E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Other

Harlan S Young

George Joseph Ostapchenko

Edward Hatchadoorian

James L Patton

Guy Hathaway Collins

Reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate) sheets are thermoformed to articles having one or more surfaces in contact with the mold of such a degree of smoothness that they virtually completely replicate the mold face. When the mold face is completely smooth, the concave imperfections caused by air entrapment in the plastic material account for less than 6% of the surface area. Composite articles consisting of a face member and a backing member are made by thermoforming in a single mold a face member having one or more surfaces in contact with the mold face of such a degree of smoothness that it completely replicates the mold face, and its proportion of concave imperfections is less than about 6% of the surface area. The backing member is bonded in the mold with an adhesive to the face member, and the composite structure is allowed to remain in the mold for a sufficient time to permit subsequent removal without distortion. The initial polymer sheets are less than about 5% crystalline, but the thermoformed article is left in the mold until it crystallizes to the desired degree.

Process for thermoforming reinforced polymer sheets

Fiber-reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate) sheet is laminated to a sheet of amorphous, adhesive copolyester at a temperature at which poly(ethylene terephthalate) is in a molten state. The resulting composite sheet is useful in making thermoformed articles in which one member is bonded to another member, for example, a face member and a backing member. The different members are arranged so that their copolyester layers face each other. Hollow thermoformed articles bonded with amorphous copolyester adhesive exhibit very good bond strength and minimum distortion.

Adherable reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate) composite sheet

A composite package including a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate bottle and a support cup. The bottom of the bottle has a degree of spherulitic crystallinity and is recessed to minimize exposure to shock which might cause rupture. Preferably, there is an interference fit between the bottle and support cup.

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Harlan S Young