Decorated polyester tube package for aqueous compositions

Abstract

Injection stretch blowmolded polyester tubes have been developed for use in packaging water-containing products. Polyester resins have good barrier properties for organic materials but poor moisture barrier properties. It has been found that the moisture barrier properties can be increased by coating the exterior surface of the tube with a first material which adheres to the tube polyester surface and to an overlayer of a moisture barrier comprising polyvinylidene chloride, However, since the overlayer of polyvinylidene chloride can develop a yellow tint, the overlayer in one embodiment is coated with an opaque decorative layer to prevent or mask the gradual yellowing of the polyvinylidene chloride overlayer. In another embodiment where the tube is to be substantially transparent, the product in the tube will have a color that will substantially cancel the yellow tint that is developed by the polyvinylidene chloride overlayer. In a further embodiment the tube is of a color to cancel out the yellow tint color of the polyvinylidene chloride layer. The moisture transmission of the tube wall in any of the embodiments is reduced to less than about 1 gram/m,/day. In a preferred embodiment both the tube wall and the upper tube shoulder have this coating structure to decrease moisture loss from the contained product through both the tube shoulder and the sidewall.