Plastic container with oxygen scavenger

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a preform may include pre-compounding an oxygen scavenging additive with a catalyst at a ratio greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 2.0 to form a pre-compounded additive. The method may also include combining the pre-compounded additive with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets in an injection molding machine. The method may further include injection molding the preform from the PET pellets and the pre-compounded additive.

Description

PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH OXYGEN SCAVENGERCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 677,273, filed July 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to beverage containers formed of plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).BACKGROUND

[0003] The liquid contents stored within the interior of PET containers may react with free oxygen molecules that are present in the sealed environment. This can adversely affect the concentration of ingredients or produce undesirable off flavors in beverage products and reduce shelf life.

[0004] Oxygen scavengers can be incorporated into hot fill and aseptic beverage products to protect oxygen-sensitive ingredients. For example, oxygen scavengers are sometimes blended with PET, but this may have one or more undesirable aspects. Blending PET with oxygen scavengers can result in lower grade, hazy-colored PET containers and can also encumber recycling with a clear PET stream.SUMMARY

[0005] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of manufacturing a preform, the preform configured to be blow molded into a bottle, the method including: precompounding an oxygen scavenging additive with a catalyst at a ratio greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 5.0 to form a pre-compounded additive; combining the pre-compounded additive with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets in an injection molding machine; and injection molding the preform from the PET pellets and the pre-compounded additive.

[0006] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of manufacturing a container, the method including: pre-compounding an oxygen scavenging additive with a catalyst to form a pre-compounded additive; combining the pre-compounded additive with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets in an injection molding machine; injection molding a preform from the PET pellets and the pre-compounded additive; and blow molding the preform into a bottle.

[0007] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a preform configured to be blow molded into a bottle, the preform including: PET; and a pre-compounded additive that includes an oxygen scavenging additive pre-compounded with a catalyst; wherein a concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.5 weight percent (wt. %); and wherein a concentration of the catalyst in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. %.

[0008] Other examples, embodiments, features, and aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is an elevation view of an example preform formed by injection molding according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of an example container including a bottle formed by blow molding the preform of FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an injection molding station operable to form the preform of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustrating a pre-combination process for additives that be utilized in the preform of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for manufacturing the container ofFIG. 2.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a table showing the results of several examples of PET bottles or PET samples having oxygen scavenging additives, both pre-compounded and non pre-compounded, at various concentrations and ratios, which are evaluated for oxygen scavenging performance by multiple testing methods.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 1.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 2.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 1 and 2.

[0018] FIGS. 10 and 11 are graphs illustrating the results of Example 3.

[0019] FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 4.

[0020] FIG. 13 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 3 and 4.

[0021] FIG. 14 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 5.

[0022] FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 6.

[0023] FIG. 16 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 5 and 6.

[0024] Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Materials, methods and techniques disclosed and contemplated herein relate to oxygen scavengers in containers. More particularly, exemplary implementations may involve coating a closure of a container with an oxygen scavenger, including but not limited to a portion of the closure of the container. Exemplary containers are typically suited for liquid contents.I. Example Oxygen Scavengers

[0026] Exemplary containers include various compositions of PET resin blended with mixtures of oxidizable polyether-based additives and transition metal catalysts that are fabricated into monolayer bottles via a multi-step process. In a first step, an additive and a catalyst are blended directly with one another in a pre-compounding step. In a second step, the precompounded mixture of the additive and the catalyst is then directly fed and melt-blended with the PET resin in an injection molding machine and then molded into preforms. The second step can be performed within a short time after the first step is completed, in order to preserve the scavenging capacity of the activated mixture. In a third step, the preforms were reheated and stretch blow molded into the final shaped containers such as bottles.

[0027] Exemplary oxygen scavengers are capable of reacting with free oxygen in an adjacent environment, thereby eliminating most or all free oxygen in the environment. The reaction mechanism involves an oxygen scavenging agent, which acts as a reducing agent, becoming oxidized upon interaction with free oxygen molecules, thereby converting oxygen to a reduced and non-reactive species. Oxygen scavengers can include organic, metallic, inorganic, polymer- based, or enzyme-based agents, or combinations thereof.

