Tube container

Abstract

To provide a tube container having good formability, physical characteristic for contents, and printability of a tube main body.SOLUTION: The present invention pertains to a tube container 1 that includes a tube main body 10 of a laminate structure having at least two layers, an outermost layer 12 and an innermost layer 13, in which the outermost layer 12 is formed of low-density polyethylene and the innermost layer 13 is formed of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene so that a proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene is 25 wt.% or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tube container having a tube body with a laminated structure having at least two layers, an outermost layer and an innermost layer. [Background technology]

[0002] Tube containers are widely used as containers for storing toiletries such as hair rinses, hair treatments, and toothpaste, as well as paste-like food seasonings.

[0003] The tube container has a tube body with a laminated structure in which synthetic resin material such as polyethylene is laminated in multiple layers, and a resin head having a shoulder and a nozzle protruding from the shoulder is provided at one end of the tube body, and the other end of the tube body is flattened and closed to form a container capable of containing contents. The tube body is flexible, and by squeezing the tube body by hand, the contents contained inside the tube body can be pushed out through the nozzle and poured out.

[0004] Conventionally, as the above-mentioned tube container, there has been known a tube body formed from biomass-derived polyethylene instead of petroleum-derived polyethylene in order to reduce the environmental load (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-96431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the above-mentioned conventional tube containers using biomass-derived polyethylene, it is sometimes not possible to sufficiently ensure the moldability when extruding the tube body into a tubular shape by extrusion molding, the physical properties of the tube body against the contents (e.g., polymer resistance to environmental stress cracking (ESCR)), and the adhesion of printing to the tube body, and in this respect there is room for improvement.

[0007] The present invention is intended to solve these problems, and its object is to provide a tube container having a tube body with good moldability, physical properties for the contents, and printability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The tubular container of the present invention is a tubular container having a laminated tube body with at least two layers, an outermost layer and an innermost layer, wherein the outermost layer is formed from low-density polyethylene, and the innermost layer is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of the biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt % or more, and a tubular container having a laminated tube body and a tubular container having a laminated tube body and an innermost layer. In contact with the outermost layer and the innermost layer The present invention is characterized in that it has an intermediate layer, which is formed from a mixture of linear low-density polyethylene derived from biomass and low-density polyethylene derived from petroleum.

[0009] In the tubular container of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, the outermost layer is preferably formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene.

[0010] In the tubular container of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, the outermost layer is preferably formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tube container having a tube body with good formability, physical properties for the contents, and printability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a tube container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the layer structure of the tube body shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of the layer structure of the tube body shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] 1 shows a tube container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is used to store toiletries such as hair rinse, hair treatment, and toothpaste, as well as paste-like food seasonings. The tube container 1 has a tube body 10 and a head 20, each made of a synthetic resin material.

[0018] The tube body 10 is cylindrical with a circular or elliptical cross section, one end of which is flattened and closed by welding as the welding part 11. The inside of the tube body 10 forms a storage space S for the contents. The tube body 10 is flexible enough to be easily deformed by hand.

[0019] Printing 30, such as a description of the contents or other additives, is applied to the outer surface of the tube body 10. The printing 30 can be applied to the surface of the tube body 10 by various methods, such as silk printing.

[0020] The head 20 has a shoulder 21 formed in a cap shape. The outer peripheral edge of the shoulder 21 is welded to the end of the tube body 10 around the entire circumference, so that the head 20 is connected integrally to the tube body 10. A cylindrical mouth 22 is provided at the center of the shoulder 21 and protrudes outward, and the tip of the mouth 22 forms a spout 22a for pouring the contents. By providing this head 20, the contents contained in the storage space S can be easily poured out by squeezing the tube body 10 with one's hand, pushing them out through the spout 22a of the mouth 22.

[0021] Although not shown in detail, the nozzle portion 22 may be configured to be fitted with a member such as a pouring cap with a lid.

[0022] The tube body 10 has a laminated structure having at least two layers, an outermost layer 12 and an innermost layer 13. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the tube body 10 has a two-layer structure having only two layers, the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13.

