BLOW MOLDED ARTICLE

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.

61/949,376, filed March 7, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to treatments for blow molded articles, including extrusion blow molded, injection blow molded, and injection stretch blow molded articles, and more particularly to treatments for unstretched areas of blow molded articles. The present disclosure further relates to novel and advantageous liner-based storage, shipping, and dispense systems that include a blow molded container or liner, treated as disclosed herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Container systems may be used in many industries for storing, shipping, and/or dispensing materials of any viscosity. For example, numerous manufacturing processes require the use of ultrapure liquids, such as acids, solvents, bases, photoresists, slurries, cleaning formulations, dopants, inorganic, organic, metalorganic and biological solutions, pharmaceuticals, and radioactive chemicals. Such applications require that the number and size of particles in the ultrapure liquids be minimized. In particular, because ultrapure liquids are used in many aspects of the microelectronic manufacturing process, semiconductor manufacturers have established strict particle concentration specifications for process chemicals and chemical-handling equipment. Such specifications are needed because, should the liquids used during the manufacturing process contain high levels of particles or bubbles, the particles or bubbles may be deposited on solid surfaces of the silicon. This can, in turn, lead to product failure and reduced quality and reliability.

In some cases, such container systems may be manufactured using, or contain a component, such as a liner component, manufactured using, a blow molding process. In general, the blow molding process begins with melting down a plastic and forming it into a parison or preform. The preform is then positioned within a mold, heated, and air or other gas is blown into it, the air pressure forcing the heated plastic out to match the interior configuration of the mold. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened, the resulting blow molded part may be ejected or otherwise removed from the mold.

During a blow molding process, most areas of the preform will stretch substantially consistently. However, some areas or portions of the preform may remain substantially or relatively unstretched, as compared to the amount of stretch applied to the majority of the preform. The stretching bi-axially aligns the polymer chains of the preform and increases the strength and chemical resistance of the polymer. In this regard, the substantially or relatively unstretched areas of the resulting container or liner may have decreased chemical resistance as compared to the stretched portions of the container or liner. As indicated above, such containers and liners may be utilized for storing, shipping, and dispensing ultrapure liquids, where manufacturers have established strict particle concentration specifications for process chemicals and chemical-handling equipment. Accordingly, in some cases, the unstretched areas may cause concern with respect to particle contamination.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention provide treatments for substantially or relatively unstretched areas of blow molded articles, including extrusion blow molded, injection blow molded, and injection stretch blow molded articles, and for liner-based storage, shipping, and dispense systems that include a blow molded container or liner, treated as disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for treating a relatively unstretched portion of a blow molded container, the method including, after initial blow molding of the container, heating the unstretched portion to cause crystallization of the material of the blow molded container located at the unstretched portion. In one embodiment, heating the unstretched portion may involve heating the unstretched portion with infrared wavelengths. In another embodiment, heating the unstretched portion may involve direct contact heating of the unstretched portion. In yet another embodiment, heating the unstretched portion may involve heating the unstretched portion with a heating element positioned near, but not in direct contact with, the unstretched portion. In still another embodiment, heating the unstretched portion may involve indirectly heating the unstretched portion. Indirectly heating the unstretched portion may include conductively heating the unstretched portion using an intermediate material between a heating element and the unstretched portion and positioned generally adjacent to the unstretched portion, the intermediate material absorbing heat energy from the heating element and transferring at least some of the heat energy to the unstretched portion. In another similar embodiment, indirectly heating the unstretched portion may include conductively heating the unstretched portion using an intermediate material positioned generally adjacent to the unstretched portion, the intermediate material absorbing heat energy from a light source emitting radiation toward the intermediate material and transferring at least some of the heat energy to the unstretched portion. The intermediate material may be a plurality of metal beads, and in some cases, a plurality of poly-dispersed metal beads.

The present disclosure, in another embodiment, relates to a container or liner treated by one or more of the above methods.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a polymeric liner configured for insertion into an overpack and adapted for storing a chemical, the liner including a stretched portion and a substantially unstretched region, the substantially unstretched region having a degree of crystaliinity within about 10% of the degree of crystaliinity of the stretched portion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The degree of crystaliinity of the substantially unstretched region is within about 5% of the degree of crystaliinity of the stretched portion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, according to one embodiment. According to another embodiment, the degree of crystaliinity of the substantially unstretched region is substantially similar to the degree of crystaliinity of the stretched portion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The liner is a flexible liner, a collapsible liner, or a substantially rigid collapsible liner, according to embodiments of the invention. According to one embodiment, the liner is disposed within the overpack and has a shape that is compatible with the shape of the overpack. The liner includes a liner wall, an interior cavity, and a mouth including a fitment portion adapted to be coupled to a connector, according to one embodiment. The stretched portion includes a liner wall and the substantially unstretched region includes a button region, and the liner includes polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), according to embodiments of the invention. According to another embodiment, a heat-treated liner includes a button region and a liner wall defining an interior cavity, wherein the degree of crystallinity of the button region is within about 15% of the degree of crystallinity of the liner wall as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. According to one embodiment, the degree of crystallinity of the button region is within about 5% of the degree of crystallinity of the liner wall as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The liner is any one of a flexible liner, a collapsible liner and/or a substantially rigid collapsible liner, according to embodiments of the invention. According to embodiments of the invention, the liner is disposed within an overpack and has a shape that conforms to a shape of the overpack.

According to another embodiment, a container for shipping and storing a chemical includes an overpack and a liner disposed within the overpack, the liner including a stretched portion and a substantially unstretched region, the substantially unstretched region having a degree of crystallinity substantially similar to the degree of crystallinity of the stretched portion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The degree of crystallinity of the substantially unstretched region is within about 15% of the degree of crystallinity of the stretched portion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, according to one embodiment.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this summary, the drawings, and the detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the disclosure will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a liner-based shipping and dispense system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 graphs the liquid particle count of particles having a size of 0.1 micron or greater against the relative button size for five similar blow molded liners at the time of fill (e.g., zero (0) days) and the liquid particle count of particles having a size of 0.1 micron or greater against the relative button size for another five similar blow molded liners at thirty- seven (37) days after fill.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an infrared lamp heating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 4A and B illustrate an apparatus and method for conduction heating utilizing direct application of heat to an intermediate material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 includes perspective illustrations of various, non-limiting, example bead shapes, suitable for the intermediate material of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an optical heating apparatus according to one embodiment of conduction heating of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus and method for conduction heating according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a table showing experimental data indicating degree of crystallinity at different locations of treated and untreated sample liners, according to embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 9-16 are graphs showing experimental data obtained during differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of sample liners of FIG. 8, according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 17 is a graph showing melting points of treated and untreated sample liners of

