Packaging tubes

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to a recyclable packaging tube (100) for oxidizable products and a method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube (100) for oxidizable products. In an example, the recyclable packaging tube (100) includes a sleeve (102) having a first peripheral sleeve edge (112). The sleeve (102) is made of a first polymeric barrier laminate. The recyclable packaging tube (100) further includes a shoulder (104) extending upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) to form a through passage for the oxidizable products. The shoulder (104) is made of plastic material and includes a shoulder barrier liner (108) made of a second polymeric barrier laminate. The recyclable packaging tube (100) achieves an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day) and is recyclable in bottle grade HDPE stream.

Description

PA KAGING TUBESTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present subject matter, in general, relates to packaging of products, and in particular, but not exclusively, relates to a packaging tube for packaging of an oxidizable product and a method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products.BACKGROUND

[0002] In various industries, including, but not limited to, pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings, cosmetics and personal care, chemicals, art and crafts, packaging tubes are generally used for storing various products having nonsolid consistencies. Examples of products having non-solid consistencies may include, but are not limited to, liquids, gels, foams, and creams. These products can be of various types, for instance, for oral care, a toothpaste may be packaged within a packaging tube. In another instance, for haircare, skincare and makeup products, including hair dye, foundation, moisturizer, sunscreen lotion, petroleum-based products, etc. may be packaged within their respective packaging tubes. The packaging tube is generally a hollow structure, storing the product having non-solid consistency, and may have a closed end and an opening at another end, for dispensing the stored product. Further, packaging tubes aimed at storing products having non-solid consistencies, are usually made of materials which can serve the purpose of preserving the stored product, while also providing enough strength and flexibility to the packaging tube such that any given user can safely store the packaging tube and also obtain (for example, by pressing the packaging tube) the stored product at will. Examples of materials which may be used for the packaging tubes include, but are not limited to, plastics, metals, papers, laminates, or combinations thereof.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In a first aspect of the present subject matter, there is provided a recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products. The recyclable packaging tube comprises a sleeve having a first peripheral sleeve edge, wherein the sleeve is made of a first polymeric barrier laminate. The recyclable packaging tube also comprises a shoulder extending upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge to form a through passage for the oxidizable products, wherein the shoulder is made of plastic material and wherein the shoulder comprises a shoulder barrier liner made of a second polymeric barrier laminate. Further, in the first aspect of the present subject matter the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner are to cause the recyclable packaging tube to achieve an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day. The sleeve, the shoulder, and the shoulder barrier liner are to cause the recyclable packaging tube to achieve recyclability in bottle grade HDPE stream.

[0004] In the said aspect the first polymeric barrier laminate and the second polymeric barrier laminate can be same or different.

[0005] In the said aspect, the shoulder barrier liner is positioned adjacent to the first peripheral sleeve edge of the sleeve and spans across a plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge.

[0006] In the said aspect, the shoulder barrier liner comprises a first protrusion extending above the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge, where the first protrusion is to position the shoulder barrier liner exactly beneath the shoulder.

[0007] In the said aspect, the first protrusion of the shoulder barrier liner is inverted flat bottomed cup-shaped.

[0008] In the said aspect, the shoulder is formed with a first shoulder portion extending above the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge and a second shoulder portion extending below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge.

[0009] In a second aspect of the present subject matter, there is provided a method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products. The method comprises forming a sleeve having a first peripheral sleeve edge, where the sleeve is made of a first polymeric barrier laminate. The method further comprises placing a shoulder barrier liner over the first peripheral sleeveedge of the sleeve, where the shoulder barrier liner is made of a second polymeric barrier laminate. Further, the method comprises forming a shoulder on the shoulder barrier liner, where the shoulder extends upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge to form a through passage for the oxidizable products, where the shoulder is made of a plastic material. The sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner are to cause the recyclable packaging tube to achieve an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day, and where the sleeve, the shoulder, and the shoulder barrier liner are to cause the recyclable packaging tube to achieve recyclability in bottle grade HDPE stream.

