US 2001/0043997 A1 · Treatment of plastics containers

Abstract

A treatment method for the internal surface of a moulded polyethylene plastics material container such as a drum, comprising the steps of: introducing an ionisable gas, such as argon, into the container; generating a plasma of the introduced gas by applying electric field of sufficient strength to the container and introduced gas, so as to cause an interaction with the internal surface of the container; coating the internal surface of the container with a curable epoxy-based first polymeric composition; and then curing the polymeric composition to form a coating on the internal surfaces of the container. A second coating, preferably with electrical conductive properties, may be applied and cured over the first coating. Conductive properties may provided by including conductive particles such as antimony doped tin dioxide, graphite or metal powders, in the second composition.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A treatment method for the internal surface of a moulded polyethylene plastics material container, comprising the steps of:

introducing an ionisable gas into the container;
subjecting the container and introduced gas to an externally-applied electric field of sufficient strength to generate a plasma of the introduced gas, for a period of time sufficient for the plasma to cause an interaction with the internal surface of the container;
removing the electric field from the container;
coating substantially the whole of the internal surface of the container with a curable epoxy-based first polymeric composition;
and then
introducing into the container a source of electromagnetic radiation suitable to cure the first polymeric composition to form a first coating composition on the container internal surfaces.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Treatment of plastics containers

Life of this patent

Treatment of plastics containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29