FIG. 8, according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 18 is a graph showing ΔΗ values for treated and untreated sample liners of FIG. 8, according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous treatments for blow molded articles, including extrusion blow molded, injection blow molded, and injection stretch blow molded articles, and more particularly to novel and advantageous treatments for unstretched areas of blow molded articles. The unstretched areas, in one embodiment, may be for example, areas or portions of the blow molded articles that were relatively and/or substantially unstretched during the blow molding process. The present disclosure further relates to novel and advantageous liner-based storage, shipping, and dispense systems that include a blow molded liner, treated as disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terms "substantially" or "generally" refer to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is "substantially" or "generally" enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. One item or degree that is "substantially similar" to another would mean that the items or degrees are completely identical, nearly identical, or effectively similar or effectively close in state or in end result. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness or similarity may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion or similarity will be so as to have generally the same overall effect or result. The use of "substantially" or "generally" is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment, or composition that is "substantially free of or "generally free of an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is generally no measurable effect thereof. In addition to the above definitions, the terms "substantially" or "relatively" when used in the phrase "substantially or relatively unstretched" or like variations when referring to a resulting blow molded article refers to portions of the blow molded article where the amount of local stretching that occurred in that portion is significantly and identifiably lower when compared to the amount of local stretching in other portions, often making up the majority, of the blow molded article. The phrase "substantially or relatively unstretched" or like variations when referring to a resulting blow molded article are intended to include, but are not limited only to, those areas of the blow molded article that have not stretched to any degree or stretched only minimally. Furthermore, for economy of words, the phrase "unstretched portion" or "unstretched area" is sometimes used herein as shorthand for "substantially or relatively unstretched" area or portion.

The various treatments of the present disclosure may be suitably utilized with regard to any blow molded article. However, the treatments of the present disclosure may find particular application to storage, shipping, and dispensing systems. Examples of some of the types of materials that may be stored, shipped, and/or dispensed using such storage, shipping, and dispensing systems include, but are not limited to: ultrapure liquids, such as acids, solvents, bases, photoresists, slurries, detergents, cleaning formulations, dopants, inorganic, organic, metalorganics, TEOS, and biological solutions, DNA and RNA solvents and reagents, pharmaceuticals, printable electronics inorganic and organic materials, lithium ion or other battery type electrolytes, nanomaterials (including for example, fullerenes, inorganic nanoparticles, sol-gels, and other ceramics), and radioactive chemicals; pesticides/fertilizers; paints/glosses/solvents/coating-materials etc.; adhesives; power washing fluids; lubricants for use in the automobile or aviation industry, for example; food products, such as but not limited to, condiments, cooking oils, and soft drinks, for example; reagents or other materials for use in the biomedical or research industry; hazardous materials used by the military, for example; polyurethanes; agrochemicals; industrial chemicals; cosmetic chemicals; petroleum and lubricants; sealants; health and oral hygiene products and toiletry products; or any other material that may be dispensed by pressure dispense, for example. Materials that may be used with such storage, shipping, and dispensing systems may have any viscosity, including high viscosity and low viscosity fluids. Those skilled in the art will recognize the benefits of storage, shipping, and dispensing systems having the treatments disclosed herein, and therefore will recognize the suitability of the disclosed embodiments to various industries and for the transportation and dispense of various products. In some embodiments, the storage, shipping, and dispensing systems having the treatments described herein may be particularly useful in industries relating to the manufacture of semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs, and solar panels; industries involving the application of adhesives and polyamides; industries utilizing photolithography technology; or any other critical material delivery application. However, the various embodiments disclosed herein may be used in any suitable industry or application.

Liner-based systems of the present disclosure may hold up to approximately 200 liters, in some embodiments. Alternatively, the liner-based systems may hold up to approximately 20 liters. Alternatively, the liner-based systems may hold approximately 1 to 5 liters, or less. It will be appreciated that the referenced container sizes are examples only and that the liner-based systems of the present disclosure may be readily adapted for use with a wide variety of sized and shaped shipping and dispensing containers. The entire liner-based system of the present disclosure may be used a single-time and then disposed of, in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the overpack, for example, may be reused while the liner and/or any closures or connectors may be used only a single time. In still other embodiments, some portion of the closure and/or connector may be configured for a one-time use while other portions of the closure and/or connector may be configured for repeated use. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a liner-based shipping and dispense system

100 of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the shipping and dispense system 100 may include an overpack 102, a liner 104, and one or more closures and/or connectors 122.

The overpack 102 may include an overpack wall 106, an interior cavity 108, and a mouth 110. The overpack 102 may be comprised of any suitable material or combination of materials, for example but not limited to, metal materials, or one or more polymers, including plastics, nylons, EVOH, polyesters, polyolefins, or other natural or synthetic polymers. In further embodiments, the overpack 102 may be manufactured using polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), poly(butylene 2,6- naphthalate) (PBN), polyethylene (PE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), low- density polyethylene (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and/or a fluoropolymer, such as but not limited to, polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA). The overpack 102 may be of any suitable shape or configuration, such as, but not limited to, a bottle, a can, a drum, etc. As described above, the shipping and dispense system 100 may include a liner 104, which may be disposed within the overpack 102. The liner 104 may include a liner wall 1 12, an interior cavity 1 14, and a mouth 1 16. The mouth 1 16 of the liner 104 may include a fitment portion 1 18, the mouth 1 16 and the fitment portion 1 18 together defining a liner neck. The fitment portion 118 may be made of a different material than the rest of the liner 104 and may be harder, more resilient, and/or less flexible than the rest of the liner. The fitment portion 118 may couple with a closure, connector or closure/connector combination 122 by any suitable means, such as but not limited to, complementary threading, snap-fit or friction-fit means, bayonet means, or any other suitable mechanism or combination of mechanisms for coupling, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, a connector or closure/connector 122 may couple to, or may also couple to, the mouth 110 of the overpack 102.

In some embodiments, the liner 104 may be a collapsible liner that is substantially flexible, while in other embodiments the liner may be somewhat rigid but still collapsible, e.g., a rigid or substantially rigid collapsible liner. As used herein, the terms "rigid" or "substantially rigid," in addition to any standard dictionary definitions, are meant to also include the characteristic of an object or material to substantially hold its shape and/or volume when in an environment of a first pressure, but wherein the shape and/or volume may be altered in an environment of increased or decreased pressure. The amount of increased or decreased pressure needed to alter the shape and/or volume of the object or material may depend on the application desired for the material or object and may vary from application to application. In addition, the term "substantially rigid" is meant to include the characteristic of an object or material to substantially hold its shape and/or volume, but upon application of such increased or decreased pressure, tend to give, such as by but not limited to, flexing, bending, etc., rather than breaking.

The liner 104 may be manufactured using any suitable material or combination of materials, such as, but not limited to, any of the non-metal materials or combination of materials listed above with respect to the overpack 102, including polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE). However, the overpack 102 and liner 104 need not be manufactured from the same materials. In some embodiments, the material or materials selected and the thickness of that material or those materials may determine the rigidity of the liner 104. The liner 104 may have one or more layers and may have any desirable thickness. In one embodiment, for example, a liner 104 may have a thickness of from about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm.

