Process for treating container preforms with non-contacting plasma treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701443-B2
Application number	US-201716304238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for treating at least one hollow body made of thermoplastic material, such as a preform or a cap, the treatment process successively including at least the following steps: a first step, consisting in treating at least the inside of the hollow body using hydrogen peroxide; a second step, consisting in heating the hollow body; a third step, consisting in treating the hollow body with plasma in order to reduce the concentration of hydrogen peroxide residues. Also disclosed is a plant for manufacturing containers in which the process is carried out in particular by way of a unit for the plasma treatment of the preforms.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A treatment process for use in manufacturing containers from at least one preform ( 10 ) made of thermoplastic material, said treatment process having successively at least the following steps:
(a) a first step, consisting in treating, using a first injection nozzle ( 32 ), at least the interior of a preform ( 10 ) using hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 );
(b) a second step, consisting in heating, using heating means ( 34 , 46 ), a body ( 14 ) of said preform ( 10 ) to a molding temperature to make possible subsequent transformation of the body into a container; and
(c) a third step, consisting in treating said preform ( 10 ), using a second injection nozzle ( 40 ), with plasma to reduce a concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) residue remaining in said preform ( 10 ) after heating, wherein the second infection nozzle ( 40 ) is not introduced through a neck opening of the preform ( 10 ).

2. The treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the first step (a), of treatment, consists in depositing by condensation a film of hydrogen peroxide at least on the interior of the preform ( 10 ) with the aim of decontaminating the interior.

3. The treatment process according to claim 2 , wherein the second step (b), of heating, consist in heating the preform ( 10 ), in which hydrogen peroxide is found, to a determined temperature which is higher than a thermal activation temperature of the hydrogen peroxide, where the thermal activation temperature is a temperature at which hydrogen peroxide begins to transition from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

4. The treatment process according to claim 2 , wherein the second injection nozzle ( 40 ) is positioned so that the plasma alone penetrates the interior of the preform ( 10 ).

5. The treatment process according to claim 2 , wherein the plasma application time during the third step (c), of treatment, is less than one second (1 s).

6. The treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the second step (b), of heating, consists in heating the preform ( 10 ), in which hydrogen peroxide is found, to a determined temperature which is higher than a thermal activation temperature of the hydrogen peroxide, where the thermal activation temperature is a temperature at which hydrogen peroxide begins to transition from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

7. The treatment process according to claim 6 , wherein the second injection nozzle ( 40 ) is positioned so that the plasma alone penetrates the interior of the preform ( 10 ).

8. The treatment process according to claim 6 , wherein the plasma application time during the third step (c), of treatment, is less than one second (1 s).

9. The treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the second injection nozzle ( 40 ) has a free end positioned so that that the plasma alone penetrates the interior of the preform ( 10 ).

10. The treatment process according to claim 9 , wherein the free end of the second injection nozzle ( 40 ) is located at a distance (d) from the preform ( 10 ) which is less than one centimeter (1 cm).

11. The treatment process according to claim 9 , wherein the second injection nozzle ( 40 ) is positioned so that the plasma alone penetrates the interior of the preform ( 10 ).

12. The treatment process according to claim 9 , wherein the plasma application time during the third step (c), of treatment, is less than one second (1 s).

13. The treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma application time during the third step (c), of treatment, is less than one second (1 s).

14. The treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the heating means is selected from a group consisting of infrared radiation (IR) heating means, laser-type heating means, and hot air heating means.

Assignees

• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• BERNARD VéRONIQUE

Classifications

• A61L2103/23

  Containers other than laboratory or medical, e.g. bottles or mail · CPC title

• B29C49/685

  Rotating the preform in relation to heating means · CPC title

• B29C49/6845

  using ventilation, e.g. a fan · CPC title

• B29C49/46

  characterised by using particular environment or blow fluids other than air · CPC title

• A61L2/14 Primary

  Plasma, i.e. ionised gases · CPC title