Background art The feature of these polymers is that they are perfectly amorphous while in the molten state, but crystallize during cooling.

In particular, in these materials the melting point TF, at which the crystalline phase is destroyed, is greater than the temperature TIC at which crystals begin to form during cooling.

The semi-crystalline materials most known for industrial use are polypropylene (known hereinafter as PP), high density polyethylene (known hereinafter as HDPE), and polyethyleneterephthalate (known hereinafter as PET), these usually being used to form articles using moulds, either by an injection process or by a compression process.

In both these processes the material is brought to a working temperature substantially higher than the melting point TF.

In the injection process the material is injected into a mould through one or more nozzles at a temperature much higher than the melting point to ensure that the molten material has a fluidity sufficient to eliminate or reduce to a maximum the shear stresses due to passage of the molten material at high velocity through small-diameter conduits typical of the moulds used in this process.

In the compression process a small measured quantity of material in the molten state is placed in a mould cavity into which a punch is made to enter, to compel the

material to rise into the interspace between the punch and cavity and assume its shape (mould filling), to then commence the cooling phase within the mould.

The temperature to which the material is brought in the compression moulding process of the known art is always much higher than the melting point, to ensure that the material remains sufficiently fluid during the entire mould filling time, crystal formation during the moulding stage being an undesirable obstacle.

In the first place, given the different viscosity of the amorphous and crystalline phases, crystal formation results in non-uniform filling of the mould.

In addition, the crystals which form during the moulding stage constitute, during subsequent cooling, crystallization germs which can lead to non-uniform distribution of the crystallization of the moulded article.

As a result, the article presents distortions and deformations due to differential shrinkage, together with an excessive fragility due to a macromolecular structure which differs from one region to another.

A semi-crystalline material which merits particular attention is polyethyleneterephthalate, PET, in which the crystallization which takes place during cooling of the material from its molten state modifies its appearance from perfectly transparent to opaque, a fact which has until now limited the use of PET in manufacturing transparent articles.

In both the known processes, the duration of the moulding cycles for semi-crystalline materials is conditioned by the fact that the cycle initiation temperature TLAV, i. e. the temperature of the material filling the mould, is always much higher than the melting point TF of the material, the cooling times for the moulded article hence being very long.

This negative characteristic mostly affects injection processes, but also constitutes an important limiting factor in compression moulding processes, in particular for polyethyleneterephthalate when this is required to maintain its transparency, as will be apparent hereinafter.

The object of the invention is to provide a compression moulding process for semi-

crystalline polymers, in particular polyethyleneterephthalate, which has a comparatively short cycle time compared with that of the known art, and preserves the physical and mechanical characteristics of the moulded articles.

Disclosure of the invention The process of the invention attains this object by virtue of the fact that the cycle initiation temperature TLAV is determined not on the basis of material fluidity, but on the basis of maintaining the amorphous phase during mould filling.

In the materials examined, the crystalline phase begins to form, during cooling, at a crystallization initiation temperature TIC which is substantially less than the melting point TF.

Hence according to the invention the material is brought outside the mould to a temperature higher than the melting point, and is fed into the mould at a temperature less than the melting point and just higher than the temperature TIC, so reducing the cycle time by the time required to cool the material from Tp to TIC This obviously restricts the applicability of the invention to compression processes alone.

The advantages of the invention are even greater if articles of polyethyleneterephthalate PET are to be moulded, while preserving their transparency.

One of the peculiar characteristics of this material is that crystal formation takes place at differential rates within a well defined temperature range.

Starting from the amorphous phase in the molten state, crystal formation commences during cooling at a crystallization initiation temperature defined as TIC and terminates at a crystallization termination temperature defined as TFC, and is a maximum at the centre of the range defined by TIC and TFC, to reduce progressively to zero at the edges thereof.

Hence to obtain perfectly transparent polyethyleneterephthalate PET articles, the residence time within the region between TIC and TFC must be drastically reduced,

this requiring a cooling power which is greater the higher the starting temperature.