The liner 104 may be configured to comprise any desirable shape that is appealing to the user, and/or assists in the collapse of the liner. The liner 104, in some embodiments, may be dimensioned and shaped to substantially conform to the interior of the overpack 102. As such, the liner 102 may have a relatively simplistic design with a generally smooth outer surface, or the liner may have a relatively complicated design including, for example but not limited to, indentations and/or protrusions. In some embodiments, the liner wall 112 may include a generally textured surface in order to minimize adhesion. For example, in some embodiments, the surface may include a plurality of bumps, scales, or projections, which may each have any appropriate size, for example, but not limited to, from about 0.5 - 100 μπι. Texturizing features may be spaced any suitable distance from one another. In some embodiments, the texturizing may comprise a framework, such as a lattice or scaffold, for example. Examples of some suitable texturizing features are described in greater detail in U.S. Provisional Patent Appln. No. 61/334,006, titled, "Fluid Processing Components with Textured Surface for Decreased Adhesion and Related Methods," filed May 12, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. The liner 104 may have a relatively thin liner wall 112, as compared to the thickness of the overpack wall 106. In some embodiments, the liner 102 may be flexible such that the liner wall 112 may be readily collapsed, such as by vacuum through the mouth 116 or by pressure between the liner wall 112 and overpack wall 106, referred to herein as the annular space therebetween.

The liner 104, in a further embodiment, may have a shape, when inflated or filled, that is different from, but complimentary with, the shape of the overpack 102 such that it may be disposed therein. In some embodiments, the liner 104 may be removably attached to the interior of the overpack wall 106. The liner 104 may provide a barrier, such as a gas barrier, against drive gas migration from the annular space between the liner wall 112 and the overpack wall 106. Accordingly, the liner 104 may generally ensure and/or maintain the purity of the contents within the liner to within at least a predetermined and acceptable tolerance.

In some embodiments, particularly where sterility of the contents of the liner must be substantially maintained, the liner 104 may be comprised of a material that may help ensure or maintain a sterile environment for the contents disposed in the liner. For example, in some embodiments the liner may be comprised of T 8 film originally manufactured by ATMI of Danbury, Connecticut, or any other suitable material. Further, in some cases not only may the liner be comprised of a material that helps ensure a sterile environment for the contents of the liner, but the manufacturing process itself may, or may also, be a substantially particle and/or contamination free process. For example, the process for making a liner material, caps, closures, dip tubes, and/or any other part of a liner-based system may be made from processes that are substantially particle and/or contamination free processes. In other embodiments, in order to ensure that the liner is substantially free of contamination, one or more of the components of a liner-based system may be, or may also be, individually and thoroughly cleaned and/or sterilized prior to use to remove any particles or contaminants. As noted above, in some embodiments, the liner 104 may comprise multiple layers. The multiple layers may comprise one or more different polymers or other suitable materials. In some embodiments, the thickness, ply, and/or the composition of the liner and/or the layers of the liner may allow for the secure and substantially uncontaminated shipment of the contents of the liner-based system of the present disclosure by limiting or eliminating typical weaknesses or problems associated with traditional liners or packages, such as, for example weld tears, pin holes, gas entrainment, and/or any other means of contamination. Similarly, or in addition, the liner 104 may also contribute to the secure and substantially uncontaminated shipment of the contents of the shipping and dispense system 100 of the present disclosure by configuring the liner to substantially conform to the shape of the overpack when the liner is filled, thereby reducing the amount of movement of the contents during shipping.

The overpack 102 and liner 104 may each be manufactured using any suitable manufacturing process, such as but not limited to, injection blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, extrusion blow molding, etc., and may each be manufactured as a single component or may be a combination of multiple components. In some embodiments, the overpack 102 and liner 104 may be blow molded in a nested fashion, also referred to herein as co-blow molded. Examples of liner-based systems and methods utilizing co- blow molding techniques have been described in greater detail in International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US11/55560, titled, "Nested Blow Molded Liner and Overpack and Methods of Making Same," filed October 10, 201 1, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. In some embodiments a liner may be blow molded into an already formed overpack, whereby the overpack may function as the mold for the liner, and may be referred to herein as "dual blow molding." In such embodiments, the overpack may be manufactured by any suitable process. For example, in some embodiments, a liner may be molded by blow molding the liner into a non-blow molded overpack, such as an overpack manufactured from an extrusion, stamping, or punching process, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. The overpack may for example, be a stamped or formed metal overpack. However, the overpack could be comprised of any other suitable material or combination of materials such as wood, plastic, glass, cardboard, or any other material. Blow molding the liner into a metal overpack may provide further desirable barrier elements that may help preserve the contents of the liner. Such process may help reduce stiction between the overpack and liner as the liner collapses away from the overpack during subsequent dispense processes.

Further examples and embodiments of the type of liners and overpacks that may be used are disclosed in more detail in: International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US2012/070866, titled "Liner-based Shipping and Dispensing Systems," filed December 20, 2012; International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US1 1/55558, titled, "Substantially Rigid Collapsible Liner, Container and/or Liner for Replacing Glass Bottles, and Enhanced Flexible Liners," filed October 10, 2011; International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US1 1/55560, titled, "Nested Blow Molded Liner and Overpack and Methods of Making Same," filed October 10, 2011; International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US11/64141, titled "Generally Cylindrically-Shaped Liner for Use in Pressure Dispense Systems and Methods of Manufacturing the Same," filed December 9, 201 1; U.S. Prov. Appl. No. 61/468,832, titled "Liner-Based Dispenser," filed March 29, 2011; U.S. Prov. Appl. No. 61/525,540, titled "Liner-Based Dispensing Systems,", filed August 19, 2011; U^. Pat. Appl. No. 11/915,996, titled "Fluid Storage and Dispensing Systems and Processes," filed June 5, 2006; International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US 10/51786, titled "Material Storage and Dispensing System and Method With Degassing Assembly," filed October 7, 2010, International PCT Appl. No. PCT/USlO/41629, U.S. Pat. No. 7,335,721, U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 11/912,629, U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 12/302,287, and International PCT Appl. No. PCT/US08/85264, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. The overpack 102 and liner 104 for use with the shipping and dispense system 100 of the present disclosure may include any of the embodiments, features, and/or enhancements disclosed in any of the above noted applications, including, but not limited to, any liners sold under the brand name BRIGHTPACK by Entegris, Inc. for example. BRIGHTPACK is a registered trademark of Entegris, Inc. Various features of dispensing systems disclosed in embodiments described herein may be used in combination with one or more other features described with regard to other embodiments.

The various embodiments of storage and dispense systems described herein may be utilized in any suitable dispense processes. For example, the various embodiments of storage and dispense system described herein may be utilized in pressure dispense processes, including direct and indirect pressure dispense, pump dispense, and pressure- assisted pump dispense, including various embodiments of inverted dispense methods disclosed in Korean patent registration no. 10-0973707, titled "Apparatus for Supplying Fluid," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. Similarly, the various embodiments of storage and dispense systems described herein may be utilized in traditional manual or automatic pour methods. As will be appreciated, the storage and dispense systems permit indirect pressure dispense for a variety of delivery applications for which indirect pressure dispense was traditionally unavailable, and can reduce defects and yield losses associated with traditional pump and vacuum delivery systems.

