Process to make an article comprising light absorbent composition to mask visual haze and related methods
View Patent ↗A transparent article includes a continuous polyester matrix having at least one incompatible filler dispersed therein. The incompatible filler provides domains in the polyester matrix, each domain having a particular dimension, thus providing a range of dimensions for the domains in the article. To create haze, the dimensions are within the range of from about 380 nm to about 720 nm. Once the range of dimensions is determined, a light absorbent composition can be found which absorbs light at a range of wavelengths that at least substantially covers the range of dimensions of the domains. In doing so, it has been found that the haze of the article can be substantially masked. Method for producing the article and for masking the haze are also provided.
1. A process for the production of a colored transparent oriented article made of a blend of a major component of a polyester, a minor component of at least one incompatible filler dispersed therein, and at least one light absorbent composition, comprising:
blending the filler into the polyester and injection molding the filler and the polyester into a first preform;
blow molding the first preform into an oriented first article of single layer construction into a desired size and shape of the first article, wherein the article comprises domains comprising the incompatible filler and at least some of the dimensions of the domains in an oriented single continuous location of the article are within a range of from about 400 nm to 700 nm;
and the article has visual haze at the oriented single continuous location of the oriented article;
and
finding a light absorbent composition that absorbs light in a region of the visible spectrum at wavelengths that at least substantially correlate to the dimensions of the domains in the polyester in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm wherein the step of finding the light absorbent composition includes analyzing the absorption spectra of the composition and considering the spectrum in view of the range of dimensions of the domains so that the light absorption spectrum of the light absorbent composition at least substantially correlates to the range of dimensions; and
adding an effective amount of the light absorbent composition to the polyester and the incompatible filler and injection molding the effective amount of the light absorbent composition, the polyester and the incompatible filler into a different preform of a same desired size and shape of the first preform and blow molding the different preform into a different, transparent oriented article into the same desired size and shape of the oriented first article and having a same oriented single continuous location as the oriented first article, to substantially mask any visual haze at the oriented single continuous portion of the different oriented article.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the article produced is a container.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the container produced is a bottle.
4. The process of claim 2 , wherein said step of blending includes adding filler in an effective amount to provide increased gas barrier strength to the container as compared to a container comprising only polyester.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said step of forming the article includes blow molding the article to orient it into the size and shape of an article.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of adding a light absorbent composition to the polyester includes the step of yellowing the polyester to provide the light absorbent composition.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said polyester is a linear polyester selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene isophthalate and copolymers, terpolymers, and blends thereof.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein said polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or a copolymer thereof.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
11. The process of claim 10 , wherein said light absorbent composition is a colorant.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein said incompatible filler is a gas barrier strengthening filler.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein said light absorbent composition is a colorant.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein said polyester is polyethylene terephthalate modified with isophthalic acid.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein said incompatible filler is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers other than polyester and clays.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein said light absorbent composition is a pigment.
18. The process of claim 1 , wherein said dimensions of the domains range from about 400 nm to about 600 nm and said light absorbent composition is a red colorant.
19. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the light absorbing compositions is a red colorant.
20. The process of claim 19 , wherein said colored transparent article is an oriented container and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the container.
21. The process of claim 19 , wherein said colored transparent article is a plastic bottle and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the bottle.
22. The process of claim 19 , wherein said polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or a copolymer thereof.
23. The process of claim 22 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
24. The process of claim 22 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
25. The process of claim 22 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
26. The process of claim 19 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
27. The process of claim 19 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
28. The process of claim 19 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
29. The process of claim 19 wherein said incompatible filler is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers other than polyester and clays.
30. The process of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the light absorbing compositions is a yellow colorant.
31. The process of claim 30 , wherein said colored transparent article is an oriented container and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the container.
32. The process of claim 30 , wherein said colored transparent article is a plastic bottle and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the bottle.
33. The process of claim 30 , wherein said polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or a copolymer thereof.
34. The process of claim 33 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
35. The process of claim 33 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
36. The process of claim 33 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
37. The process of claim 30 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
38. The process of claim 30 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
39. The process of claim 30 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
40. The process of claim 30 , wherein said incompatible filler is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers other than polyester and clays.
41. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the light absorbing compositions is a yellow colorant.
42. The process of claim 41 , wherein said colored transparent article is an oriented container and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the container.
43. The process of claim 41 , wherein said colored transparent article is a plastic bottle and wherein the single continuous portion of the colored transparent article is a sidewall of the bottle.
44. The process of claim 41 , wherein said polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or a copolymer thereof.
45. The process of claim 44 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
46. The process of claim 44 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
47. The process of claim 44 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
48. The process of claim 41 , wherein said incompatible filler is a polyamide.
49. The process of claim 41 , wherein said incompatible filler is poly(m-xylylene adipamide).
50. The process of claim 41 , wherein said incompatible filler is nylon 6.
51. The process of claim 41 , wherein said incompatible filler is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers other than polyester and clays.