[0023] The outermost layer 12 is the layer that forms the outermost part of the cylindrical tube body 10, and is the part that forms the outer surface of the tube body 10 and is visible from the outside. The innermost layer 13 is the layer that forms the innermost part of the cylindrical tube body 10, and is the part that forms the inner surface of the tube body 10 and comes into contact with the contents.

[0024] The outermost layer 12 constituting the tube body 10 is formed of low-density polyethylene. The low-density polyethylene constituting the outermost layer 12 may be biomass-derived low-density polyethylene or petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene.

[0025] As the biomass-derived low-density polyethylene, for example, biopolyethylene derived from sugarcane (STN7006, MFR 0.6 g / 10 min, biomass content 95%) manufactured by BRASKEM can be used, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0026] The innermost layer 13 constituting the tube body 10 is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt% or more (25% or more by mass).

[0027] The proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene in the mixture forming the innermost layer 13 may be 28 wt % or more, or may be 30 wt %. There is no particular upper limit to the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene in the mixture, but it can be 80% or less, and a proportion of 50% or less is more preferable because this ensures sufficient welding strength of the welded portion 11 and the welding strength of the head 20 to the tube body 10.

[0028] As the linear low-density polyethylene derived from biomass, for example, biopolyethylene derived from sugarcane (SLH118, MFR 1.0 g / 10 min, biomass content 84%) manufactured by BRASKEM can be used, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the tube body 10 may have a three-layer structure having an outermost layer 12, an innermost layer 13 and an intermediate layer 14 therebetween.

[0030] In this case, the intermediate layer 14 constituting the tube body 10 may be formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, or alternatively, the intermediate layer 14 constituting the tube body 10 may be formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene.

[0031] The thicknesses of the outermost layer 12, the innermost layer 13, and the intermediate layer 14 that make up the tube body 10 can be changed in various ways so that the tube body 10 has desired flexibility, moldability, biomass content, etc. For example, if the tube body 10 has a two-layer structure consisting of only the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13, and the combined thickness of the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13 is 450 μm, the outermost layer 12 can be 225 μm to 330 μm, and the innermost layer 13 can be 120 μm to 225 μm. Furthermore, if the tube body 10 has a three-layer structure consisting of an outermost layer 12, an innermost layer 13, and an intermediate layer 14, and the combined thickness of the outermost layer 12, the innermost layer 13, and the intermediate layer 14 is 450 μm, the outermost layer 12 can be 50 μm to 225 μm, the innermost layer 13 can be 125 μm to 225 μm, and the intermediate layer 14 can be 100 μm to 175 μm.

[0032] The tube body 10 having the above-described configuration is formed from a tubular member extruded into a cylindrical shape by extrusion molding. That is, the tube body 10 is formed from a tubular member formed by co-extruding, in layers, the synthetic resin material constituting the outermost layer 12 and the synthetic resin material constituting the innermost layer 13 in the case of a two-layer structure, or the synthetic resin material constituting the outermost layer 12, the synthetic resin material constituting the innermost layer 13, and the synthetic resin material constituting the intermediate layer 14 in the case of a three-layer structure, from one nozzle.

[0033] As described above, in the tube container 1 of this embodiment, the innermost layer 13 constituting the tube body 10 is formed from a mixture of carbon-neutral materials, biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt % or more. This reduces the environmental load compared to when the entire innermost layer 13 is made of petroleum-derived polyethylene.

[0034] Furthermore, in the tube container 1 of this embodiment, the innermost layer 13, which is the portion of the tube body 10 that comes into contact with the contents, is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt % or more. Therefore, compared to when the innermost layer 13 is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, the physical properties of the tube body 10 against the contents, such as polymer resistance to environmental stress cracking (ESCR), can be improved.