Generally, in use, a liner-based system of the present disclosure may be initially readied for filling and/or shipped to a fill site. The liner-based system may subsequently be filled with a desired substance and may be shipped to an end-user. The liner may be filled with, or contain, for example, an ultrapure liquid, such as an acid, solvent, base, photoresist, dopant, inorganic, organic, or biological solution, pharmaceutical, or radioactive chemical. However, it is recognized that the liner may be filled with any other suitable materials, such as but not limited to the materials previously listed. The contents may be sealed under pressure, if desired, and may further be wrapped in a bag and/or box, including but not limited to the packaging element described above, to be readied for transport.

The end-user may then store and/or dispense the contents of the container. In some embodiments, a shipping/dust/temporary cap may be coupled to the liner and/or overpack. Such a cap may help ensure that contaminants are not introduced into the liner and/or overpack during shipping and/or storage. Further, the cap may help protect any other caps and/or connectors that may be coupled to the dispenser. In some embodiments, the shipping cap may be a screw-on cap, while in other embodiments, the cap may connect via snap-fit, bayonet fit, or any other suitable mechanism for coupling to the dispenser. In some embodiments, the shipping cap may be relatively inexpensive, and comprised of, for example plastic. However, in other embodiments, the cap may be comprised of any suitable material or combination of materials including rubber, or metal, for example. When it is desired to dispense the contents of the liner, the cap may be removed and the contents may be dispensed through the mouth of the liner using any suitable dispense method, such as by pressure dispense, including direct and indirect pressure dispense, pump dispense, pressure-assisted pump dispense, pouring, or any other suitable means of dispensing the contents of a container consistent with the intended use of the material, or application involved. In some embodiments, a dispense connector, configured for a particular dispense method, may be affixed to the liner-based system in preparation for dispense of the contents of the liner. The dispense connector may be configured to be compatible with particular dispense systems used by an end-user, which may vary from industry to industry.

To aid in dispense applications, such as, but not limited to, pump dispense applications, any of the liner-based systems of the present disclosure may include an embodiment that has a dip tube extending any suitable distance into the liner. In other embodiments, the liner-based systems of the present disclosure may not include a dip tube, such as for some pressure dispense or inverted dispense applications. According to other embodiments, the liner-based systems of the present disclosure may include a stubby probe having a terminus including an opening to a discharge passage. For such purpose, the terminus of the stubby probe may be disposed in an upper portion of the interior volume of the liner and can assist in the removal of headspace gas prior to discharge of fluid from the liner. In alternative embodiments, each embodiment of a potentially self- supporting liner described herein, may be shipped without an overpack and placed in a pressurizing vessel at the receiving facility in order to dispense the contents of the liner.

In some embodiments, one or more colors and/or absorbent materials, or any other suitable additives as may be desired, may be added to the materials of the dispensers or one or more components thereof during or after the manufacturing process to help protect the contents of the dispensers from the external environment or provide another beneficial characteristic, to decorate the dispensers, or to use as an indicator or identifier of the contents within the dispensers or otherwise to differentiate multiple dispensers, etc. Colors may be added using, for example, dyes, pigments, nanoparticles, or any other suitable mechanism. Absorbent materials may include materials that absorb ultraviolet light, infrared light, and/or radio frequency signals, etc. Similarly, in some embodiments, the exterior and/or interior walls of the dispensers or one or more components thereof may have any suitable coating provided thereon. The coating may increase material compatibility, decrease permeability, increase strength, increase pinhole resistance, increase stability, provide anti-static capabilities or otherwise reduce static, etc. Such coatings can include coatings of polymers or plastic, metal, glass, adhesives, etc. and may be applied during the manufacturing process by, for example coating a preform used in blow-molding, or may be applied post manufacturing, such as by spraying, dipping, filling, etc.

In some embodiments, the dispensers may include two or more layers, such as an overpack and a liner, multiple overpacks, or multiple liners. In further embodiments, a dispenser may include at least three layers, which may help ensure enhanced containment of the contents therein, increase structural strength, and/or decrease permeability, etc. Any of the layers may be made from the same or different materials, such as but not limited to, the materials previously discussed herein.

As described above, during a blow molding process for a container or liner, such as the various embodiments of containers and liners 100 described above, some areas or portions of the initial preform may remain substantially or relatively unstretched, as compared to the amount of stretch applied to the majority of the preform, which can but doesn't necessarily result in decreased chemical resistance to certain chemicals at the unstretched areas, such as but not always and not limited to, cyclohexanone (CHN), n- methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). As indicated above, such containers and liners may be utilized for storing, shipping, and dispensing ultrapure liquids, where manufacturers have established strict particle concentration specifications for process chemicals and chemical-handling equipment. Accordingly, in some cases, the unstretched portions or areas may cause concern about increased liquid particle count in the contents of the blow molded container or liner over time. In this regard, further treatment or modification to the unstretched portions may be desirable in order to increase the chemical resistance thereof. One such substantially or relatively unstretched area of a container or liner, such as the various containers or liners described above, may be referred to herein as the "button." The term "button" may be used to generally refer to a portion or area generally located at or near the bottom-most portion of the preform and resulting blow molded container or liner and/or the area surrounding such portion 130, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The button may be generally centrally in alignment with a central axis of the container or liner or may be offset therefrom. While the present disclosure focuses mainly on this button area 130, the treatments or modifications described in the present disclosure apply unequivocally to other substantially or relatively unstretched portions of a container or liner, no matter where located.

Various treatments or modifications may be utilized either separately or in combination with one another to reduce any undesirable effects resulting from the blow molding process at the substantially or relatively unstretched portions, such as the button area 130. The various treatments or modifications may include, but are not limited to, modifications to the size of the unstretched portion resulting from the blow molding process and heat crystallization of the material local to the unstretched portion. As indicated above, these treatments and modifications will be described with respect mainly to the button area 130. However, these treatments and modifications apply unequivocally to other substantially or relatively unstretched portions of a container or liner no matter where located, such as at the neck of the container or liner.

With regard to the substantially or relatively unstretched portions of an article resulting from a blow molding process, such as the button area, it has been found that there is a correlation, and in some cases, a high correlation, between the relative size of the unstretched portion, such as the diameter of the button area 130 of a blow molded container or liner 100, and the particle count within the liquid or contents of such container or liner, referred to herein as the liquid particle count (LPC). For example, FIG. 2 graphs the LPC of particles having a size of 0.1 micron or greater against the relative button size for five similar blow molded liners at the time of fill (e.g., zero (0) days) and the LPC of particles having a size of 0.1 micron or greater against the relative button size for another five similar blow molded liners at thirty-seven (37) days after fill. As may be seen from the graph for the liners at fill (e.g., zero days), the liners have closely grouped LPCs. However, after thirty-seven days after fill, FIG. 2 shows the tested liners having a relatively larger button size have a LPC significantly larger than those of relatively smaller button size. While some conventional blow molded bottles have a button area that is relatively small, being generally less than 10 mm in diameter, some of the containers and liners disclosed or incorporated by reference herein may have much larger diameters, as large as 60 mm or more. Accordingly, in one embodiment, in order to increase chemical resistance of a container, for example, the button area 130 may be purposefully reduced in size during the design and manufacturing process so as to enable a relatively small button area resulting in the blow molded container or liner. For example, the button size may be reduced through process optimizing efforts during the time of blow molding. In some embodiments, the diameter of the button area 130 may be purposefully designed to be equal to or less than about 20 mm, preferably equal to or less than about 10 mm, and more preferably equal to or less than about 5 mm. Reducing the diameter of the button area 130 to equal to or less than about 5 mm may, in some cases, decrease LPC production slopes significantly, such as by one hundred (100) or more. As a result, chemical compatibility would be significantly increased.