[0010] In the said aspect, placing the shoulder barrier liner over the first peripheral sleeve edge of the sleeve comprises placing a first protrusion of the shoulder barrier liner at a center of the sleeve, wherein the first protrusion is inverted flat bottomed cup-shaped.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The following detailed description references the drawings, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 Aillustrates a schematic view of a packaging tube in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter;

[0013] Figure IB illustrates a partial sectional view of a packaging tube in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter;

[0014] Figure 1C illustrates a sectional view of a packaging tube in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter; and

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates a method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Conventional packaging tubes, storing products having non-solid consistency, are traditionally manufactured using materials including single or multi-layer plastics comprising mono-materials such as Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP) or single-layer metals comprising Aluminum. Conventionalpackaging tubes using single or multi-layer plastics provide basic protection of the stored product but are ineffective in providing a secure protection from environmental factors including air, moisture, light, and heat. This seriously degrades the quality of the stored product within the conventional packaging tube, especially in instances where the stored product, having a non-solid consistency, is oxidizable or reactive. As the stored product interacts with environmental factors, for instance, air and / or moisture within the conventional packaging tube, the stored product undergoes undesirable reactions, for instance, the stored product may get oxidized. As a result, packaged products within the conventional packaging tubes undergo undesirable effects including, but not limited to, altering of the chemical composition of the stored product, damage to the molecular structure of the stored product, loss of nutritional / functional value of the stored product, and changes in sensory attributes of the stored product. This not only reduces the shelf-life of the oxidizable product stored within the conventional packaging tubes but also contributes to safety concerns, for instance, microbial growth or formation of harmful compounds in the packaged product. Further, conventional packaging tubes using single-layer metals including Aluminum provide improved protection of the oxidizable stored product over conventional single or multilayer plastic packaging tubes. However, such conventional single-layer metal packaging tubes offer very limited flexibility and are highly prone to denting, deformation, and increased product wastage, as higher product retention is experienced within the conventional packaging tubes using single-layer metal packaging. These compromises the aesthetic and functional integrity of the conventional packaging tubes. Further, single-layer metal based conventional packaging tubes are also not a sustainable option due to the high carbon footprint associated with metal processing. Additionally, glass packaging is therefore sometimes used for storing oxidizable products that have non-solid consistencies; however, glass-based packaging does not provide protection against sunlight, and is also extremely heavy and fragile. This makes glasspackaging of oxidizable products unsuitable for practical usage.

[0017] In some instances, different manufacturing processes have been used to obtain conventional packaging tubes having Plastic Barrier Laminate (PBL) or Aluminum Barrier Laminate (ABL). Conventionally, this involves preparing a laminate material that includes multiple layers comprising polymer layers and a barrier layer. Examples of barrier layers include, but are not limited to, Aluminum foil for ABL and Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) film for PBL, which are combined with other polymer layers. This includes an appropriate size slit laminate formed into a tubular shell by rolling and side seaming its edges using heat or ultrasonic welding. The long tubular shell is cut into individual tube lengths to form a sleeve portion of conventional packaging tube’s body. The sleeve portion of the conventional packaging tube’s body is then attached to an (in-situ or pre-formed) shoulder and / or neck, typically made from plastic, through heat or ultrasonic welding. The shoulder portion has an opening, which is the provision for dispensation of the packaged product and is often sealed with a Top Seal or Induction seal to ensure proper sealing of entire packaging tube till the beginning of customer usage. Finally, the conventional packaging tube is obtained with PBL or ABL and is capped with a closure, including a cap, to ensure it is fully sealed or covered. Thus, components comprising - sleeve portion, shoulder portion, nozzle top seal and cap make the complete conventional tube packaging. Although conventional packaging tubes be it PBL or ABL provide improved barrier properties over conventional packaging tubes made of single or multi-layer mono-material plastics or equivalent barrier properties like single-layer metals, they do suffer from limitations of their own specially during instances when storing oxygen sensitive products and also, from sustainability aspects. Barrier materials on such conventional packaging tubes - either aluminum or polymeric oxygen barrier layer (EVOH, PVOH, BVOH, etc.,), are incorporated properly only within the sleeve portion, thereby providing oxygen barrier properties only within the sleeve portion of the conventional packaging tubes, however, the shoulder portion is molded with polymeric materials and does not have comparable oxygen barrier properties when compared to the sleeve portion. Thus, the tube components in theconventional packaging tubes - sleeve portion, shoulder portion, top seal and cap have different levels of oxygen barrier properties. Therefore, for products, which are moderately sensitive to moisture and / or oxygen ingress or egress, the aforesaid conventional tube packaging provides decent results, however, for highly oxygen sensitive and / or reactive products stored with the conventional packaging tubes including Hair Dye, cross-linkable Adhesives, etc., the protection from moisture and / or oxygen ingress or egress is not satisfactory. Therefore, complete oxygen protection for the entire tube is not even available for PBL and ABL based conventional packaging tubes at least due to presence of air permeable areas such as the shoulder portion. The oxygen sensitive stored product within the conventional packaging tube thus loses its utility, as it undergoes oxidation. As a result, oxygen sensitive products including Hair Dye, and other similar products are still largely packaged in Aluminum based packaging tubes, which provides highly improved protection against oxidation to the stored product from environmental factors especially oxygen but has its own drawbacks including but not limited to denting, deformation, increased wastage of stored product, and high carbon footprint.