[0028] Exemplary oxygen scavengers are capable of being incorporated into a container during the injection molding process. Exemplary oxygen scavengers can either be blended with the container during injection molding, or co-injected as one or more separate layers to form the container with multi-layer walls.

[0029] Exemplary metallic oxygen scavengers may include one or more of iron powder, activated iron, ferrous oxide, iron salt, cobalt, copper, manganese, or zinc. Exemplary organic oxygen scavengers may include one or more of ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid salts, isoascorbic acid, tocopherol (vitamins C and E), hydroquinone, catechol, rongalit, sorbose, lignin, gallic acid, or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Exemplary inorganic oxygen scavengers may include one or more of sulfite, thiosulfate, dithionite, hydrogen sulfite, or titanium dioxide. Exemplary polymer- based oxygen scavengers may include one or more of oxidation-reduction resins or polymermetallic complexes. Exemplary enzyme-based oxygen scavengers may include one or more of glucose oxidase, laccase, or ethanol oxidase.

[0030] In some examples, exemplary oxygen scavengers can include a two-part combination added to a PET. The two part combination can include, e.g., an oxidizable block co-polymer additive and a cobalt catalyst.

[0031] Commercially available examples of oxygen scavengers suitable for PET include OxyClear®, available from Indorama Ventures (Bangkok, Thailand) and Colormatrix Amosorb™ 4020G, available from Avient (Avon Lake, Ohio). The OxyClear® product is a two-part combination masterbatch including an oxidizable block co-polymer additive (OxyClear® Additive 3500) and a cobalt catalyst (OxyClear® Catalyst 2710).II. Example Bottle and Closure of ContainerA. Preform

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a preform 100 formed by an injection molding process. The preform 100 may subsequently be blow-molded to form a bottle 202 (FIG. 2). The preform 100 includes a neck 104 and a body 108, with the body defining a closed end 112. The closed end 112 is positioned on a side of the body 108 opposite the neck 104. The neck 104 defines an opening 116. The preform 100 may be formed from compositions of PET resin blended with mixtures of oxidizable polyether-based additives and transition metal catalysts, as described herein. The preform 100 is formed by injection molding, during which the resin mixture is injected into a mold through a gate and then cooled to harden and maintain its shape.B. Container

[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates an elevational view of an example of an embodiment of a container 200. The container 200 can be used for storing liquid contents, such as a beverage for consumption (e.g., water, juice, a carbonated beverage, a noncarbonated beverage, tea, coffee, sports drink, etc.). The container 200 includes a bottle 202 having a base 204 that extends to a sidewall 208. In some embodiments, the base 204 may include various geometries defined by a plurality of radial recesses, although other configurations of the base 204 may be incorporated into the container 200, without limitation. The sidewall 208 can include a label panel portion 216. The sidewall 208 transitions into a shoulder 224, which connects to a bell 228.

[0034] The bell 228 connects to a neck 236, which defines a finish portion 240. As shown in FIG. 2, the bell 228 includes a diameter that generally decreases along the bell 228 from the shoulder 224 to the neck 236. The finish portion 240 can include a helical bead (not shown) that is configured to selectively engage a closure 244 (e.g., a container cap, etc.). More specifically, the helical bead can engage a corresponding helical groove defined by an interior of the closure 244 to seal the beverage within the container 200. The neck 236 and finish portion 240 generally define an opening that leads to an interior of the bottle 202. The opening provides selective access to the contents of the container 200, with the closure 244 selectively sealing the opening.III. Example Methods of Manufacture

[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates an injection molding station 300 that is operable to form the preform 100. The injection molding station 300 includes an injection unit 304 and a mold unit 308. The injection unit 304 includes a hopper 312, a barrel 316, a feed throat 320, a ram or screw 324, a nozzle 328, and a heating device 332. The mold unit 308 includes a mold assembly 336 having a stationary mold part 340 and a movable mold part 344. The mold parts 340, 344 define a mold cavity 348 in which the preform 100 is formed.

