Multi-layered polymer preform and container via selective heat up additives

Abstract

A multilayered polymeric preform or container is disclosed wherein the blow temperatures of each polymer in a preform is controlled by the addition of a predetermined selected amount of a fast heat up additive such that each polymer layer blows at the same relative period of time to prepare the container.

What is claimed as our invention is:  
     
       1. A preform comprised of multiple polymer layers, each polymer layer having a blow window for blowing a container, wherein at least one polymeric layer has an amount of fast heat up additive effective for essentially equalizing heating times required for the individual polymeric layers to reach their respective blow windows. 
     
     
       2. The preform of  claim 1  wherein one polymeric layer comprises polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and a second layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
       3. The preform of  claim 1  wherein the fast heat up additive comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, diamond dust and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The preform of  claim 1  wherein the fast heat up additive comprises a colorant composition. 
     
     
       5. The preform of  claim 2  wherein the PEN is external and the PET is internal with respect to an interior of the preform. 
     
     
       6. The preform of  claim 2  wherein the PET is external and the PEN is internal with respect to an interior of the preform. 
     
     
       7. The preform of  claim 1  wherein the preform is a beverage bottle preform. 
     
     
       8. A bottle made from the preform of  claim 7  wherein the bottle has polymeric layers which act as barriers for said beverage. 
     
     
       9. A method of making a bottle preform having multiple polymeric layers, the method comprising: 
       a) forming a first layer of polymeric material as one layer of the preform; and  
       b) forming a second layer of polymeric material, juxtaposed to said first layer of polymeric material, wherein a predetermined amount of at least one fast heat up additive has been added to at least one polymeric layer in quantities sufficient to cause the first and second polymeric layers to heat to their respective blow temperatures in the same or essentially the same period of time; and  
       c) heating said bottle preform to blow temperatures.  
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 9  wherein the first layer of polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of PET and PEN and wherein, when the first layer is chosen to be PET, the second layer is chosen to be PEN and when the first layer is chosen to be PEN the second layer is chosen to be PET. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 10  wherein the respective PET or PEN chosen as the first and second layer is a strain hardenable crystallizable variant of the PEN or PET or both. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 9  wherein the fast heat up additive comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, diamond dust, colorant compositions and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 12  wherein the fast heat up additive is present in a quantity of 5 ppm to 1000 ppm. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 9  wherein the preform comprises a beverage bottle container wherein said respective blow temperatures are reached at the same or essentially the same period of time.