[0018] Further, conventional packaging tubes made from ABL, having a sleeve thickness ranging from 175 to 300 microns having aluminum foil in the sleeve portion can be utilized. These ABL based conventional packaging tubes can give the same level of protection as an aluminum tube (single-layer metal packaging tube, especially if a pre-formed foil is used as an insert in the shoulder), but the challenge with ABL is the mechanical recyclability. Incorporation of Aluminum foil in the sleeve laminate makes it practically impossible to melt process the ABL based conventional packaging tube using the traditional plastic mechanical recycling methods. This is because, multi -material composition of conventional ABL based packaging tubes including metals and polymers require separation of each layer before employing different recycling processes, which need to be tailored specifically for each layer. Therefore, the Aluminum foil and the different polymer layers require specialized recycling processes making recycling of conventional ABL based packaging tubes susceptible to differentenergy, labor and cost intensive processes making the entire upcycling (recycling into a same category of product or better product) process practically unviable. Also, negative environmental effects are associated with mining and refining metals like Aluminum. Aluminum further has a high processing temperature, typically above 600 Degree Centigrade, which necessitates substantially high energy requirements for melting Aluminum for recycling, which in turn substantially increases the cost associated with recycling conventional ABL based packaging tubes. As a result, conventional ABL based packaging tubes are also usually preferred for one time use thereby further adding to the unsustainability aspect associated with conventional ABL based packaging tubes.

[0019] Furthermore, conventional packaging tubes made from PBL, have a sleeve thickness ranging from 200 to 500 microns, and usually do not offer absolute impermeability in the sleeve portion of the conventional packaging tube. Non-absolute impermeability leads to an ingress of oxygen within conventional PBL based packaging tubes. In an example, Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of conventional PBL based packaging tubes having polymer layers comprising Polyethylenes and EVOH lies around 1.5 cc / m2.day (Cubic centimeter per square meter per day). As a result, the oxidizable stored product, within the conventional PBL based packaging tube, having non-solid consistency, remains stable only for short durations, which is insignificant when compared to improving the overall shelf-life expected out of the oxidizable product.

[0020] Furthermore, conventional PBL and ABL based packaging tubes rely on the barrier protection provided by the multi-layer laminate forming the sleeve, however, the shoulder portion of such conventional PBL and ABL based packaging tubes is made of polymers like Polyethylenes and are not constituted with barrier materials or laminates, due to limitations in manufacturing processes. The shoulder portion of such conventional PBL and ABL based packaging tubes therefore allows oxygen transmission, in and out of the conventional packaging tubes, through the shoulder portion. Therefore,oxidization of the oxidizable product stored within the conventional PBL based packaging tubes is inevitable. Therefore, there exists at least one or more problems with current packaging tube formats for packing of oxidizable products. These problems include low shelf-life of the oxidizable stored product within the packaging tube, sustainability aspect associated with the packaging tube, user-friendliness, product retention, etc.

[0021] Thus, there is a demand for modified packaging tubes having increased impermeability providing extremely low OTR throughout the modified packaging tube, and improved sustainability while maintaining the strength and flexibility of the modified packaging tube. The modified packaging tube should have the ability to resist the ingress and / or egress of the oxygen from outside and / or inside of the modified packaging tube from its components including sleeve portion as well as shoulder portion. As stated, sleeve laminate should have barrier layer, and the shoulder portion has to be augmented with a laminate liner to prevent the oxygen and / or moisture ingress and / or egress. The laminate liner may be of substantially same or similar or equivalent material as that of the sleeve portion of the modified packaging tube resisting ingress and / or egress of oxygen from outside and / or inside of the modified packaging tube from the shoulder portion of the modified packaging tube. This may help in all tube components being recyclable in the same recycling stream. All components of the tube (which may include sleeve, shoulder, and shoulder barrier liner) may have very low oxygen permeation, and comprise of same or similar materials and should be mechanically integrated so as to make the entire modified packaging tube with low oxygen permeation and at the same time in recyclable / up-cyclable manner. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved compositions of materials and designs of packaging tubes along with alternative manufacturing processes to meet afore-mentioned objectives. Further, improved composition of materials should be amenable to existing industrially practiced and accepted recycling stream such as APR or RecyClass or IS 14534: 2016 as developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Such innovative sustainable tubes for oxygen sensitive or reactive products can significantly help to lowerplastic pollution and reduce carbon footprint compared to conventional Aluminum tubes or ABL based conventional packaging tubes. These compositions may majorly comprise HDPE and / or MDPE and will contribute to High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) bottle grade recycling stream.