As stated above, in another embodiment, either additionally or alternatively, a treatment to the substantially or relatively unstretched portions of a container or liner, such as the button area 130, may include heat crystallization of the material local to the unstretched portions. Heat crystallization according to the present disclosure may be accomplished by, but is not limited to, infrared (IR) radiation heating, contact heating, convection heating, black body radiation heating, and/or conduction heating. In one embodiment, IR lamp heating may be utilized to accomplish heat crystallization. FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic illustration of an IR lamp heating apparatus including an IR lamp 302 and lamp support 304 configured to direct IR light (radiation) to the button area 130 of the container or liner (not fully shown for purposes of illustration). Additionally, an insulator 306, such as a ceramic insulator, may be used to support the button area 130 and be placed generally adjacent thereto. The IR lamp heating apparatus may further include, where desirable, a cooling mechanism for cooling remaining portions of the container or liner while undergoing IR heating. In one embodiment, the cooling mechanism may be configured to supply cooling air to, or circulate cooling air within, the container or liner interior during the application of heat to the button area to help maintain a more desirable cooler temperature at portions of the container or liner away from the button area, such as around 55°C or less, preferably around 50°C or less, and more preferably around 45°C or less.

While the lamp may be configured to emit IR light of any wavelength in the infrared range, in one embodiment, the lamp is configured to emit IR light having a wavelength of 1800 nm or higher and generating a temperature of around 200°C. The lamp output may be monitored to maintain the desired temperature. Additionally, while the button area 130 may be exposed to the lamp for any suitable or desirable amount of time to obtain the desired amount of heat crystallization, in one embodiment, the button area may be exposed for about three minutes. While a specific embodiment of treatment exposing the button area to an IR lamp for about three minutes at about 200°C is disclosed, it is recognized that, in other embodiments, other suitable exposure times and temperatures may be utilized for achieving the same or similar effect and the present disclosure is not limited to exposure times of about three minutes nor exposure temperatures of around 200°C. IR lamp heating, according to the present disclosure, can achieve very good surface crystallization at the substantially or relatively unstretched area of the button 130. In further embodiments, radiation treatment methods may be additionally improved. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to ensure that the material of the button area, which may be, for example, any of the materials disclosed above for a liner or overpack of the present disclosure, has an absorption band matching the radiation wavelength utilized for the radiation heating. Without such an absorption band, much of the energy or radiation can pass through the material and thus be very inefficient, which in turn could drive up the exposure times and temperatures required for heat crystallization. Taking a container or liner made of PEN, for example, PEN alone is substantially free of strong absorption bands in wavelength ranges of between about 400 nm and 1200 nm. That is, PEN is relatively "transparent" to wavelengths between about 400 nm and into near-infrared (NIR). As such, heating utilizing radiation wavelengths in these ranges will not efficiently heat a PEN container or liner. Additives can help increase the absorption of the material of the container or liner, or more particularly, the substantially or relatively unstretched areas, and as such may be used to increase the wavelength ranges that may be efficiently utilized for radiation heating. However, in some embodiments, such additives or certain additives may not be desirable with respect to the specific application or manner in which the container or liner will be desirably utilized.

In general, organic polymers have weak absorption bands at wavelengths around 1500 nm. However, the absorption bands are stronger around 2500 nm and longer. Broadband black body radiators, such as those described below, operating at about 500°C can excite these stronger absorption bands. However, a vacuum may be necessary or desirable to control the amount of heating inside the container or liner because of the high amount of heat from the black body radiator. In other embodiments, though, a heating source external to the bottle may be utilized, and optics or optic designs may be used to focus the light/radiation into the container or liner and onto the button area 130. While any suitable radiation source may be utilized as an external heating source, high energy lasers, such as lasers operating at 600 to 1500 m W and higher, may be particularly suited as an external radiation source. Some conventional lasers may provide radiation at wavelengths of about 808 nm or 1064 nm. However, lasers providing radiation at other wavelengths may be suitably utilized. Lasers are a good option for external heating sources because they operate at relatively higher watts/mm ² as compared to black body radiators, and because they are suitably designed for placement external to the container or liner and emitting focused radiation into the container or liner and onto the button area. Additionally, a vacuum for controlling the amount of heating inside the container or liner may be eliminated. Further yet, the tightly focused beam of a laser can be rasterized or diffused, as desired, to effectively cover the entire button area in one application.

In one embodiment, contact or direct contact heating may be utilized to accomplish heat crystallization. A contact heating apparatus may include a contact element that is heated and directly contacted with the material local to the substantially or relatively unstretched portion of the container or liner, such as the button area 130. In one embodiment, for example, a contact element may be a heat cylinder fitted with a heating cartridge and, optionally, a resistance temperature detector (RTD). Of course, the shape of the contact element is not limited to a cylinder, and may be any suitable shape and, in some embodiments, may be shaped and/or configured to achieve a specific result. For convenient placement and positioning, in one embodiment, the heat cylinder may have a diameter of about one inch, but any suitable diameter or size may be utilized as desired or required for the specific application. In some embodiments, the diameter of the heat cylinder may be limited by the diameter of the fitment or neck opening of the container or liner into which the heat cylinder will be positioned in order to directly contact the button area on an interior side of the container, where particle contamination is most concerning. The heat cylinder may be manufactured from any suitable materials, including for example only, aluminum. An insulator, such as a ceramic insulator, may be used to support the button area 130 and be placed generally adjacent thereto. The contact heating apparatus may further include, where desirable, a cooling mechanism for cooling remaining portions of the container or liner while undergoing heating. In one embodiment, the cooling mechanism may be configured to supply cooling air to, or circulate cooling air within, the container or liner interior during the application of heat to the button area to help maintain a more desirable cooler temperature at portions of the container or liner away from the button area, such as around 55°C or less, preferably around 50°C or less, and more preferably around 45°C or less.