[0036] The hopper 312 receives, stores, and dispenses solid or powder-form PET (e.g., PET pellets 352), and, optionally, one or more additives 356, into the barrel 316. The feed throat 320 connects the hopper 312 to the barrel 316 so that the PET pellets 352 and optional additives 356 may pass from the hopper 312 into the barrel 316. Inside the barrel 316, the PET pellets 352 are heated beyond their respective melt temperature via the heating device 332 and mixed with the optional additives 356 to form a heated melt 360. The screw 324 mixes the heated melt 360 and also forces the heated melt 360 through the nozzle 328 and into the mold cavity 348 of the mold assembly 336. Although the screw 324 is illustrated as a single screw, it may also be provided as a twin-screw variety in other embodiments. The heated melt 360 cools within the mold cavity 348 below the melt temperature and hardens into the formed preform 100.

[0037] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in some examples, the additives 356 can include a two-part combination oxygen scavenger having an oxidizable block co-polymer additive 356a (e.g., OxyClear® Additive 3500) and a cobalt catalyst 356b (e.g., OxyClear® Catalyst 2710). The catalyst 356b must be in close proximity to the oxidizable polymer regions of the additive356a to initiate and propagate the radical mechanisms involved in oxygen scavenging. Conventionally, pellets of the additive 356a and pellets of the catalyst 356b are mixed and dosed into the feed throat 320 together with the PET pellets 352. This dry blend of pellets of the additive 356a, the catalyst 356b, and the PET pellets 352 is then melted and compounded together within the barrel 316 to form the heated melt 360. One problem with this approach, however, is that material inefficiencies may develop due to insufficient mixing of the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b. This can lead to one or more regions of the preform 100 where the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b are isolated from one another and fail to sufficiently activate each other.

[0038] In the present example, the additives 356 are pre-compounded with one another in their concentrated forms prior to injection molding the preform 100 at the injection molding station 300. More specifically, the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b are pre-compounded with one another in the absence of the PET pellets 352 and prior to being introduced into the injection molding station 300. This pre-compounding can be achieved, for example, by melt blending the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b using an intermeshing extruder (not shown), extruding the resulting molten mixture of the additives 356, and then cooling and pelletizing the mixture of the additives 356 to produce pre-compounded additive pellets 356c. During the subsequent injection molding process to form the preform 100, the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c are dosed into the feed throat 320 together with the PET pellets 352, which are then melted and compounded together within the barrel 316 to form the heated melt 360. In some examples, the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b can be pre-compounded by melt blending, and then quickly combined with the PET pellets 352 within the injection unit 304 in hot melt form (e.g., by extruding). For example, the injection unit 304 can have a side feed barrel (not shown) by which the hot melt pre-compounded additives are extruded into the barrel 316 to mix with the melted PET pellets 352.

[0039] Pre-compounding the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b prior to the injection molding step produces better mixing and activation between the additives, which improves oxygen scavenging performance. For example, pre-compounding the additives 356 reduces or eliminates any regions within the preform 100 where the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b might be isolated from one another. In addition, pre-compounding the additives 356 eliminatesthe need for any incubation time during which the additive 356a is being catalyzed by the catalyst 356b. This also achieves greater efficiency and rates of scavenging. The precompounded additives 356 also react at a more predictable rate.

[0040] In the present example, a concentration of the pre-compounded additives 356 can be reduced in the resultant preform 100 as compared to the conventional method described herein. This is because relatively less of the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b remains isolated and inactive in the preform 100, and because the oxygen scavenging rate is more predictable. In one example, the additive 356a is OxyClear® Additive 3500 and the catalyst 356b is OxyClear® Catalyst 2710. In this example, the PET pellets 352 can be combined with the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c such that, in the resulting preform 100, the concentration of the additive 356a is 0.4 weight percent (wt. %) and the concentration of the catalyst 356b is 0.2 wt. %. In other examples, pre-compounding improves oxygen scavenging performance when a concentration of the additive 356a is greater than or equal to 0.5 wt. %, and when a concentration of the catalyst 356b is greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. %. Moreover, a ratio of the additive 356a to the catalyst 356b should be greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 2.0, as discussed herein. In other examples, the ratio of the additive 356a to the catalyst 356b can be less than 3.0, or in further examples, less than 5.0. In such examples, a concentration of the catalyst 356b should be greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. %.