[0022] Various implementations of the present subject matter describe a modified recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products having very low Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) along with high strength and flexibility and a method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube for oxidizable products. The modified packaging tube of the present subject matter, due to its superior material composition, structure and geometry, may facilitate enhanced shelf-life of the oxidizable product stored within the modified packaging tube, and further facilitate sustainability by allowing easy recyclability of the modified packaging tube.

[0023] In an example implementation, a recyclable packaging tube includes a sleeve, a shoulder, and a shoulder barrier liner. The terms “modified packaging tube” and “recyclable packaging tube” may be interchangeably used hereinafter. In an example, shoulder material may include but is not limited to Polyethylene (High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) or combinations thereof. In an example, the sleeve of the modified packaging tube may comprise a laminate having materials including, but not limited to, Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Coated-PE (comprising metal, ceramic, etc.,), Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH), Maleic Anhydride-grafted-PE (Tie layer material), etc. The tie layer may be selected from the group consisting of maleated polyethylene, anhydride grafted ethylene / 1 -butene copolymer, anhydride grafted ethylene / 1 -hexene copolymer, propylene ethylene copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer, and anhydride grafted ethylene / 1 -octene copolymer. In an example, various layers forming the laminate of the sleeve for the modified packaging tube may have a sequential order which may include, but is not limited to, layers of PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE. One or more layers of the laminate forming the sleeve of the modified packaging tube may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture. The sleeve of the modified packaging tube may have a resulting thickness ranging from 180 to 400 microns. In an example, the sleeve of the modified packaging tube may be manufactured into a cylindrical tubular shape enclosing a hollow volume for storing of an oxidizable product. In an example, the cylindrically shaped tubular sleeve of the modified packaging tube may have a first peripheral sleeve edge and a second peripheral sleeve edge, where the second peripheral sleeve edge may be opposite to the first peripheral sleeve edge. The first peripheral sleeve edge and the second peripheral sleeve edge of the sleeve may form a first sleeve opening and a second sleeve opening respectively. In an example, the second sleeve opening may be closed using various techniques including, but not limited to, thermal-sealing, snap fitting a bottom cap, and screw based fastening to provide an airtight sealing of the second sleeve opening of the sleeve of the modified packaging tube.

[0024] In an example, the modified packaging tube, may have the shoulder barrier liner within the first sleeve opening, adj acent to the first peripheral sleeve edge. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner of the modified packaging tube may comprise a laminate which may be same, similar, substantially same or equivalent to the laminate forming the sleeve of the modified packaging tube. In another example, the shoulder barrier liner may comprise a laminate different from the laminate forming the sleeve of the modified packaging tube. In an example, the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner may have materials including, but not limited to, PP, PE, coated-PE (metal, ceramic, etc.,), EVOH, PVOH, Butenediol Vinyl Alcohol co-polymer (BVOH), Maleic Anhydride-grafted-PE (Tie layer material), etc. In an example, various layers forming the laminate of the shoulder barrier liner for the modified packaging tube may have a sequential order which may include, but is not limited to, layers of PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE. One or more layers of the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner ofthe modified packaging tube may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture. The shoulder barrier liner of the modified packaging tube may have a resulting thickness ranging from 100 to 220 microns.

