Colgate-Palmolive has begun working with Polyplastics and Plastic Technologies on a new approach to manufacturing HDPE bottles that they say could reduce both weight and production cycle times by around 25 per cent.
The companies have adapted injection stretch blow moulding, a process widely used for PET bottles, for use with HDPE. The method is intended to produce thinner, hot fillable HDPE containers.
According to the partners, the process incorporates a second component into the HDPE, an ethylene copolymer produced by Polyplastics under the name Topas COC.
Viability
They claimed that this material broadens the processing window for HDPE, making injection stretch blow moulding more viable while maintaining recyclability.
The companies noted that the most common method currently used to produce HDPE bottles, extrusion blow moulding, can result in longer cycle times and additional material at the base of the container.
Topas COC is already used with PE in packaging applications to modify material properties, and in certain medical applications where high purity is required.
Colgate-Palmolive said it is assessing the material as part of efforts to develop lighter weight packaging that meets tightening regulatory requirements. It added that ‘results to date are encouraging and the company plans to continue moving towards commercialisation’.