The diagram of crystal formation rate against temperature is in the form of a substantially symmetrical curve which progressively increases from zero and then decreases towards zero, and is located within a certain temperature range between TIC and TFC, the position of which on a cartesian diagram of which the horizontal axis represents temperature and the vertical axis indicates the crystal formation rate is influenced by the cooling rate.

As the cooling rate increases, the curve tends to shift to the left towards the lower temperatures, to assume a narrower configuration.

As an example, crystal formation is substantially avoided, or reduced to negligible terms, at a cooling rate of at least 3,5 °C/sec, and preferably at cooling rate between 4,0°C/sec and 8, OOC/sec depending from the wall thickness of the article.

Higher cooling rates are necessary for those articles of larger thicknesses, such as preforms, whereas for thin walled articles such as bottle caps, lower cooling rates can be used.

Suitable cooling rates are determined, case by case, by the expert of the art within the aforesaid range.

Finally, as certain mechanical characteristics of an article formed from semi- crystalline materials in general, and from PET in particular, also depend on the temperature at which the article remains in the mould, the advantages of the invention are even more apparent, which, by making it possible to use cooled moulds, enables the compression method to be used even to manufacture articles for which this was previously precluded for technical reasons.

For example, in manufacturing closure caps for known PET bottles for drinks, it is of great importance to use PET instead of PP or HDPE.

One of the greatest problems presented bv known bottle caps formed of PP or HDPE is that the cap cannot be salvaged together with the bottle as neither PP nor HDPE is compatible with PET.

In addition PET acts as a barrier against gases such as 02 and C02, both because of

its intrinsic characteristics, and because of the possibility of enhancing said characteristics by known plasma treatment, which is unsuitable for the other said semi-crystalline materials.

However the use of PET in manufacturing bottle caps has been impossible up to now for various reasons, of which one of the most important is its high elastic modulus which makes it very difficult to remove the caps from the tip of the punch in an axial direction without unscrewing.

The use of PET for moulding closure caps is made possible by the invention, by virtue of the decrease in cooling time and energy, which make it economical to descend below the temperature at which the mechanical characteristics of the material stabilize, this being 80OC.

In this respect, cooling to below 80°C starting from a temperature much higher than the melting point makes injection systems uneconomical for moulding this type of material, even if the cooling rate is not critical below TFC.

The following table shows certain significant parameters of the semi-crystalline polymers concerned with the present invention, which make the advantages offered thereby immediately apparent.

TABLE Melting point polypropylene PP TF. pp 1650C Melting point high density polyethylene HDPE TF. HDPE 135°C Melting point polyethyleneterephthalate PET TF PET 270°C Working temp. PP in injection process TLAV. I. PP 220-230°C Working temp. HDPE in injection process TLAV. I. HDPE 170-230°C Working temp. PET in injection process TLAV. I. PET 290-320°C Working temp. PP in compression process TLAV. C. PP 160-170°C Working temp. HDPE in compression process TLAV. C. HDPE 130-140°C

Working temp. PET in compression process TLAV. C. PET 220°C Crystallization initiation temp. PP TIC. pp 125°C Crystallization initiation temp. HDPE TIC. HDPE 115°C Crystallization initiation temp. PET TIC. PET 210OC Crystallization termination temp. PETTICPET 120°C The merits and operational and constructional characteristics of the invention will be more apparent from the ensuing summary description illustrating three embodiments thereof given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a general scheme of the plant for forming articles of semi-crystalline polymer.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the melting process for PP crystals with increasing temperature.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the melting process for HDPE crystals with increasing temperature.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the crystallization process for PP crystals with decreasing temperature.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the crystallization process for HDPE crystals with decreasing temperature.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the crystallization process for polyethyleneterephthalate PET with increasing temperature.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the crystallization process for polyethyleneterephthalate PET with decreasing temperature.