[0025] In an example, the shoulder barrier liner of the modified packaging tube may have one or more protrusions. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner of the modified packaging tube may have one or more recesses. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner may lie across a plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge. The one or more protrusions and the one or more recesses of the shoulder barrier liner may facilitate the shoulder barrier liner to extend above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge. Further, the shoulder barrier liner may have a first peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge and a second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge. The first peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge may form the closure of shoulder opening. The shoulder barrier liner drastically reduces oxygen transmission rate when the oxidizable product is stored in the packaging tube till the time of first use by an end user. The shoulder barrier layer when punctured serves as a passage for product stored within the packaging tube. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner may be punctured using a sharp object (feature of cap) by a user of the modified packaging tube. In an example, the cap may be made of polypropylene. In another example, the cap may be made of polyethylene. The first peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge and the second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge may form a first shoulder barrier liner opening (after inner barrier liner is punctured by the user of the modified packaging tube) and a second shoulder barrier liner opening respectively. In an example, the first shoulder barrier liner opening may be completely closed before puncturing of the shoulder barrier liner and the second shoulder barrier liner opening may be pre-formed before molding of the modified packaging tube. In another example, the first shoulder barrier liner opening, providing through passage for dispensing the stored product, may be completely sealed and the second shoulder barrier liner opening may be formed after molding the modified packaging tube. In an example, the first and the second peripheralshoulder barrier liner edges may lie above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge of the modified packaging tube respectively. Further, in an example, the one or more recesses of the shoulder barrier liner may extend along the entire second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge and may lie entirely below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner laminate may have different tear initiation structures including but not limited to de-bossing, thinned section, piercing node, etc., coinciding with shoulder opening.

[0026] In an example, the modified packaging tube including the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner may have the shoulder that may extend between the sleeve of the modified packaging tube and the shoulder barrier liner of the modified packing tube. In an example, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube may include materials comprising HDPE, MDPE, LDPE, LLDPE or combinations thereof. In an example, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube may be such, that when extended between the shoulder barrier liner and the sleeve of the modified packaging tube, the shoulder may have one or more shoulder portions lying above the plane of the first peripheral edge of the sleeve. In an example, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube may be such, that when extended between the shoulder barrier liner and the sleeve of the modified packaging tube, the shoulder may have one or more shoulder portions lying below the plane of the first peripheral edge of the sleeve. Further, in an example, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube may have one or more shoulder openings, which may be formed pre or post molding of the modified packaging tube. The shoulder of the modified packaging tube may also be extended to form a neck of the modified packaging tube. In other examples, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube may be attached to neck of the modified packaging tube, where the neck may be manufactured separately. The neck of the modified packaging tube may include one or more neck openings for dispensing the oxidizable product out of the modified packaging tube. Further, the neck of the modified packaging tube may allow closing means including screw fastening a cap to threads which may be provided on the neck of the modified packagingtube. In an example, the cap may be made of polypropylene. In another example, the cap may be made of polyethylene.

[0027] The modified packaging tubes having the sleeve, the shoulder barrier liner, and the shoulder provide extremely high impermeability compared to conventional packaging tubes. The modified packaging tubes therefore provide enhanced resistance to oxygen transmission, thereby significantly reducing the amount of oxygen which may enter the modified packaging tubes. Further, the laminate where layers of different materials may be placed sequentially, allows the laminate to be tailored to specific needs thereby enhancing usability and adaptability without compromising on the oxygen transmission resistance. For instance, the laminate of the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner may be tailored differently to have different OTRs. In another instance, the laminate of the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner may be tailored similar to each other to have the same OTRs. The enhanced impermeability of the laminate along with the ability to tailor the laminate to specific needs facilitates in achieving extremely low OTRs associated with the modified packaging tubes. This significantly reduces the exposure of the oxidizable product to atmospheric oxygen and moisture. The shelf-life of oxidizable products stored within the modified packaging tube is therefore significantly extended.

[0028] Additionally, the presence of the shoulder barrier liner having the laminate with extremely high oxygen impermeability and portions extending above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge allows the one or more shoulder portions of the shoulder of the modified packaging tube to be sandwiched between the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner. As a result, the shoulder of the modified packaging tube can also be extended to have one or more shoulder portions above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge. This provides a substantially airtight arrangement having multiple layers of enhanced barrier laminate within shoulder region of the modified packaging tubes along with no gaps or spaces, which further limits transmission of oxygen or moisture to enter the modified packaging tube. Also, the use of laminate comprising materials described in the aforementioned paragraphs for theshoulder barrier liner facilitates the shoulder barrier liner to be easily integrated within the modified packaging tube without any deformations, damages, and misalignments. Therefore, there is substantially no oxygen transmission within the modified packaging tube from the shoulder of the modified packaging tube. The presence of shoulder barrier liner having high impermeability laminate, substantially airtight arrangement in the shoulder region of the modified packaging tube, and the sleeve having high impermeability laminate complement and compound each other’s effect to provide superior oxygen transmission resistance to the entire modified packaging tube compared to conventional packaging tubes. For instance, an OTR less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day. may be achieved for the modified packaging tube. As used herein, cc / pkg.day is cubic centimeter per package per day. As a result, the modified packaging tubes can provide long term stability of the oxidizable product stored within the modified packaging tube even when stored for extremely long durations.

