The Coca-Cola Company

Plasco Dr. Ehrich Plasma - Coating Gmbh

Horst Ehrich

George Plester

Mark Rule

Yu Shi

Heinz Humele

Herbert Pickel

The coated multilayer structure comprising a polymeric base layer, a zero valent material barrier layer, and a top coat on the zero valent material barrier layer, the top coat comprising a soluble compound capable of reducing the permeability of the multilayer structure to gas or vapor. The zero valent material barrier layer can also enhance barrier to UV light. A method for enhancing the gas or vapor barrier properties or the UV light barrier properties of a multilayer polymeric/inorganic structure is also disclosed. According to one embodiment, Si coated polyethylene terephthalate containers are coated with a gas or vapor barrier enhancing top coat. A method for recycling containers coated with a zero valent material barrier layer is also disclosed.

Multilayer polymeric/zero valent material structure for enhanced gas or vapor barrier and UV barrier and method for making same

Multilayer polymeric/zero valent material structure for enhanced gas or vapor barrier and uv barrier and method for making same

Methods and systems are provided for making a coated plastic container, such as for packaged beverages, possessing a gas barrier and having enhanced resistance to loss in barrier due to handling abuses expansion of walls of the container. The system comprises a vacuum cell, a coating source in the vacuum cell for supplying a coating vapor to an external surface of a plastic container positioned within the vacuum cell, and gas feeds for supplying one or more process gases into an interior space of the vacuum cell. The coating source heats and evaporates an inorganic coating material, such as metal or silicon, to form a coating vapor, which is energized to form a plasma. The process gases include a carbon-containing gas, such as acetylene. The coating source is arranged within the vacuum cell such that the coating vapor and/or plasma reacts with at least one of the process gases and a thin coating is deposited and bonded on the external surface of the plastic container, such that the thin coating comprising carbon and inorganic material, such as an inorganic oxide.

Barrier coated plastic containers and coating methods therefor

A coated plastic container provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. A method and system for coating plastic containers includes applying a thin inorganic oxide layer to the external surface of the containers with plasma-assisted vacuum vapor deposition. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating is flexible and can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating firmly adheres to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container. A method of recycling coated plastic containers and a method and system for packaging a beverage using the coated containers are also disclosed.

Plastic containers with an external gas barrier coating, method and system for coating containers using vapor deposition, method for recycling coated containers, and method for packaging a beverage

A method, composition and system for coating an external surface of containers and in particular, plastic containers, provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. The coating applied to the external surface of the containers is very thin and is comprised of one or several inorganic substances or layers of substances. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating will be flexible and can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating will firmly adhere to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container.

Method for coating a plastic container with vacuum vapor deposition

Apparatuses and methods for use in vacuum vapor deposition coating provide for simpler, economical and continuous operation. A system and method for continuously melting and evaporating a solid material for forming a coating vapor includes the use of a separate melting crucible and evaporating crucible. A system and method for energizing the evaporative solids to form a plasma which includes first and second electrodes and a device for selectively switching polarity between the first and second electrodes to avoid coating vapor deposition on the electrodes. Another a system and method for energizing the evaporative solids to form a plasma which includes an electric arc discharge apparatus with a cathodic and an anodic part. A continuously fed electrode is disclosed for continuous vaporization of electrode members in an electric arc discharge. An apparatus and method provides for measurement of the rate of evaporation from an evaporator and the degree of ionization in a vapor deposition coating system. Lastly, a system is disclosed for in-situ cleaning of vaporizable deposits for cleaning of the enclosure of the vacuum vapor deposition system.

Methods for measuring the degree of ionization and the rate of evaporation in a vapor deposition coating system

A coated plastic container provides for low permeability to gases and vapors. A method and system for coating plastic containers includes applying a thin inorganic oxide layer to the external surface of the containers with plasma-assisted vacuum vapor deposition. For example, the coating can include silica which is bonded to the external surface of the container. This coating is flexible and be can be applied regardless of the container's internal pressure or lack thereof. The coating firmly adheres to the container and possess an enhanced gas barrier effect after pressurization even when the coating is scratched, fractured, flexed and/or stretched. Moreover, this gas barrier enhancement will be substantially unaffected by filling of the container. A method of recycling coated plastic containers and a method and system for packaging a beverage using the coated containers are also disclosed.

Plastic containers with an external gas barrier coating

Plasma-enhanced vacuum vapor deposition system including systems for evaporation of a solid, producing an electric arc discharge and measuring ionization and evaporation

Hollow plastic containers with an external very thin coating of low permeability to gases and vapors through plasma-assisted deposition of inorganic substances and method and system for making the coating

Process for the ionization of thermally generated material vapors and a

A plasma assisted deposition of a very thin inner surface coating inside a plastic or metal container is achieved using insoluble, inert, inorganic substances such as silica, or insoluble metal oxides, or by using mixtures of substances, for example of metals, metal oxides, metal salts and carbon and/or organic radicals, so as to form a flexible structure or lattice, or by using different layers of such structures. It involves locating the container in an evacuated enclosure, placing a vaporizer containing inert inorganic material of a predetermined constituency inside the container, generating a vapor of said material, forming a plasma of said vapor, and depositing a relatively thin coating of said material over a predetermined area of an inside surface of said container, whereby the high temperature of the particles of said coating penetrate said surface due to their heat energy while causing no overall rise in surface temperature because of the low mass flow.

Method and apparatus for coating hollow containers through

A method for evaporating materials in a vacuum chamber by heating a material to be evaporated by the impact of electrons generated in a vacuum arc discharge ignited and sustained between a cold cathode and an anode, comprises the steps of locating the cathode and the anode in a vacuum chamber, connecting the material to be evaporated to at least a part of the anode in the evaporation chamber, generating electrons for a self-sustained discharge in the cathode spots on the cold cathode-surface, bombarding the anode with electrons generated in the arc discharge to obtain on the surface of the anode a power input sufficient for the evaporation of the material, and maintaining the arc discharge essentially in the vapor of the material evaporated at the anode. An apparatus for performing the method includes a vacuum evaporation chamber, in which the cold cathode and the anode, both provided with cooling means are positioned opposite to each other and the material to be evaporated is provided at the end of the anode, facing the cathode.

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Dorsten, Germany

Horst Ehrich