Oxygen scavenging resin with short induction period

1. A composition comprising a polyester, a copolyester ether, and an oxidation catalyst, wherein the copolyester ether comprises a zinc compound and at least one polyether segment selected from the group consisting of poly(tetramethylene ether) and poly(tetramethylene-co-alkylene ether).

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said copolyester ether further comprises a polyether segment of a poly(alkylene oxide) glycol selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) glycol, poly(trimethylene oxide) glycol, poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol, poly(pentamethylene oxide) glycol, poly(hexamethylene oxide) glycol, poly(heptamethylene oxide) glycol, poly(octamethylene oxide) glycol and poly(alkylene oxide) glycols derived from cyclic ether monomers.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the molecular weight of said polyether segment is in the range of from about 200 g/mole to about 5000 g/mole.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein said copolyester ether is present in an amount of at least about 0.5% by weight of the total composition.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein said copolyester ether is present in an amount of from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the total composition.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein said polyether segment is present in an amount of from about 15% by weight to about 95% by weight of said copolyester ether.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidation catalyst is at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt stearate and cobalt acetate.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidation catalyst is present in an amount of at least about 10 ppm of the total composition.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein said oxidation catalyst is present in an amount of from about 25 ppm to about 500 ppm of the total composition.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein said zinc compound is selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, zinc hydroxide, zinc alkoxide, aliphatic acid salt of zinc, zinc acetate, zinc oxalate, zinc citrate, zinc carbonate, zinc halide and a complex compound of zinc.

11. The composition of claim 1 wherein said zinc compound is zinc acetate.

12. The composition of claim 1 wherein said zinc compound is present in an amount of from about 35 ppm to about 100 ppm of the total composition.

13. The composition of claim 1 wherein said zinc compound is present in an amount of from about 40 ppm to about 80 ppm of the total composition.

14. The composition of claim 1 wherein said alkylene of said poly(tetramethylene-co-alkylene ether) is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene and butylene.

15. The composition of claim 14 wherein said alkylene is ethylene.

16. The composition of claim 1 wherein said polyester is at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, copolymers of polyethylene terephthalate, copolymers of polyethylene naphthalate, copolymers of polyethylene isophthalate, and mixtures thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16 wherein said polyester is a copolymer of polyethylene terephthalate.

18. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oxidation catalyst comprises a transition metal salt comprising i) a metal comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, tungsten, osmium, cadmium, silver, tantalum, hafnium, vanadium, titanium, chromium, nickel, zinc, manganese and mixtures thereof, and ii) a counter ion comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, oxide, boride, carbonate, chloride, dioxide, hydroxide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, silicate and mixtures thereof.

19. The composition of claim 18 wherein said carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of neodecanoate, octanoate, stcarate, acetate, naphthalate, lactate, maleate, acetylacetonate, linoleate, oleate, palminate, and 2-ethyl hexanoate.

20. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an additive.

21. The composition of claim 20 wherein the additive comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of a heat stabilizer, an anti-blocking agent, an antioxidant, an antistatic agent, a UV absorber, a pigment, a dye, a filler, a branching agent and mixtures thereof.

22. An article of manufacture comprising the composition of claim 1 .

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of film, sheet, tubing, pipe, fiber, container preform, blow molded article, thermoformed article and flexible bag.

24. The article of claim 22 wherein the article comprises one or more layers of the composition.

25. A method of producing an oxygen scavenging resin comprising:

a) esterifying or transesterifying a polyester precursor with an alkylene glycol and a poly(alkylene oxide) glycol in the presence of a zinc compound to form a copolyester ether, wherein the copolyester ether comprises at least one polyether segment selected from the group consisting of poly(tetramethylene ether) and poly(tetramethylene-co-alkylene ether),

b) blending the copolyester ether with a polyester and an oxidation catalyst,

c) melting the blend to form a homogeneous blend, and

d) cooling and cutting the molten blend into solid pellets.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the polyester precursor is selected from the group consisting of pure terephthalic acid and dimethyl terephthalate.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the alkylene glycol is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and butylene glycol.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the alkylene glycol is ethylene glycol.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said zinc compound is selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, zinc hydroxide, zinc alkoxide, aliphatic acid salt of zinc, zinc acetate, zinc oxalate, zinc citrate, zinc carbonate, zinc halide and a complex compound of zinc.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said zinc compound is zinc acetate.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises a transition metal salt comprising i) a metal comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, tungsten, osmium, cadmium, silver, tantalum, hafnium, vanadium, titanium, chromium, nickel, zinc, manganese and mixtures thereof, and ii) a counter ion comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, oxide, boride, carbonate, chloride, dioxide, hydroxide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, silicate and mixtures thereof.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of neodecanoate, octanoate, stearate, acetate, naphthalate, lactate, maleate, acetylacetonate, linoleate, oleate, palminate, and 2-ethyl hexanoate.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein said oxidation catalyst is at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt stearate and cobalt acetate.

34. A method for reducing the gas permeability of polyester articles comprising:

a) esterifying or transesterifying a polyester precursor with an alkylene glycol and a poly(alkylene oxide) glycol in the presence of a zinc compound to form a copolyester ether, wherein the copolyester ether comprises at least one polyether segment selected from the group consisting of poly(tetramethylene ether) and poly(tetramethylene-co-alkylene ether),

b) blending the copolyester ether with a polyester and an oxidation catalyst to form a mixture,

c) melting the mixture, and

d) forming an article comprising the mixture.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the polyester precursor is selected from the group consisting of pure terephthalic acid and dimethyl terephthalate.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the alkylene glycol is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and butylene glycol.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the alkylene glycol is ethylene glycol.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein said zinc compound is selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, zinc hydroxide, zinc alkoxide, aliphatic acid salt of zinc, zinc acetate, zinc oxalate, zinc citrate, zinc carbonate, zinc halide and a complex compound of zinc.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein said zinc compound is zinc acetate.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein said oxidation catalyst is at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt stearate and cobalt acetate.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises a transition metal salt comprising i) a metal comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, tungsten, osmium, cadmium, silver, tantalum, hafnium, vanadium, titanium, chromium, nickel, zinc, manganese and mixtures thereof, and ii) a counter ion comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, oxide, boride, carbonate, chloride, dioxide, hydroxide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, silicate and mixtures thereof.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of neodecanoate, octanoate, stearate, acetate, naphthalate, lactate, maleate, acetylacetonate, linoleate, oleate, palminate, and 2-ethyl hexanoate.