Single-layer PET beer bottle

Statistics from Euromonitor show that in 2002, the total global beer production reached 145 billion liters, a growth rate of 3%; per capita consumption reached 24 liters, and the growth rate was 1.5%. After the huge consumption of beer, it was a huge container market. In 2002, the number of beer containers consumed globally reached 270 billion.

China's population accounts for 25% of the world's total. China's beer production accounts for 18% of the world's total and 55% of Asia's. According to Euromonitor, China's total beer production in 2002 was 25 billion liters, a growth rate of 7.1%, and per capita consumption was 19%. L, with a growth rate of 6.3%, consumed 42 billion beer containers. Although China's beer production has a history of more than 100 years, the real great development is only a matter of more than a decade. As the market grows, consumer demand for quality products and convenient packaging is increasing. PET bottles are gradually entering the beer packaging market due to their advantages of light weight, transparency, shatterproofness, easy molding, and resealability.

Status of PET beer bottles

In 2003, there were 3.3 billion bottles of beer in PET bottles worldwide, of which 700 million were in western Europe (1.5 billion in 2005 is expected), 150 million were in the United States, 2.4 billion were in emerging markets such as China, Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, etc. Ground.

Beer is highly sensitive to the environment and therefore requires barrier properties for packaging materials. PET bottle suppliers usually solve this problem in three ways: by adding barrier layers in the walls of multilayer bottles; by improving the properties of PET bottles by blending or using additives; using SiOx plasma coatings. Whichever method is used, the biggest challenge is how to produce the best barrier at the lowest cost. Multilayer bottles have good barrier properties, but the production complexity and cost are relatively high.

Single-layer PET bottle approved

At present, single-layer PET bottles with improved barrier properties by blending or using additives are attracting more and more attention. The safety of products is one of the main concerns of the public. Invista, the US company, announced in July this year that its newly developed PolyShield has been approved by the EU Food Packaging Law and can be directly used for beer packaging. INVISTA's Legal Advisory Committee stated in the letter of approval that all monomers and additives used to manufacture PolyShield resin are classified as “safe substances” on the EU food safety guidelines, and its applicability and safety fully meet the EU's overall standards and Special criteria.

PolyShield is a new type of PET/nylon blend resin with oxygen absorption and gas barrier properties. This technology greatly improves the barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide gas and meets all beer shelf life standards. For example, a 500-ml PolyShield beer bottle offers a 120-day shelf life, and can achieve a total oxygen intake of less than 1 ppm in one year and less than 15% in four months.

Due to the use of a compatibilizer technology, the particles of the sheet-rejecting material are smaller, so the beer bottles processed by PolySheild have the transparency of traditional glass beer bottles, which are available in both green and amber colors.

Good news from single-layer PET bottles

The biggest good news for plastic bottle manufacturers is that PolyShield single-layer PET beer bottles can produce preforms on a standard injection molding machine, without increasing the complexity of production, and without the need for additional investment and staff training to enter the huge Beer bottle market; For brewers, PolyShield single-layer PET bottles can withstand a pasteurization process of 65°C for 30 minutes, and the process is the same as using glass beer bottles, while plastic bottles greatly reduce transportation costs. Transport operations are also safer and easier, and can achieve different packaging styles, including large bottle packaging; retailers can also benefit from PET beer bottles for transport safety and shelf appeal; for consumers, safety, lightness are equally important, PET bottles are also very popular with family home packaging.

About INVISTA

INVISTA's predecessor, "DuPont Textile and Interior Decorations," was officially renamed in September last year. In the first half of this year, KOCH, the largest private company in the United States, purchased the company from DuPont for US$4.4 billion. Invicta’s sales revenue in 2002 was US$6.3 billion, and it has a large number of world-renowned brands and registered trademarks, such as polyester products PolyClear, fiber products “LYCRA”, “COOLMAX” and so on. Polymers and resins are one of the company's six major divisions, providing a full range of technologies from raw materials to resin and fiber polyester.