All about plastic: The defining moment of plastic bottle creation
Kamar Ledgister
November 28, 2018
Plastic bottles are everywhere. Probably a plastic bottle is in your backpack now. Have you ever wondered how plastic bottles are made? Plastic bottles are made up of several substances that are in our environment such as: High Density Polyethylene, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polystyrene (PS), Fluorine Treated (HDPE), and Post Consumer Resin (PCR). Plastic bottles are universal renowned product that are used by most people today. Plastic bottles are very popular with both manufacturers and customers due to their light weight, their superior resistance to breakage, their low production cost and their low transportation cost. They were invented in America in 1973 by Dupont engineer Nathaniel Wyeth (Petra). This lead to the first plastic bottle which was able to withstand the pressure of carbonated liquids and remains the same today. Plastic can be created in numerous ways. One of the most important ingredients used to make plastic bottles is Polyethylene terephalate. Mahmound A Moshin explains, that Polyethylene terephalate is a group of material that make up of thermoplastic polymers that are used in food and beverage industries. The writer’s is illustrating the important of PET in the food and beverage. PET manufacturing involve blow molding process to create plastic bottles. Blow molding is a process that modify plastics material to liquid which then transfer in mold. Compressed air is then transmit to liquid substance which help to shape hollow plastic objects such as plastic bottles. There are three main types of blow molding: extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, and injection stretch blow molding. Plastic bottles are here to stay in my opinion it is one most durable and efficient component that are necessary to improve our life.
Now I want to shed some light on extrusion blow molding. Dmitry Sidorov explains that extrusion blow molding, which is a method of obtaining products from thermoplastic materials, the thermoplastic materials are then melted in a hollow cylindrical sleeve that captured the substance in a container which then formulate the plastic bottle when compressed air is apply. The essence of argument is showcase the creative of plastic bottles.
Figure 1. Methods of Extrusion Blow Molding (source: Wikipedia)
Now I will explore Injection blow molding method. According to Khalid Alzoubi, “Injection blow molding is the process of forming parts by placing pellets into one side of a cylinder through the Hopper, heating them inside heating chamber and through heating bands located along the screw, and extruding the molten material out to a closed mold in which the material fills and take the shape of a mold cavity” and then it cool where air is blown in to mold to form the shape of bottle. The writer’s the emphasizing how other method of making plastic bottle is incorporated from the previous method.
Figure 2. Method of Injection Blow Molding(source: Wikipedia)
Also Injection stretch blow, According to Plastic Technology, “Injection stretch blow molding is the common method for producing soda bottles. The process begins with an injection molded perform. The perform is typically pre-heated then stretched in the axial direction and blown into its final shape by a stretch blow molding machine”. The writer is showcasing method on how you can increase the size of plastic bottle.
F0igure 3. Injection stretch blow molding (source: Wikipedia)
The journey to create plastic bottles has been difficult and complicate, but now that you have learned the methods of producing plastic bottles. I hope you maybe have great appreciation for plastic bottle.
Reference
An Introduction to PET (polyethylene terephthalate) | PETRA: Information on the Use, Benefits & Safety of PET Plastic. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.petresin.org/news_introtopet.asp
Alzoubi, K. (2016). Parametric Study for a Reciprocating Screw Blow Injection Molding
Process Using Design of Experiments Tools. Jordan Journal of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, 10(4), 279–284. Retrieved from http://ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=121809911&site=ehost-live
Mohsin, M. A., Abdulrehman, T., & Haik, Y. (2017). Reactive Extrusion of Polyethylene
Terephthalate Waste and Investigation of Its Thermal and Mechanical Properties after Treatment. International Journal of Chemical Engineering (1687806X), 1–10. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1155/2017/5361251
Sidorov, D. 1. dmitrysidorov36@gmail. co., Kolosova, E. 2.
mrselkolosova@gmail. co., Kolosov, A. 3,4,., & Shabliy, T. 6. dsts1@ukr. ne. (n.d.). https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.15587/1729-4061,2018.126015
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