Figure 1 shows a continuous feeder (1) feeding polymer granules to the loading hopper (2) of an extruder (3).

If PP or HDPE is used, inside the extruder the material reaches temperatures higher than the melting point TF, which as stated is TF. HDPE 135°C, and TFpp=165°C.

In the final part of the extruder after the metering pump (31) there is connected a heat- exchanging static mixer (32) which rapidly cools the material to a temperature TrAy, which for PP is TLAV. C. PP-150-160C and for HDPE is TLAV. C. HDPE = 130- 1400C.

At this temperature the material is still free of crystals and leaves the nozzle (33) to be immediately divided into measured quantities and fed to the cavity (41) of a compression moulding machine (4).

In the illustrated example the machine is arranged to create an article which does not present particular mould-removal difficulties, such as a glass slightly flared and conical towards the mouth.

After inserting the measured quantity into the mould, the article is formed and initially cooled within the mould, extracted and finally its cooling completed to ambient temperature.

A second embodiment of the invention uses polyethyleneterephthalate PET to create a perfectly transparent preform, intended for subsequent blow-moulding of a bottle.

Inside the extruder the material reaches temperatures higher than the melting point of the polyethyleneterephthalate, which as stated is TF PET = 270°C.

In the final part of the extruder the static mixer (32) rapidly cools the material to the temperature TLAV. PET which is close to 220°C, just greater than TIC PET which is 210°C.

At this temperature TLAV. PET the material is still free of crystals and leaves the nozzle (33) to be immediately divided into pieces and fed, by a rotary cutting system (42), to the cavity (41) of a compression forming machine (4).

During and after its formation, the preform is rapidly cooled to a temperature lower than TFC. PET, which is 120°C, below which the crystallization rate approximates to zero, the preform hence being stably in the amorphous state, and perfectly transparent.

The preform is then extracted from the mould and further cooled to ambient temperature.

The third embodiment of the invention relates to the formation of closure caps for PET bottles.

Inside the extruder the previously dehumidified material reaches a temperature higher than the melting point of PET, which as stated is TF. PET = 270°C.

In the final part of the extruder the static mixer (32) rapidly cools the material to the working temperature TLAV. PET of 2200C.

At this temperature the material is still free of crystals and leaves the nozzle (33) to be immediately divided into pieces and fed, as in the preceding case, to the cavity (41) of a machine (4) for compression forming the cap.

During capsule formation the mould wall is cooled, such that the material of those portions in contact with the mould wall is at about 25°C.

If it is not desired to preserve transparency of the material, the cooling rate is not critical.

In contrast, if the cap is required to be perfectly transparent, of similar appearance to glass, cooling must occur in the shortest possible time, to a temperature below TFC. PET which is 120°C, below which the crystallization rate approximates to zero, and hence the cap remains stably in the amorphous state, and is perfectly transparent.

By cooling the mould, the temperature of the material is lowered below the stability threshold for the mechanical characteristics, which as stated is about 80°C, this ensuring a material elasticity which makes it possible to remove the cap from the mould punch by axial extraction without rotating it, as is normally the case with known PP and HDPE caps.

If it is desired to increase the barrier effect against gases such as 02 and CO2, this can be achieved by subjecting the cap to plasma treatment by the method usually used for PET bottles.

This method comprises feeding into the bottles a plasma vapour which creates a lining the thickness of which is typically less than 0.1 micron.

This material layer enables certain properties of the substrate to be enhanced, such as

impermeability to gases.

The plasma treatment, well known to the expert of the art, is generally carried out with equipment manufactured by the German company LEYBOLD GmbH.

By means of the aforedescribed process a cap is obtained presenting a barrier effect suitable for not only carbonated but also for aromatized drinks, such as beer.

Moreover the cap is of the same material as the bottle, enabling both to be salvaged without the bottle material becoming contaminated with incompatible extraneous material, for example in those cases in which the cap safety band remains inserted in the neck of the bottle after opening.