[0029] Further, the use of the laminate, for the sleeve and the shoulder barrier liner, comprising materials where one or more layers of the laminate may be placed sequentially in an order including, but not limited to, PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE provide improved sustainability of the modified packaging tube over conventional packaging tubes. The absence of any Aluminum foil in the laminate used for the modified packaging tubes ensures that the recycling process associated with the modified packaging tube has lower energy requirements compared to conventional packaging tubes and also does not contribute to the negative effects of mining and refining Aluminum. Costs associated with recycling of the modified packaging tubes are thus further reduced. In an example, the modified packaging tube may use a laminate comprising a blend of HDPE with other types of polyethylene like MDPE, LDPE, or LLDPE to enhance strength and reduce environmental stress cracking. This blend, with a density range of 0.935 g / cc to 0.99 g / cc, may be recyclable in the HDPE bottle grade recycling stream, following the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) guidelines. This blend, having density on the higher side,allows easy recyclability in the HDPE recycling stream. The modified packaging tube may also include less than 5% EVOH to improve barrier properties without affecting recyclability. This modified packaging tube may thus be effectively recycled into new HDPE products, promoting a sustainable lifecycle for packaging, including plastic packaging of oxidizable products.

[0030] Thus, the present subject matter provides modified packaging tubes having increased impermeability providing extremely low OTR throughout the modified packaging tube, and improved sustainability while maintaining the strength and flexibility of the modified packaging tube. The modified packaging tube also has the ability to resist the ingress and / or egress of the oxygen inside and outside of the modified packaging tube from sleeve portion as well as shoulder portion while using substantially same or similar materials for a laminate forming the sleeve portion of the modified packaging tube and a laminate for forming a shoulder barrier liner, resisting ingress and / or egress of oxygen within and outside of the modified packaging tube from the shoulder portion of the modified packaging tube. Further, the described modified packaging tubes may be easily manufactured with only slight modifications to existing manufacturing techniques, further saving costs associated with the modified packaging tubes.

[0031] The present subject matter is further described with reference to the accompanying figures. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the figures and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. It is thus understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

[0032] Figure 1 Aillustrates a schematic view of a modified packaging tube 100 in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter. Inan example, the modified packaging tube 100, which may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as tube 100 may comprise a sleeve 102. The sleeve 102 may form main body of the tube 100, and may be manufactured through an extrusion blown film and / or lamination process comprising plastic materials including, but not limited to, Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP). The sleeve 102 may comprise a laminate including multiple layers of materials comprising, but not limited to PP, PE, Coated-PE (comprising metal, ceramic, etc.,), Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH), Maleic Anhydride-grafted-PE (Tie layer material), etc. In an example, the layers of materials forming the laminate for the sleeve 102 may be placed in a sequential order including layers of PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated or metallized-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE. In an example, laminate of the sleeve 102 may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as a first laminate. The sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may be designed as a hollow structure to hold contents of the tube 100, which may be non-solid oxidizable products, and may be produced in varying lengths, thicknesses and diameters to accommodate different product volumes. In an example, the sleeve 102 may be customized with decorative elements like printing or labeling on its exterior surface. In an example, the sleeve 102 may also be extruded and can be integrated with other components of the tube 100. Structure of the sleeve 102 may provide the primary containment for the oxidizable product and may serve as foundation for the overall tube assembly. The terms - modified packaging tube, the tube, the packaging tube, and the recyclable packaging tube are interchangeably used throughout.

[0033] In an example, to enhance functionality of the sleeve 102, the manufacturing process may be fine-tuned to create specific sleeve thicknesses or internal surface textures that may increase or decrease the compatibility of the tube 100 with certain products which may exist inside or outside the tube 100. In an example, the sleeve 102 may be manufactured using multi-layer extrusion techniques, potentially incorporating different materials in its structure to enhance barrier properties or other characteristics, all whilemaintaining its primary role as the tube's main body and simultaneously providing robustness and flexibility. In an example, laminate sheet rolled to form the sleeve 102 of the packaging tube 100 may have length (L), which may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as tube length (L) and diameter of circular edge formed from rolling of the laminate sheet to form the sleeve 102 may hereinafter be referred to as tube diameter (D).

