Recyclable printed plastic container and method

• US 8,876,979 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Uptergrove, Ronald L., Mrozinski, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Carrillo, Bibi
• Application Number:
  US13/168,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 134/6, 134/26, 134/28, 134/30, 134/40, 134/42, 264/233, 264/344
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0011 Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating after-treatment of prints B41M7/00; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0088 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0009 Obliterating the printed matter; Non-destructive removal of the ink pattern, e.g. for repetitive use of the support
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/02 Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents thermally-insulated containers B65D81/38, A47J41/00; feeding-bottles A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0207 characterised by material, e.g. composition, physical features
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/0814 characterised by the composition of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2565/385 especially suited for or with means facilitating recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A recyclable article having an external surface with an image printed thereon by droplets of ink is provided. The droplets of ink comprise a composition that includes a hydrophilic component. In embodiments, the hydrophilic component can facilitate the separation or loosening of the image from the external surface of the container when the image is exposed to a liquid-based solution at an elevated temperature. Methods for facilitating recycling of recyclable articles having printed images are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for removing cured ink from a plastic container having an image that is digitally-printed by a drop-on-demand ink jet process, the method comprising:

providing a plastic container having a curved external surface with a digital image printed directly on the curved external surface of the plastic container by a drop-on-demand ink jet printing process, the image comprising cured droplets of ink applied directly to the curved external surface of the plastic container and having an adhesion score of at least 6.0 and up through about 9.0, and the droplets of ink comprising a composition including a removal -promoting additive;

exposing at least a portion of the digitally printed image of the plastic container to a liquid-based solution at an elevated temperature, wherein the elevated temperature is at least about 85°

C.; and

removing at least a portion of the digitally printed image from the curved external surface on which the image was printed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal-promoting additive comprises a hydrophilic component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal-promoting additive comprises an acidic component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the elevated temperature is at least about 85°

C., and is predetermined.

5. The method of claim 1, including scratching or wiping the ink from the container after exposure of the image to the liquid-based solution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ink is mechanically removed in the form of flakes or film.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic container comprises a plastic bottle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid-based solution has a pH level of at least 9.0.

9. A method for removing cured ink from a plastic container, the method comprising:

using a drop-on-demand ink jet process to digitally print an image on an external surface of a plastic container, the image comprising cured droplets of ink and having an adhesion score of at least 6.0 and less than about 9.0, and the droplets of ink comprising a composition including a removal-promoting additive;

exposing at least a portion of the digitally printed image of the plastic container to a liquid-based solution at an elevated temperature, the elevated temperature is at least about 85°

C.; and

removing at least a portion of the digitally printed image from the external surface on which the image was printed.