In one embodiment, the heating cartridge may be configured to heat to, or generate a heated temperature of, around 200°C. The heating cartridge may be monitored, for example, via the RTD to maintain the desired temperature. The heating cylinder may be held in contact with and against the material local to the button area 130, in one embodiment, for about three minutes. While a specific embodiment of treatment exposing the button area to direct contact heat for about three minutes at about 200°C is disclosed, it is recognized that, in other embodiments, other suitable exposure times and temperatures may be utilized for achieving the same or similar effect and the present disclosure is not limited to exposure times of about three minutes nor exposure temperatures of around 200°C. If necessary or desirable, the heat cylinder and heating cartridge may be moved around the button area for multiple applications to the button area to ensure application of contact heating to the entire button area, such as where the button area is larger in diameter than the heating cylinder, and thus one application may not be enough to achieve the desired effect. Contact heating, according to the present disclosure, can achieve very good surface crystallization at the substantially or relatively unstretched area of the button 130 without, or without significant, container or liner degradation or distortion. In another embodiment, black body or indirect heating may be utilized to accomplish heat crystallization. A black body heating apparatus may be quite similar to that of a contact heating apparatus and include a black body heating element that is heated and brought near, but not in contact with, the material local to the substantially or relatively unstretched portion of the container or liner, such as the button area 130. In one embodiment, for example, a black body heating element may be a heat cylinder fitted with a heating cartridge and, optionally, a RTD. Of course, the shape of the black body heating element is not limited to a cylinder, and may be any suitable shape and, in some embodiments, may be shaped and/or configured to achieve a specific result. For convenient placement and positioning, in one embodiment, the heat cylinder may have a diameter of about one inch, but any suitable diameter or size may be utilized as desired or required for the specific application. In some embodiments, the diameter of the heat cylinder may be limited by the diameter of the fitment or neck opening of the container or liner into which the heat cylinder will be positioned in order to bring the heating element near the button area on an interior side of the container, where particle contamination is most concerning. The heat cylinder may be manufactured from any suitable materials, including for example only, aluminum. An insulator, such as a ceramic insulator, may be used to support the button area 130 and be placed generally adjacent thereto. The black body heating apparatus may further include, where desirable, a cooling mechanism for cooling remaining portions of the container or liner while undergoing heating. In one embodiment, the cooling mechanism may be configured to supply cooling air to, or circulate cooling air within, the container or liner interior during the application of heat to the button area to help maintain a more desirable cooler temperature at portions of the container or liner away from the button area, such as around 55°C or less, preferably around 50°C or less, and more preferably around 45°C or less. However, as the heat is being applied indirectly, in some embodiments, care may be taken to ensure that the cooling air does not significantly affect the outcome of the indirect heat application to the button area.

In one embodiment, the heating cartridge may be configured to heat to, or generate a heated temperature of, around 400°C. The heating cartridge may be monitored, for example, via the RTD to maintain the desired temperature. The heating cylinder may be brought near and held close to, but not in contact with, the material local to the button area 130, in one embodiment, for about three minutes. Any suitable gap may be maintained between the heating cylinder and the button area 130 during heating, such as but not limited to, 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, or 3/4 inch or more, depending on the desired effect and exposure time. While a specific embodiment of treatment exposing the button area to non-contact or indirect heat for about three minutes at about 400°C and at certain gap distances is disclosed, it is recognized that, in other embodiments, other suitable exposure times, exposure temperatures, and gap distances may be utilized for achieving the same or similar effect and the present disclosure is not limited to exposure times of about three minutes, or exposure temperatures of around 400°C, or gap distances of 3/4 inch or less. If necessary or desirable, the heat cylinder and heating cartridge may be moved around the vicinity of the button area for multiple applications to the button area to ensure application of the indirect heat to the entire button area, such as where the button area is larger in diameter than the heating cylinder, and thus one application may not be enough to achieve the desired effect. Black body or indirect heating, according to the present disclosure, can achieve very good surface crystallization at the substantially or relatively unstretched area of the button 130, particularly at small gap distances.

In yet another embodiment, conduction or convection heating may be utilized to accomplish heat crystallization. Conduction and convection heating may generally be more efficient at distributing heat than radiation heating, described above. A standard commercial/industrial convection oven or other convective heating device can be used, according to embodiments of the invention. Contact heating of the button area, as described above, may be limited in some cases, by the diameter of the fitment or neck of the container or liner in which the contact heating element may be positioned to reach the button area, which may further require several applications or hits of the heating cylinder in order to effectively cover the entire button area.

In general, conduction heating according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include utilizing an intermediate material to spread out an applied heat energy across the button area. An apparatus and method for conduction heating according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In general, an intermediate material 402 may be positioned within the blow molded container or liner and generally in contact with or generally adjacent to the button area 130. The intermediate material 402 may be any suitable material or combination of materials and may be a singular, flowable material, or may be a made up of a plurality of smaller components, which may together be referred to as the intermediate material. However, any thermally conductive material may be utilized. For example, in one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4B, the intermediate material 402 may be comprised of a plurality of relatively small "balls" or beads 404, such as but not limited to, beads made of metal or other thermally conductive material. A sufficient amount of beads may be provided so as to effectively distribute heat applied thereto over a substantial portion of, or all of, the button area 130. The intermediate material, such as metal beads 404, may be heated by a heating assembly 406. In general, the heating assembly 406 may be heated and be positioned in direct contact with the beads 404 or other intermediate material 402. The beads 404 or other intermediate material 402 may be caused to move around inside the container or liner so as to effectively distribute the heat amongst the beads or intermediate material, as may be the case, and generally keep the temperature of the beads or other intermediate material uniform. The generally uniform heat, or a portion thereof, from the beads 404 or other intermediate material may be transferred to and across the button area 130 in a substantially even manner. In some embodiments, a vacuum may be utilized to limit the amount of heating directed at the remaining portions of the container or liner.

In one embodiment, the heating assembly 406 or a portion thereof may oscillate, vibrate, or provide some other movement in order to assist in more evenly distributing the heat amongst the beads 404 or other intermediate material and/or to cause movement of the beads or other intermediate material inside the container or liner. In additional or alternative embodiments, other means for causing movement of the beads 404 or other intermediate material may be utilized, such as but not limited to, a shaker assembly, in order to create temperature uniformity amongst the beads. The shaker assembly may .cause the container or liner, to shake, vibrate, rotate, etc. in order to cause movement of the beads 404 or other intermediate material.

The beads 404, as an intermediate material, may be provided in any suitable shape and size, and may all have a uniform shape and size or the beads may differ in shape and/or size, as desired. Various example bead 404 shapes are illustrated in FIG. 5, and for example but not limited by, may include generally cylindrical beads 502, ovoid beads 504, spherical beads 506, or shaved spherical beads 508. Of course, these are but a few example shapes, and the beads 404 of the present disclosure are not limited to just those shown in FIG. 5. In order to increase heat distribution and transfer, in one embodiment, a poly-disperse distribution of bead 404 sizes may be utilized.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate one particular embodiment of a heating assembly 406. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, a heating assembly 406 may include a positioning rod 408, a heating cylinder 410 operably connected with the positioning rod, and one or more heating arms 412 operably connected with the heating cylinder. The positioning rod 408 may be utilized to position, vertically and/or horizontally, the heating cylinder 410 through a fitment or neck of a container or liner and within the container or liner near the substantially or relatively unstretched portion, such as button area 130. In one embodiment, the heating cylinder 410 may be fitted with a heating cartridge and, optionally, a RTD. Of course, the shape of the heating cylinder is not limited to a cylinder, and may be any suitable shape and, in some embodiments, may be shaped and/or configured to achieve a specific result. For convenient placement and positioning, in one embodiment, the heating cylinder 410 may have a diameter of about one inch, but any suitable diameter or size may be utilized as desired or required for the specific application. In some embodiments, the diameter of the heating cylinder 410 may be limited by the diameter of the fitment or neck opening of the container or liner into which the heat cylinder will be positioned in order to position the heating cylinder near the button area 130 on an interior side of the container, where particle contamination is most concerning. The heating cylinder 410 may be manufactured from any suitable materials, including for example only, aluminum.

