Recoverable, recyclable, and reusable composite container
AssigneeOwens-Illinois, Inc.
InventorsLynn J. Taylor, Neal Troy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed a glass based container having at least a portion of its external surface coated after the annealing of the glass with a protective, decorable, water removable, organic polymeric film which can be removed by an aqueous medium such that the annealed glass container base can be recovered, recycled, and reused.
Claims12
As an article of manufacture, a previously annealed glass container having at least a portion of its annealed, external surface coated with a protective, decorable film consisting essentially of a water removable, film-forming, thermoplastic organic polymer, said polymer being water soluble or dispersible and being selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene oxide);
- poly(propylene oxide);
- ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymers;
- polyvinylpyrrolidinone;
- polyethyleneimine;
- poly(methyl vinyl ether);
- polyacrylamide;
- polymethacrylamide;
- poly(vinyl acetate);
- polyvinyl formal;
- poly(alkyl methacrylates);
- methyl cellulose;
- ethyl cellulose;
- hydroxyethyl cellulose;
- hydroxypropyl cellulose;
- sodium carboxymethyl cellulose;
- methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose;
- poly(acrylic acid) and salts thereof;
- poly(methacrylic acid) and salts thereof;
- ethylene-maleic anhydride copolymers;
- ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers;
- vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymers;
- methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymers;
- and emulsifiable polyurethanes;
- said polymer being capable of removal by an aqueous medium such that the annealed glass container and polymer can be recovered, recycled, and reused, the film thickness being at least 0.002 inch and sufficient to provide scratch and shatter resistance for the container and to retain broken glass fragments upon fracture of the glass container so as to reduce the incidence of accidental injury.
In a process for the preparation of a coated glass container, the improvement which comprises applying a film consisting essentially of a water removable thermoplastic organic polymer which is water soluble or dispersible and is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene oxide);
- poly(propylene oxide);
- ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymers;
- polyvinyl-pyrrolidinone;
- polyethyleneimine;
- poly(methyl vinyl ether);
- polyacrylamide;
- polymethacrylamide;
- poly(vinyl acetate);
- polyvinyl formal;
- poly(alkyl methacrylates);
- methyl cellulose;
- ethyl cellulose;
- hydroxyethyl cellulose;
- hydroxypropyl cellulose;
- sodium carboxymethyl cellulose;
- methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose;
- poly(acrylic acid) and salts thereof;
- poly(methacrylic acid) and salts thereof;
- ethylene-maleic anhydride copolymers;
- ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers;
- vinyl acetate -vinyl alcohol copolymers;
- methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymers;
- and emulsifiable polyurethanes;
- to at least a portion of the external surface of a previously annealed glass container, said film having a thickness of at least 0.002 inch and sufficient to provide scratch and shatter resistance for the container and to retain broken glass fragments upon fracture of the glass container so as to reduce the incidence of accidental injury, and being capable of removal by an aqueous medium such that the glass container and the coating film can be recovered, recycled, and reused.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.