[0035] Furthermore, in the tube container 1 of this embodiment, the outermost layer 12 constituting the tube body 10 is formed from low-density polyethylene, which improves moldability when forming the tube body 10 by extrusion molding. Also, because the outermost layer 12 is formed from low-density polyethylene, the adhesion of the print 30 to the surface of the tube body 10 can be improved compared to when the outermost layer 12 is formed from linear low-density polyethylene. Therefore, the print 30 applied to the surface of the tube body 10 can be prevented from peeling off from the surface.

[0036] In this way, in the tube container 1 of this embodiment, the tube body 10 can be made to have good moldability, physical properties for the contents, and printability.

[0037] Furthermore, as described above, the outermost layer 12 of the tubular container 1 of this embodiment can be formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene, which is a carbon-neutral material. This further reduces the environmental impact compared to when the outermost layer 12 is formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene.

[0038] On the other hand, as described above, the outermost layer 12 of the tube container 1 of this embodiment can also be formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene. This further increases the adhesion of the print 30 to the surface of the tube body 10, making it possible to more reliably prevent the print 30 on the surface of the tube body 10 from peeling off from the surface.

[0039] In the tubular container 1 of this embodiment, when the tube body 10 is configured to have an intermediate layer 14 between the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13, various materials and thicknesses can be used for the intermediate layer 14, thereby enabling the properties of the tube body 10 to be appropriately modified. For example, when the intermediate layer 14 is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, the biomass content of the tube body 10 can be increased while maintaining adhesion between the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13, thereby further reducing the environmental impact. Furthermore, when the intermediate layer 14 is formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene, the biomass content of the tube body 10 can be increased while maintaining adhesion between the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13, thereby further reducing the environmental impact.

[0040] In order to confirm the effects of the present invention, tube containers of Comparative Examples 1 to 8 and tube containers of Examples 1 to 4 were prepared, and these were evaluated for moldability in extrusion molding of the tube body, physical properties related to the polymer resistance (ESCR) of the tube body to environmental stress cracking (ESC), and printability of the surface of the tube body.

[0041] The tube containers of Comparative Examples 1 to 8 and the tube containers of Examples 1 to 4 all have the shape shown in FIG. 1, with the tube body having a thickness of 450 μm, and have different layer structures.

[0042] The tube container of Comparative Example 1 had a single-layer structure in which the tube body was made of linear low-density polyethylene derived from biomass and had a thickness of 450 μm, and the overall biomass content (plant content) of the tube body was 84%.

[0043] The tube container of Comparative Example 2 had a single-layer structure in which the tube body was made of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene with a thickness of 450 μm, and the biomass content of the entire tube body was 95%.

[0044] The tube container of Comparative Example 3 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 330 μm, and the innermost layer being formed of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 120 μm, with the biomass content of the entire tube body being 80% by weight.

[0045] The tube container of Comparative Example 4 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 330 μm, and the innermost layer being formed of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 120 μm, with the biomass content of the entire tube body being 73%.

[0046] The tube container of Comparative Example 5 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being made of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and having a thickness of 225 μm, and the innermost layer being made of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and having a thickness of 225 μm, and the overall biomass content of the tube body being 84%.

[0047] The tube container of Comparative Example 6 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 225 μm, and the innermost layer being formed from a mixture of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene being 40 wt%, also to a thickness of 225 μm, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 19%.

[0048] The tube container of Comparative Example 7 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 225 μm, and the innermost layer being formed from a mixture of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene being 25 wt%, also to a thickness of 225 μm, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 12%.

[0049] The tube container of Comparative Example 8 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 225 μm, and the innermost layer being formed from a mixture of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene being 16 wt%, also to a thickness of 225 μm, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 8%.

[0050] The tube container of Example 1 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being made of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene and having a thickness of 330 μm, and the innermost layer being made of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 80 wt%, and having a thickness of 120 μm, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 88%.

[0051] The tube container of Example 2 had a three-layer structure in which the tube body had an outermost layer, an innermost layer, and an intermediate layer, with the outermost layer being formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 225 μm, the innermost layer being formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 125 μm, with the mixture being a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 30 wt%, and the intermediate layer being formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with a thickness of 100 μm, so that the overall biomass content of the tube body was 60%.

