Lubricant coated beverage container or conveyor therefor
AssigneeEcolab Inc.
InventorsMinyu Li, Robert D. P. Hei, Keith D. Lokkesmoe, Keith Edward Olson
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Abstract
The passage of a container along a conveyor is lubricated by applying to the container or conveyor a lubricating coating that is thermally cured at less than 200° C. or radiation-cured. The mixture can be applied in relatively low amounts and with relatively low or no water content, to provide thin, substantially non-dripping, renewable lubricating films. In contrast to dilute aqueous lubricants, the lubricants of the invention provide dry lubrication of the conveyors and containers, a cleaner conveyor line and reduced lubricant usage, thereby reducing waste, cleanup and disposal problems.
Claims22
A plastic beverage container whose surface is coated at least in part with a coating that has been thermally cured at less than 200° C. or radiation-cured, whereby the cured coating forms a lubricant layer on the surface of the container.
A conveyor used to transport beverage containers, having a conveying surface comprising polyacetal coated at least in part with a coating that has been thermally cured or radiation-cured, whereby the coating forms a lubricant layer on the conveyor.
A thermal or radiation curable conveyor lubricating composition comprising a film former that can be thermally cured at less than 200° C. or radiation-cured, a thermal initiator or photoinitiator, and more than 5 weight percent of lubricating fluoropolymer particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.