Continental Pet Technologies, Inc.

Bryan Lynch

Steven L Schmidt

Amit Suresh Agrawal

Process for controlling the rate of change of intrinsic viscosity and transesterification during solid stating of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) blend, with an effective amount of an ethylene glycol compound. The process enables the production of a copolymer based on predefined initial and final IV's and final transesterification level, by varying the solid-stating time and/or effective amount of ethylene glycol. In one embodiment, a relatively greater amount of post-consumer PET (e.g., 70%) having an IV of on the order of 0.72-0.73, is incorporated in the blend to provide a final IV on the order of 0.80-0.85, and a moderate, controlled level of transesterification; the blend is used to injection mold a sleeve layer of a preform. In another embodiment, a substantially transparent neck finish for a preform is made from a PEN/PET blend having an amount of ethylene glycol which enables substantial transesterification, without excessive increase in IV.

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Merrimack, NH, United States of America

Bryan Lynch