[0052] The tube container of Example 3 had a three-layer structure in which the tube body had an outermost layer, an innermost layer, and an intermediate layer, with the outermost layer being 50 μm thick and made of petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, the innermost layer being 125 μm thick and made of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 30 wt%, and the intermediate layer being 175 μm thick and made of biomass-derived low-density polyethylene, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 49%.

[0053] The tube container of Example 4 had a two-layer structure with an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer being formed of petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene to a thickness of 225 μm, and the innermost layer being formed of a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 28 wt%, and also having a thickness of 225 μm, resulting in an overall biomass content of the tube body of 12%.

[0054] The moldability of the tube body in extrusion molding was evaluated as ◯ (good) when it was extrusion molded, and as × (bad) when it was not possible to mold it properly due to clogging of the nozzle.

[0055] Regarding the physical properties of the polymer resistance (ESCR) to environmental stress cracking (ESC) of the tube body, a 10% aqueous solution of IGEPAL (registered trademark) CO-630 was filled into a tube container, and after storing it in a constant temperature bath at 50°C for 300 hours, an ESCR test was conducted to inspect the appearance. As a result of the test, if no cracks occurred in the tube body due to the contents, it was evaluated as ◯ (good), and if cracks occurred in the tube body due to the contents, it was evaluated as × (poor).

[0056] Regarding the printability of the surface of the tube body, after treating the surface of the tube container, silk printing was applied, and if the printing did not easily peel off from the surface of the tube body and it was judged that the adhesion was high, it was rated as ◯ (good); if the printing easily peeled off from the surface of the tube body and it was judged that the adhesion was low, it was rated as × (bad).

[0057] A sample that received a ◯ rating for all of the moldability, physical properties, and printability ratings was given an overall rating of ◯ (good), and any other rating was given an × (bad). Note that samples that could not be molded were not evaluated for physical properties and printability.

[0058] Table 1 shows the evaluation results of the tube containers of Comparative Examples 1 to 8 and the tube containers of Examples 1 to 4.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] As can be seen from the evaluation results in Table 1, the tube containers of Examples 1 to 4, which had a configuration in which the outermost layer of the tube body was formed from low-density polyethylene and the innermost layer of the tube body was formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt% or more, all received a good overall evaluation and were confirmed to have good moldability, physical properties, and printability.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, the outermost layer 12 of the tube body 10 is formed from low-density polyethylene, but the low-density polyethylene may contain various additives, etc.

[0063] Similarly, the mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, the biomass-derived low-density polyethylene, and the petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene that constitute the tube body 10 may each contain various additives, etc.

[0064] The tube container 1 may also be configured such that the tube body 10 and the head 20 are integrally formed. In this case, the head 20 may also be configured with the same layer structure as the tube body 10.

[0065] Furthermore, the tube body 10 may be configured to have a layer formed of a material other than synthetic resin, such as an aluminum layer, between the outermost layer 12 and the innermost layer 13 to enhance light-blocking or barrier properties. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 tube container 10 Tube body 11 Welded area 12 Outermost layer 13 innermost layer 20 heads 21 Shoulder 22 Mouth part 22a spout 30 Printing S storage space

Claims

1. A tube container having a tube body with a laminated structure having at least two layers, an outermost layer and an innermost layer, the outermost layer is formed of low-density polyethylene, the innermost layer is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene, with the proportion of the biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene being 25 wt % or more; an intermediate layer between the outermost layer and the innermost layer and in contact with the outermost layer and the innermost layer; A tubular container, characterized in that the intermediate layer is formed from a mixture of biomass-derived linear low-density polyethylene and petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene.

2. 2. The tube container according to claim 1, wherein the outermost layer is formed from biomass-derived low-density polyethylene.

3. 2. The tube container according to claim 1, wherein the outermost layer is formed from petroleum-derived low-density polyethylene.

Images