Bottle caps are used to seal bottles containing liquids, which are important packaging components. Bottle caps are typically made of plastic and have two parts: gaskets and cap liners. The cap liner is the plastic that is placed inside the cap, and gaskets are the rubber lining that fills the interior space of the bottle cap.
Gaskets Are Placed Inside Bottle Caps.
Gaskets are placed inside bottle caps to protect the contents. They are used for several reasons, including sealing and additional protection for the container. They also make it easier to detect tampering with the contents, preventing the consumption of potentially poisonous substances. Caps for bottles are made of different materials, most commonly plastic. However, they can also be made of metal. The materials are chosen based on the intended usage and type of container. These materials have properties like durability, flexibility, and inertness to liquid compositions. Common materials used for bottle caps include polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and low-density polyethylene.
Slip Agents
Slip agents are commonly used in plastic bottles and PP film. Their properties are similar to those of virgin material, and their main function is to protect the polymer from oxidative degradation and maintain its properties throughout its lifecycle. As the plastic is reprocessed, the stabilizers used in the first application must be replaced and adjusted to the requirements of the second application. As a result, the stability of post-consumer plastic recyclates is not adequate for long-term service. In addition, recycled plastic shows signs of damage due to oxidation, with a greater content of carboxyl and carbonyl groups in the polymer.
Types of the cap liner
There are several types of bottle cap liners available on the market today. Most are designed for metal and plastic continuous thread caps, and each type requires engineering testing to ensure compatibility with the product. Some require induction sealing equipment, which requires extensive testing and a product engineer to review the specifications. There are three main types of bottle cap liners. The first is a foam liner. Foam liners are made from compressible polyethylene foam. These liners offer an economical solution and are compatible with many different liquids and substances. Foam liners are also available in three-ply versions with a thin foam core sandwiched between two layers of LDPE film.
Reuse
Reusing bottle caps in packaging has several benefits, not the least of which is the environment’s protection. Almost everyone has drank from a bottle at one time or another, and bottle caps are often thrown away when the bottles are empty. But these plastic caps are also great for crafts and can be recycled into new products. Many bottle caps contain additives. These are usually in the form of slip agents and are found in the resins of most bottle caps, regardless of the base polymer. Understanding what these additives are can help with the recycling process of these products.