The heating arms 412 may be operably coupled with the heating cylinder 410 and receive heat from or are heated through the heating cylinder. In one embodiment, the heating arms comprise a length 414 having a proximal end 416 and a distal end 418. The heating arms 412, at or near their proximal ends 416, may include a hinge or other pivotable connection permitting the distal ends 418 of the heating arms to move between two or more positions. In other embodiments, the heating arms 412 may be operably coupled, at or near their proximal ends 416, with the heating cylinder 410 via a hinge or other pivotable connection, similarly permitting the distal ends 418 of the heating arms to move between two or more positions. For assisting positioning of the heating cylinder 410 through the fitment or neck of a container or liner, in one embodiment, the heating arms 412 may be initially provided in a "closed" state, where the heating arms are positioned such that central axes 420 of the heating arms are parallel with a central axis 422 of the heating cylinder, and the distal ends 418 of the heating arms are generally facing downward from the heating cylinder, as illustrated in FIG. 4A. Once positioned within the container or liner, the heating arms 412 may be moved to an "open" state, where the heating arms are positioned such that central axes 420 of the heating arms are generally perpendicular, or are non-parallel with, the central axis 422 of the heating cylinder, and the distal ends 418 of the heating arms are generally facing outward from the heating cylinder, as illustrated in FIG. 4B. In this regard, in an "open" state, the heating arms 412 may reach a relatively broad coverage area not limited by the diameter of the fitment or neck opening of the container or liner.

As illustrated in FIG. 4B, beads 404 may be positioned within the container or liner and adjacent to the substantially or relatively unstretched portion, such as the button area 130. FIG. 4B shows a limited number of beads 404 for purposes of illustrated heating arms 412, but it is recognized that any suitable number of beads 404 or amount of other intermediate material may be utilized. The heating arms 412 may come in contact with the beads 404. The heating arms 412 may be heated, and the beads 404 may conduct heat away from the heating arms and transfer it to the material local to the button area 130, as discussed above. As indicated above, in one embodiment, the heating arms 412 may rotate or oscillate about the central axis 422 of the heating cylinder 410, in order to assist in more evenly distributing the heat amongst the beads 404 and/or to cause movement of the beads inside the container or liner. In additional or alternative embodiments, other means for causing movement of the beads 404 may be utilized, such as but not limited to, a shaker assembly, in order to create temperature uniformity amongst the beads. The shaker assembly may cause the container or liner to shake, vibrate, rotate,, etc. in order to cause movement of the beads 404 or other intermediate material. The movement of the beads helps maintain generally uniform temperature thereof.

In an alternative embodiment, the intermediate material or beads 404 may be heated optically with radiated light. One such optical apparatus 600 is illustrated in FIG. 6 and may include a light source or projector lamp 602 and optics 604 for directing the light radiation emitted by the light source 602. In one embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 602 may be collimated and focused by the optics 604. The optics 604 may include any suitable configuration or combination of one or more lenses or other optical components. In one embodiment, the optics 604 may comprise a double convex lens 606. The focal length of the double convex lens 606 may be selected such that the focused light passes neatly through the fitment or neck opening 608 of the container or liner 100, comes to a focal point 610 inside the container or liner, and then spreads generally broadly over the intermediate material or beads 404, adjacently positioned near the substantially or relatively unstretched portion, such as button area 130. In some embodiments, the beads 404 may be substantially dark or black in color so as to increase absorption of the light energy applied thereto. As described above, means for causing movement of the beads 404 may be utilized, such as but not limited to, a shaker assembly 612, in order to create temperature uniformity amongst the beads. The shaker assembly 612 may cause the container or liner 100 to shake, vibrate, rotate, etc. in order to cause movement of the beads 404 or other intermediate material. The movement of the beads helps maintain generally uniform temperature thereof.

Such an optical embodiment can help reduce or minimize the amount of heating of the air within the container or liner 100, and thus provide very good distortion control of the remaining portions of the container or liner. In some embodiments, a thermocouple/RTD may be positioned with the beads 404 to measure the temperature of the beads for temperature control. In some embodiments, a laser may be used as the light source 602, which could eliminate the need for the collimator and/or focusing lens. However, a defocusing lens may be utilized to spread the laser light out before hitting the beads 404.

Generally, one method for an optical heating process according to the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 7, may include introducing, from a storage unit 702 of intermediate material or beads 404, a specified amount or weight of the intermediate material or beads to the interior of the container or liner 100, such as through a controlled valve 704 and scale 706 assembly. The beads 404 may then be heated, such as utilizing the optical apparatus 600 described above. In one embodiment, a 100 W lamp source operating at about 20% efficiency should be sufficient to heat the beads 404 to about 200°C in about 70 sec. However, light sources 602 of other power and type and operating at greater or less than 20% efficiency are within the scope of the present disclosure, and the method disclosed herein may be modified accordingly. Additionally, while a specific embodiment of treatment exposing the button area to about 200°C heat is disclosed, it is recognized that, in other embodiments, other suitable exposure temperatures, as well as any suitable exposure time, may be utilized for achieving the same or similar effect and the present disclosure is not limited to specific exposure times or temperatures. Once the appropriate amount of exposure time has been completed, or after a specified amount of annealing has occurred, the beads 404 may be removed from within the container or liner 100 and placed back in the storage unit 702 for repeating with another container or liner.

Experimental analysis of heat-treated samples and untreated samples now will be described with reference to FIGS. 8-16. Four off-the-shelf BRIGHTPACK overpacks and liners, available from Entegris, Inc., were obtained. BRIGHTPACK technology combines an external, shatterproof, UV-resistant overpack and an internal, chemical-resistant, ultra- clean, collapsible liner or bottle that maximizes material protection and utilization. For purposes of the experiment and this disclosure, the terms "bottle and "liner" are used interchangeably. The experiment focused on comparing crystallinity of unstretched liner sections such as the button and the neck. The base cup and overpack were discarded, and the fully intact inner bottle or liner, formed of polyethylene napthalate (PEN), was retained. The liner was cut into smaller pieces, as follows. The upper portion of the liner was cut, leaving the neck intact and leaving about 1 inch of the top part of the bottle still attached to the neck (the cut occurring approximately where air channels in the top of the liner end). The bottom of the liner was separated by cutting approximately at the heel of the liner, creating a bottom circular section of about 6 inches, the center of that section including the button. The side wall of the bottle was cut into three approximately equal size pieces. The cuts occurred vertically between panel sections of the liner, each piece containing two panel sections.

