PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2013

BOTTLE MAKING 24 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 07+08/13 www.petpla.net ATMI develops BrightPak, a two-part liquid ‘next generation’ containment system for speciality and sensitive liquids Bright idea BrightPak, developed by ATMI, Inc, Danbury, CT, USA, features a collapsible rigid PEN liner inside a PET bottle and is designed for handling sensitive chemical and other prod- ucts. ATMI worked with Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) to overcome a number of challenges, including structural and production problems, on the way to commercialisation. create the rigid, three-dimensional collapsible interior “liner”, which actually holds the chemicals. The liner has to be able to collapse at low pressures without tearing in order to be compatible with various chemicals, and to be able to dis- pense 99% of its contents. The UV- resistant amber-coloured external PET bottle has to withstand six times the dispensing pressure (greater than 90lbs/sq in) to provide an addi- tional safety cushion. The system also needs to withstand shipping and storage conditions including temperature as low as -20°F (-73°C) and also block out 99.9% of light in the 190-425 nanometre UV-visible light range. One of the biggest issues was the “ship in a bottle” challenge of placing the rigid inner PEN liner into the outer PET bottle. PTI found a proprietary solution. The two-piece assembly fits into a third compo- nent - a blow-moulded, full-body PET base cup, which also provides a stable base for the bottle’s slightly- rounded bottom. The bottle and rigid liner are created in a proprietary blow moulding process. The base cup, handle and closure are assem- bled in a clean room environment in order to meet the high purity require- ments of ATMI’s semiconductor food, beverages and others. The resin used for each layer can be adjusted for particular performance require- ments. The company is actively seek- ing licensing opportunities. Challenges The BrightPak system’s primary components are created from two separate preforms. The PET preform is blowmoulded to create a bottle with a capacity of 4.6l. The second preform, made from PEN, is used to Applications ATMI says that its objective in developing BrightPak was to create a commercially effective alternative to large glass bottles and other systems that have been used to store and dispense photolithography chemicals used in the manufacturing of semicon- ductors, LEDs and flat panel displays. ATMI believes its BrightPak liquid delivery system is suitable for applica- tions beyond those originally intended, including adhesives, pharmaceuticals, The BrightPak system’s primary components are created from two separate preforms