[0034] In an example, the tube 100 may comprise a shoulder 104. The shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may be manufactured using injection or compression molding comprising plastic materials including, but not limited to, Polyethylene (High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) or combinations thereof. In an example, different materials may be used to form the shoulder 104 of the tube 100. The shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may form upper part of the tube 100 and may include a threaded neck (not shown in Figure 1A) for attaching a closure, for instance cap 106. In an example, the cap 106 may be made of polypropylene. In another example, the cap 106 may be made of polyethylene. In an example, the shoulder 104 may include a design which may facilitate transition of the tube 100 from its cylindrical body to dispensing opening, which may feature a tapered or curved shape to facilitate product flow stored within the tube 100. The shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may provide structural integrity to tube's top and may create a secure seal with the closure, i.e., the cap 106. In an example, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may be molded with specific internal contours or features to enhance its integration with other tube components. Its exterior may be designed with various aesthetic elements or functional features, such as ridges for improved grip. The injection or compression molding process of the shoulder 104 may allow for precise shaping of the shoulder 104, including creation of accurate thread patterns on a neck portion for reliable attachment of the cap 106.

[0035] In an example, to further enhance functionality of the shoulder 104, the shoulder 104 may be molded with a stepped interior profile. This design may include a lower step designed to overlap with upper portion of the sleeve 102,providing a secure connection point. The shoulder's internal structure may also incorporate ridges or grooves that correspond to the exterior surface of other components, ensuring a tight fit and proper alignment during assembly. In an example, the shoulder 104 may comprise threaded neck portion which may be customized with specific dimensions and thread patterns to accommodate standardized caps or closures, ensuring compatibility across different packaging systems. In an example, the shoulder 104 may be designed with additional features like built-in dispensing mechanisms or specialized sealing elements to enhance the tube's overall performance and user experience.

[0036] In an example, combination of the sleeve 102 and the shoulder 104 in design of the tube 100 may provide improved resistance to Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR). For instance, an OTR less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day may be achieved for the tube 100. As used herein, cc / pkg.day is cubic centimeter per package per day. As a result, the tube 100 can provide long term stability of the oxidizable product stored within the tube 100 even when stored for extremely long durations. The sleeve 102, which may be a laminate extruded from different materials may provide barrier properties against Oxygen permeability, while the molded shoulder may be molded from similar or complementary materials having a laminate liner as an insert, creating a multi-layer barrier. Further, the shoulder 104 having stepped interior profile may provide a design to overlap with the sleeve 102, thereby creating an extended barrier path, increasing the distance oxygen molecules may travel to penetrate the tube 100. The precise fit between the sleeve 102 and the shoulder 104, and the shoulder's internal contours are achieved through over-molding the shoulder on the sleeve, which will minimize gaps or weak points where oxygen may potentially penetrate. In an example, the fusion process joining the sleeve 102 and the shoulder 104 may create a strong, leak-proof seal at their interface, acting as an additional barrier against oxygen transmission.

[0037] Figure IB illustrates a partial sectional view of the tube 100, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter. In an example, the tube 100 may include the sleeve 102, the shoulder 104, and ashoulder barrier liner 108. In an example, the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may comprise the laminate, where the laminate for the tube 100 may be manufactured using processes including but not limited to, film and / or laminate making processes, such as a blown / cast film process, lamination, tube forming, etc. In the blown film process, a polymer-based resin component which may be in the form of pellets may be fed into an extruder through a hopper for melting and mixing. The melted resin may be blown as a bubble film by means of an annular die. The final product may be a roll of blown film. Further, the blown film(s) may undergo a lamination process for producing the laminate having required properties and thickness. In an example, flat laminate may then be slit, printed with desired text and images. The printed laminate may then be developed in the form of tubular cylinders from appropriately cut laminate to form the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. The laminate forming the sleeve 102 may be referred to as first polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, various layers, which may comprise various films of polymers and / or metallized films, where the polymers and / or metallized films may be similar or different, forming the laminate of the sleeve 102 for the tube 100, may have a sequential order. One or more layers of the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture without compromising the recyclability in HDPE stream.

[0038] In an example, the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may have a resulting thickness ranging from 180 to 400 micron. In an example, the sleeve 102 may enclose a hollow volume 110 for storing of oxidizable product within the tube 100. In an example, the sleeve 102 may be cylindrically shaped tubular sleeve. In an example, the cylindrically shaped tubular sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may have a first peripheral sleeve edge 112 and a second peripheral sleeve edge 114, where the second peripheral sleeve edge 114 may be opposite to the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. The peripheral first and second peripheral sleeve edges may form a first sleeve opening 116 and a second sleeve opening 118 respectively. In an example, the second sleeve opening 118 may be closed (not shown in Figure IB) using various techniques including, but not limited to,thermal-sealing, snap fitting a bottom cap, and screw based fastening to provide an airtight sealing of the second sleeve opening 118 of the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. In an example, the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 forming the first sleeve opening 116 may have a contour where two given points on the contour of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 may have a first distance LI between them. The first distance LI may be increased or decreased, based on requirement, during manufacturing of the tube 100.

