35. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the phenoxy-type thermoplastic includes a derivative of resorcinol.
36. The preform of claim 34 , wherein said phenoxy-type thermoplastic comprises poly(hydroxyamino ethers) with resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
37. The preform of claim 34 , wherein said second layer comprises recycled PET.
38. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the first layer is the innermost layer and surrounded by the second layer, the first layer forms the neck finish.
39. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the first layer is selected from the group of PET homopolymers and copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate/polyethylene terephthalate blends, and combinations thereof.
40. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the neck finish comprises mostly crystalline material, and the body portion comprises mostly amorphous or semi-crystalline material.
41. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the second layer comprises a layer of recycled polyester and a layer of phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises a derivative of resorcinol.
42. The preform of claim 34 , wherein the second layer comprises a layer of recycled polyester and at least another layer comprises phenoxy-type thermoplastic which comprises the derivative of resorcinol.
43. A preform comprising:
a single layer neck finish comprising virgin polyester;
a body portion including an end cap and a wall portion, the body portion comprising:
a first layer comprising a virgin polyester; and
a second layer comprising a recycled polyester, wherein the recycled polyester of the second layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the perform.
44. The preform of claim 43 , wherein the first layer is the innermost layer of the preform.
45. The preform of claim 43 , wherein the second layer comprises a derivative of resorcinol.
46. The preform of claim 43 , wherein the second layer is an exterior layer on the body portion.
47. The preform of claim 43 , wherein the first and second layers are injection molded layers.
48. The preform of claim 43 , wherein the single layer neck finish is a threaded single layer neck finish.
49. A preform of claim 43 , wherein the body portion additionally comprises a third layer, the third layer comprising a gas barrier material.
50. The preform of claim 49 , wherein the gas barrier material comprises a phenoxy-type thermoplastic.
51. The preform of claim 49 , wherein the gas barrier material comprises silicon oxide.
52. A preform comprising:
a neck finish;
a body portion including an end cap, the body portion comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer,
wherein the first layer comprises virgin polyester;
wherein the second layer comprises recycled polyester, wherein the recycled polyester of the second layer comprises about 25% to about 50% by weight of the preform; and
wherein the third layer comprises silicon oxide.
53. The preform of claim 52 , wherein the third layer is an outer layer of the preform.
54. The preform of claim 52 , wherein the third layer is an inner layer of the preform.
55. The preform of claim 52 , wherein the first layer is an inner layer of the preform.
56. The preform of claim 52 , wherein the first layer comprises virgin PET.
57. The preform of claim 52 , wherein the neck finish is a single layer neck finish comprising virgin polyester.