Lid seals for packaging lipophilic materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a packaging which is at least partly filled with a lipophilic packed product and comprises a container ( 1 ) and a closure ( 2 ) having a seal ( 3 ), comprising as process steps i) provision of a container which has an opening ( 4 ) and which is at least partly filled with a lipophilic packed product; ii) provision of a closure which is suitable for closing the container having the opening; iii) application of a composition to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure, wherein the composition is obtainable by mixing a particulate thermoplastic polymer with a plasticizer composition comprising a polymeric plasticizer and a polyol ester; iv) heating of the composition applied to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure to a temperature which is sufficient to gel the composition; v) cooling of the gelled composition; vi) closing of the container with the closure. The present invention also relates to a packaging which is obtainable by this process and is filled with a lipophilic packed product, and a packaging comprising a container and a closure, wherein the closure has a seal.

1 . A process for the production of a packaging which is at least partly filled with a lipophilic packed product and comprises a container and a closure having a seal, comprising as process steps
 i) provision of a container which has an opening and which is at least partly filled with a lipophilic packed product;   ii) provision of a closure having inner surfaces which is suitable for closing the container having the opening;   iii) application of a composition to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure, wherein the composition is obtainable by mixing a particulate thermoplastic polymer with a plasticizer composition comprising a polymeric plasticizer and a polyol ester;   iv) heating of the composition applied to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure to a temperature which is sufficient to gel the composition;   v) cooling of the gelled composition; and   vi) closing of the container with the closure.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure is a screw lid closure or a crown cork. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is applied to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure such that in process step iv) a seal is formed from the gelled composition, which seal, when the container is closed, lies on the opening of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the process step iii) the composition is applied to a circular area or an annular area. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition applied in process step iii) to at least a part of the inner surfaces of the closure is a paste-like composition with a Brookfield viscosity, determined at 40° C., in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000 mPas. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyol ester is an ester of a C 1 -C 10 -monocarboxylic acid and a diol, triol or tetraol. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyol ester is glycerol triacetate. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric plasticizer is a polyester of a dicarboxylic acid and at least one diol. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein the polymeric plasticizer is an ester of a carboxylic acid chosen from the group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and a mixture of at least two of these and a polyfunctional alcohol chosen from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, diglycerol, polyglycerol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, dipentaerythritol and a mixture of at least two of these. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition applied in process step iiii) comprises
 I) 40 to 90 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of the thermoplastic polymer,   II) 10 to 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of the plasticizer composition, and   III) 0 to 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition of at least one additive which differs from components I) and II),   wherein the amount of components I), II) and III) adds up to 100 wt. %.   
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the lipophilic packed product is an oil or a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture. 
     
     
         13 . A packaging which is filled with a lipophilic packed product and is obtainable by a process according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A packaging comprising
 a container and   a closure,   wherein the closure has a seal which is produced from a composition comprising   a thermoplastic polymer, and   a plasticizer composition comprising
 a polymeric plasticizer and 
 a polyol ester, 
   and wherein the container is at least partly filled with a lipophilic packed product.   
     
     
         15 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the seal is mounted on the closure in the form of a sealing ring or in the form of a sealing disc. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         17 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the polyol ester is an ester of C 1 -C 10 -monocarboxylic acid and a diol, triol or tetraol. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the polyol ester is glycerol triacetate. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the polymeric plasticizer is a polyester of a dicarboxylic acid and at least one diol. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging according to  claim 19 , wherein the polymeric plasticizer is an ester of a carboxylic acid chosen from the group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and a mixture of at least two of these and a polyfunctional alcohol chosen from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, diglycerol, polyglycerol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, dipentaerythritol and a mixture of at least two of these. 
     
     
         21 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the composition applied in process step iiii) comprises
 IV) 40 to 90 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of the thermoplastic polymer,   V) 10 to 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of the plasticizer composition, and   VI) 0 to 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition of at least one additive which differs from components I) and II),   wherein the amount of components I), II) and III) adds up to 100 wt. %.   
     
     
         22 . The packaging according to  claim 14 , wherein the lipophilic liquid is an oil or a fat-containing foodstuff, a hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon mixture.