[0041] By reducing the concentrations of the pre-compounded additives 356 in the preform 100 via pre-compounding as described herein, the preform 100 can meet the recycling guidelines of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR).

[0042] FIG. 5 is an example process 400 for manufacturing a container 200. The process 400 begins at operation 404, where the additives 356 are pre-compounded to form the precompounded additive pellets 356c. In some examples, the additives 356 include a two-part combination oxygen scavenger having an oxidizable block co-polymer additive 356a (e.g., OxyClear® Additive 3500) and a cobalt catalyst 356b (e.g., OxyClear® Catalyst 2710). In such examples, the additive 356a is pre-compounded with the catalyst 356b to form the precompounded additive pellets 356c.

[0043] At operation 408, the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c are directly fed and melt- blended with the PET pellets 352 in the injection molding station 300 and then molded into the preforms 100. To preserve the scavenging capacity of the oxygen scavenger contained in the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c, the operation 408 can be performed within a short time after the operation 404 is completed. Alternatively, after operation 404 and prior to operation 408, the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c may be stored in an environment lacking oxygen (e.g., a non-ambient environment) to increase the shelf life. For example, the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c can be packaged. In some examples, the pre-compounded pellets 356c can be introduced into the injection unit 304 in a nitrogen rich environment to prevent oxygen- induced degradation of the pre-compounded additive pellets 356c.

[0044] Next, at operation 412 the preform 100 can be blow molded into the bottle 202.

[0045] Next, at operation 416 the bottle 202 can be filled with a liquid (or a beverage). The filling of the bottle 202 can include, e.g., an aseptic filling process, a hot-fill process, etc. In some examples, the bottle 202 can be disinfected prior to filling of the bottle 202 (e.g., aseptic) or after filling of the bottle 202 (e.g., non-aseptic).

[0046] At operation 420, after filling, the bottle 202 can be capped through application of the closure 244. The container 200, including the bottle 202 and the closure 244, exits operation 420 with the liquid in the bottle 202 and the removable closure 244 attached, sealing the opening.

[0047] At operation 424, the container 200 proceeds to any additional processing operations, which can include, e.g., application of a label, sorting, packaging (e g., shrink wrap application in cases, application of a handle, etc.), palletizing, etc.IV. Pre-compounding Examples and Results

[0048] In the following examples, the oxidizable block co-polymer additive 356a (e.g., OxyClear® Additive 3500) and the cobalt catalyst 356b (e.g., OxyClear® Catalyst 2710) were incorporated into PET bottles at various concentrations and ratios, with or without precompounding, and then evaluated for oxygen scavenging performance by multiple testing methods. These examples show that pre-compounding the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b improves oxygen scavenging performance under some conditions. However, pre-compoundingdoes not improve scavenging performance if the amount (i.e., the concentration in the resultant bottle) of the pre-compounded additive 356 is too low, or if the ratio of the additive 356a to the catalyst 356b is too high. According to the following examples, pre-compounding improves oxygen scavenging performance when a concentration of the additive 356a is greater than or equal to 0.5%, and when a concentration of the catalyst 356b is greater than or equal to 0.4%. Moreover, a ratio of the additive 356a to the catalyst 356b should be greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 2.0.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a table showing the results of each of the following examples. The table of FIG. 6 shows the testing method used, the format of the sample, the concentrations and ratio of the additive 356a and the catalyst 356b, additional additives (if any), and whether a precompounding improvement was realized. In each of the following examples, the additive 356a was OxyClear® Additive 3500 (“OC3500”) and the cobalt catalyst 356b was OxyClear® Catalyst 2710 (“OC2710”).A. Example 1