The neck and bottom section (containing the button) of two of the bottles were heat treated, or heat crystallized, by placing them in a standard laboratory electric convection oven. The oven was pre-heated to about 225 degrees C before the samples were inserted. The necks were heated for about 18 minutes and the bottoms for about 8 miuntes to fully crystallize the un-stretched areas of the liner, including the necks and buttons. The heated samples then were allowed to cool to room temperature. A differential scanning calorimter (DSC) was used to scan the heat-treated and non-treated samples to determine data indicating the level of crystallinity for each. Specifically, a Diamond brand DSC available from PerkinElmer was used. The scanned samples were heated from about 30 degrees C to about 300 degrees C at a rate of about 10 degrees C per minute. Indicated crystallinity of the different liners, and areas within the same liner, were compared. Figure 8 indicates test results for the four liners, termed "bottles" in the table.

Bottle numbers 1 and 2 were not heat-treated before scanning; bottles 3 and 4 were heat- treated in the manner described above. Four samples of each bottle are identified in the table: the neck of the bottle, close to the top of the threaded area; the middle of the side wall; the bottom of the bottle, in the thick, center section identified as the button; and the bottom of the bottle, in a thin area halfway to the outer edge of the bottom. Thus, a total of 16 samples were scanned, over two runs. Results for each of the two testing runs are shown in the columns marked T _m , AH _m , Δ¾, and ΔΗ. T _m is the melting point of the sample, AH _m is heat of melting, Δ¾ is heat of crystallization, and ΔΗ is the sum of AU _m and Δ¾. FIGS. 9-16 show DSC melt-profile graphs for selected runs and samples of FIG. 8.

Specifically, FIG. 9 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 5, FIG. 10 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 13, FIG. 1 1 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 6, FIG. 12 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 10, FIG. 13 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 3, FIG. 14 corresponds to Run 1 on Sample 15, FIG. 15 corresponds to Run 1 on Sample 4, and FIG. 16 corresponds to Run 2 on Sample 12. To simplify the disclosure, melt-profile graphs for the other runs and samples are not shown. Each graph has a peak on the right side that shows the actual melting point T _m of the sample as the highest point on the peak. The area under the peak indicates the amount of heat needed to melt the sample, or AH _m , which depends on the degree of crystallinity of the sample as temperature approaches the melting point. One of the graphs, that of FIG. 13, additionally includes a downward peak, labeled as Δ¾, occurring earlier in time than the upward peak. Two samples shown in FIG. 8, namely samples 3 and 7, showed a crystallization transition before melting during DSC scanning. The heat profile curve of FIG. 13 shows the crystallization transition for run 2, sample 3, as the downward peak in the heat profile, representing a A _C of -24.3. For the two samples where ΔΗ ₀ exists, the area under the melting peak, Ati _m , represents the sum of the original crystallinity in the beginning sample and crystallinity formed during the crystallization transition. To obtain a measure of original crystallinity of the sample, the crystallinity formed during the crystallization transition was compensated for. Specifically, with reference again to FIG. 13, the area under the downward peak portion (the ΔΗ _ς portion) was subtracted from the upward peak portion (the AH _m portion) to obtain a ΔΗ indicative of crystallinity in the original sample: ΔΗ = AH _{m +} Δ¾, where Δ¾ has a negative value. The other 14 samples showed a ΔΗ _ς of 0, meaning ΔΗ = AHnn- AH _c = ΔΗπι.

The ΔΗ values shown in FIG. 8 thus are a good indicator of sample crystallinity and can be used to compare crystallinity of the different bottles and compare crystallinity of areas within the same bottle. For example, the ΔΗ values of unstretched portions of a bottle, at the neck and button, can be compared to the ΔΗ values of stretched portions of a bottle, for example in the middle of the side wall of the bottle.

The test results show that heat treatment of unstretched portions of the liner caused a degree of crystallinity quite comparable to that of stretched portions of the liner. As one example, comparing the (unstretched) neck of bottle 3, i.e. sample 9, to the (stretched) middle of the side wall of bottle 3, i.e. sample 10, yields a percentage ΔΗ comparison of 33.6/33.9 or 99.1 % for Run 1, and 32.2/34.8 or 92.5% for Run 2. Thus, for Run 1, the degree of crystallinity of the unstretched region was within 0.9% of the degree of crystallinity of the stretched region. For Run 2, the degree of crystallinity of the unstretched region was within 7.5% of the degree of crystallinity of the stretched region. In contrast, for untreated bottle 1, for example, comparisons of ΔΗ values for samples 1 and 2 indicate that the degree of crystallinity of the unstretched region was only 10.8/36.2 = 29.8% of the degree of crystallinity of the stretched region for Run 1, and 12.8/36.3 = 35.3% for Run 2.

These and additional degree of crystallinity comparisons of neck and button vs sidewall for treated and untreated bottles, based on the FIG. 8 data, are shown in the following chart: CRYSTALLINITY COMPARISONS Run 1 Run 2

Untreated Bottle 1 - Neck to sidewall 29.8% 35.3%

Untreated Bottle 1 - Button to sidewall 27.1% 27.5%

Untreated Bottle 2 - Neck to sidewall 23.2% 26.5%

Untreated Bottle 2 - Button to sidewall 19.6% 19.2%

Treated Bottle 3 - Neck to sidewall 99.1% 92.5%

Treated Bottle 3 - Button to sidewall 98.2% 94.5%

Treated Bottle 4 - Neck to sidewall 87.0% 102.1%

Treated Bottle 4 - Button to sidewall 95.3% 106.7%

The chart indicates that in heat-treated bottles, the degrees of crystallinity of the unstretched regions are far closer to the degree of crystallinity of the stretched regions, when compared to untreated bottles. For bottles, liners or other containers according to embodiments of the invention, the degree of crystallinity of a substantially unstretched portion or region is within about 15% of the degree of crystallinity of a substantially stretched portion or region, more specifically within about 10%, even more specifically within about 5%, and still more specifically within about 1%. Liners, bottles, or other containers according to embodiments of the invention include a substantially unstretched portion or region with a degree of crystallinity substantially similar to a degree of crystallinity of a stretched portion or region.

Finally, FIG. 17 is a graph showing melting points for the various samples, and FIG. 18 is a graph showing ΔΗ values for the various samples. As a general matter, FIG. 17 shows that melting temperatures of untreated samples are relatively constant from sample to sample, whereas melting temperatures of treated samples display more variation from sample to sample. FIG. 18 shows relatively low ΔΗ or degree of crystallinity for the unstretched neck and button regions of untreated bottles 1 and 2 (samples 1, 3, 5, 7), but relatively high ΔΗ or degree of crystallinity for unstretched neck and button regions of heat-treated bottles 3 and 4 (samples 9, 1 1, 13, 15). Other comparisons, observations and advantages related to the various embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill from FIGS. 8-18 and the remainder of this disclosure. For example, given the relatively high degree of crystallinity of the unstretched regions of a heat-treated bottle vs an untreated bottle, it will be appreciated that chemical resistance of such unstretched portions likely would be increased, and liquid particle counts (LPC) within the bottle over time likely would be reduced as compared to untreated bottles, in certain contexts. Additionally, it will be appreciated that heat treatment according to embodiments of the invention can occur in a variety of ways, not just convection heating. Other examples of acceptable heat treatment devices and methods are disclosed herein and still further examples will be apparent to those of ordinary skill upon reading this disclosure.

In the foregoing description various embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.