Glass container sealing method

A process for hermetically sealing a glass container, with contents therein, said container having a mouth surrounded by a rim comprising a frustoconical outer portion and a planar annular inner portion, said rim being provided thereon with a continuous coating of thermoplastic polymer constituting a part of the cold end coating conventionally applied to the exterior surface of the glass container, which comprises the successive steps of:

• filling the glass container with contents;
• subjecting the rim of the filled container to a fluid jet directed across the rim so as substantially to reduce the amount of contents residue on the container rim;
• applying to said rim a closure of complementary shape therewith, said closure being comprised of a layered material having a thermoplastic polymer layer and a metal layer, said thermoplastic polymer layer contacting the thermoplastic polymer coating on the container rim, said thermoplastic polymer layer and said thermoplastic polymer coating consisting essentially of mutually compatible polymeric material;
• and heating said closure in contact with the polymer coating on both the planar annular portion and the frustoconical portion of the rim, by conduction heating under pressure, to heat seal the closure to the cold end coating on the rim and to seal the contents hermetically within the glass container.