[0050] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 1. In Example 1, 16 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding and the oxygen scavenging effectiveness was measured via a bottle pulldown method. In the bottle pulldown method, a bottle made with oxygen scavenger is filled with oxygenated water. The bottle is closed with a closure, and the oxygen content in the bottle is measured over time. Because the bottle contains oxygen scavenger, the amount of oxygen measured in the bottle decreases over time. Higher oxygen pulldown means more oxygen scavenging activity. As shown in FIG. 7, the 16 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 at 1.00% concentration and OC2710 at 1.20% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. At these concentrations and ratio, precompounding provided a clear improvement in oxygen scavenging.B. Example 2

[0051] FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 2. Like Example 1, Example 2 tested 16 ounce bottles formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding using the bottle pulldown method. As shown in FIG. 8, the 16 ounce bottles were formed withOC3500 at 1 .50% concentration and OC2710 at 0.40% concentration, both with and without precompounding. Virgin PET bottles were also included as a control. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding did not provide an improvement in oxygen scavenging. In this example, the ratio of OC3500 to OC2710 was too high and the concentration of OC2710 was too low.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 1 and 2.C. Example 3

[0053] FIGS. 10 and 11 are graphs illustrating the results of Example 3. Example 3 tested 12 ounce bottles formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding using the bottle pulldown method. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, some of the 12 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 at 0.55% concentration and OC2710 at 0.44% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding provided an improvement in oxygen scavenging. Additional 12 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 at 0.30% concentration and OC2710 at 0.24% concentration, both with and without precompounding. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding did not provide an improvement in oxygen scavenging. Virgin PET bottles were also included as a control.D. Example 4

[0054] FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 4. Example 4 tested 12 ounce bottles formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding using the bottle pulldown method. As shown in FIG. 12, some of the 12 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 at 0.24% concentration and OC2710 at 0.16% concentration, both with and without precompounding. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding did not provide an improvement in oxygen scavenging. Additional 12 ounce bottles were formed with OC3500 at 1.00% concentration and OC2710 at 0.3% concentration with pre-compounding. Virgin PET bottles were also included as a control. At these concentrations and ratio, no improvement in oxygen scavenging over virgin PET was observed because the concentration of the catalyst OC2710 was too low.

[0055] FIG. 13 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 3 and 4.E. Example 5

[0056] FIG. 14 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 5. In Example 5, sample disks were formed having 25mm diameter and 1.7mm thickness. The disks were formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding and the oxygen scavenging effectiveness was measured via ajar pulldown method. In the jar pulldown method, Oxygen scavenging material (e.g., the disks in Example 5) is placed in an empty jar and sealed. The oxygen in the jar is fixed, and the decrease in oxygen is measured over time as the oxygen in the jar is consumed by the material. Higher oxygen pulldown means more oxygen scavenging activity. As shown in FIG. 14, some of the disks were formed with OC3500 at 1.50% concentration and OC2710 at 1.20% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. These disks also included an additional UV additive. UV additives, also known as UV absorbers or UV stabilizers, are added to the PET samples to protect from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. In some examples, a concentration of the UV additive may be in a range of greater than or equal to 0.05% and less than or equal to 0.50%. At these concentrations and ratio of the pre-compounded OC3500 and OC2710, pre-compounding provided an improvement in oxygen scavenging. Other disks were formed with OC3500 at 1.00% concentration and OC2710 at 0.80% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. These disks also included a UV additive. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding also provided an improvement in oxygen scavenging.F. Example 6

[0057] FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the results of Example 6. In Example 6, sample disks were formed having 25mm diameter and 1.7mm thickness. The disks were formed with OC3500 and OC2710 with and without pre-compounding and the oxygen scavenging effectiveness was measured via the jar pulldown method. As shown in FIG. 15, some of the disks were formed with OC3500 at 1.50% concentration and OC2710 at 1.20% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. These disks did not include a UV additive. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding provided an improvement in oxygen scavenging. Other disks were formed with OC3500 at 1.00% concentration and OC2710 at 0.80% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. These disks also did not include a UV additive. At these concentrations and ratio, pre-compounding also provided an improvement in oxygen scavenging.Other disks were formed with OC3500 at 0.40% concentration and OC2710 at 0.20% concentration, both with and without pre-compounding. These disks also did not include a UV additive. Virgin PET was also included as a control. At these concentrations and ratio, precompounding did not improve oxygen scavenging. The concentration of the additive and the catalyst in these disks was too low to demonstrate a benefit.

[0058] FIG. 16 is a table summarizing the results of Examples 5 and 6.

[0059] It is understood that the foregoing detailed description and accompanying examples are merely illustrative and are not to be taken as limitations upon the scope of the disclosure. Various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications, including without limitation those relating to the chemical structures, substituents, derivatives, intermediates, syntheses, compositions, formulations, or methods of use, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a prefonn, the preform configured to be blow molded into a bottle, the method comprising: pre-compounding an oxygen scavenging additive with a catalyst at a ratio greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 5.0 to form a pre-compounded additive; combining the pre-compounded additive with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets in an injection molding machine; and injection molding the preform from the PET pellets and the pre-compounded additive.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising packaging the pre-compounded additive in a low oxygen environment prior to combining the pre-compounded additive with PET pellets in the injection molding machine.

3. Tire method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen scavenging additive comprises an oxidizable block copolymer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the catalyst comprises a cobalt catalyst.

5. Hie method of claim 4, wherein the pre-compounded additive is combined with the PET pellets such that a concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.5 weight percent (wt. %).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pre-compounded additive is combined with the PET pellets such that a concentration of the catalyst in the prefonn is greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. %.

7. A method of manufacturing a container, the method comprising: pre-compounding an oxygen scavenging additive with a catalyst to form a precompounded additive; combining the pre-compounded additive with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets in an injection molding machine; injection molding a preform from the PET pellets and the pre-compounded additive: and blow molding the preform into a bottle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising packaging the pre-compounded additive in a low oxygen environment prior to combining the pre-compounded additive with PET pellets in the injection molding machine.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the oxygen scavenging additive comprises an oxidizable block copolymer and tire catalyst comprises a cobalt catalyst.

10. Hie method of claim 9. wherein a ratio of the oxygen scavenging additive to the catalyst in the precompounded additive is greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 2.0.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-compounded additive is combined with the PET pellets such that a concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.5 weight percent (wt. %).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-compounded additive is combined with the PET pellets such that a concentration of the catalyst in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.4 wt. %.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising combining a UV additive with tire pre-compounded additive and the PET pellets in the injection molding machine.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pre-compounded additive is combined with the PET pellets such that a concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the preform is greater than or equal to 1.0 wt. % and a concentration of the catalyst in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.8 wt. %.

15. A preform configured to be blow molded into a bottle, the preform comprising:PET; and a pre-compounded additive that includes an oxygen scavenging additive pre-compounded with a catalyst; wherein a concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the prefonn is greater than or equal to 0.5 weight percent (wt. %); and wherein a concentration of the catalyst in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.4 wt . %.

16. The prefonn of claim 15, wherein the oxygen scavenging additive comprises an oxidizable block copolymer and tire catalyst comprises a cobalt catalyst.

17. The preform of claim 16. wherein a ratio of the oxygen scavenging additive to the catalyst in the precompounded additive is greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than or equal to 2.0.

18. The prefonn of claim 17, further comprising a UV additive.

19. Tire preform of claim 18, wherein the concentration of the oxygen scavenging additive in the prefonn is greater than or equal to 1.0 weight percent (wt. %). and wherein the concentration of the catalyst in the preform is greater than or equal to 0.8 wt. %20. The prefonn of claim 19, wherein the concentration of the UV additive in the preform is at least 0.05 wt. %.

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