[0039] In an example, the tube 100, may have the shoulder barrier liner 108 within the first sleeve opening 116, adjacent to the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may comprise a laminate which may be of same, similar, substantially same or equivalent to the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. In another example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may comprise a laminate different from the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. The laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as second polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have materials including, but not limited to, PP, PE, coated-PE (metal, ceramic, etc.,), EVOH, PVOH, BVOH, Maleic Anhydride-grafted-PE (Tie layer material), etc. In an example, various layers forming the laminate of the shoulder barrier liner 108 for the tube 100 may have a sequential order which may include, but is not limited to, layers of PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE. In an example, laminate of the shoulder barrier liner 108 may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as a second laminate. One or more layers of the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture. The shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may have a resulting thickness ranging from 100-250 microns.

[0040] The presence of the shoulder barrier liner 108 having the laminate with extremely high oxygen impermeability and portions extending above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 allows the one or more shoulderportions of the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 to be sandwiched between the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108. As a result, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 can also be extended to have one or more shoulder portions above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. This provides a substantially airtight arrangement having multiple layers of enhanced barrier laminate within shoulder region of the tube 100 along with no gaps or spaces, which further limits transmission of oxygen or moisture to enter the tube 100. Also, the use of laminates for the shoulder barrier liner 108 facilitates the shoulder barrier liner 108 to be easily integrated within the tube 100 without any deformations, damages, and misalignments. Therefore, there is substantially no oxygen transmission within the tube 100 from the shoulder of the tube 100. The presence of shoulder barrier liner 108 having high impermeability laminate, substantially airtight arrangement in the shoulder region of the tube 100, and the sleeve 102 having high impermeability laminate complement and compound each other’s effect to provide superior oxygen transmission resistance to the entire tube 100 compared to conventional packaging tubes. For instance, an OTR less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day may be achieved for the tube 100. As used herein, cc / pkg.day is cubic centimeter per package per day. As a result, the tube 100 can provide long term stability of the oxidizable product stored within the tube 100 even when stored for extremely long durations.

[0041] Figure 1C illustrates a sectional view of the tube 100, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter, having one sleeve end closed.

[0042] In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may be thermoformed to have one or more protrusions. In an example, the one or more protrusions may include, but are not limited to, a first protrusion 120. In an example, the first protrusion 120 may be a flat-bottomed inverted cup structure. In an example, the first protrusion 120 may be flat-bottomed and having an inverted shape conforming to the shape requirements of the sleeve 102. In an example, the first protrusion 120 may be frustoconical. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may be thermoformed to have one ormore recesses. In an example, the one or more recesses may include, but are not limited to, a first recess 122. The first recess 122 may be a trough-shaped structure. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may lie across a plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. The one or more protrusions and the one or more recesses of the shoulder barrier liner 108 may facilitate the shoulder barrier liner 108 to extend above and below the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. For instance, as shown in Figure 1C, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have the Flat-bottomed inverted cup’s first protrusion 120 lying above the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 and the trough-shaped first recess 122 lying below the plane (XX' ) of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112.

[0043] Further, in an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have a first peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge (not shown in Figure 1C), on a top part 124 of the first protrusion 120. The top part 124 covers and prevents oxygen transmission rate when the oxidizable product is stored in the packaging tube till the time of first use by an end user. The top part 124 when punctured serves as a passage for product stored within the packaging tube. In an example, the top part 124 of shoulder barrier liner 108 may be punctured using a sharp object / sharp feature made part of the cap 106, by a user of the modified packaging tube, i.e., the tube 100. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have a second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 forming a second shoulder barrier liner opening 128. In an example, the first peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge and the first shoulder barrier liner opening (created after puncturing of the shoulder barrier liner 108 by a user of the tube 100), on the top part 124 of the first protrusion 120 may lie above the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the tube 100. In an example, the first shoulder barrier liner opening may be completely closed before puncturing the shoulder barrier liner 108 by user of the tube 100. In an example, the second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 and the second shoulder barrier liner opening 128 may lie below the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the tube 100. In an example, the first shoulder barrier liner opening, providingthrough passage for dispensing the stored product, may be completely sealed and the second shoulder barrier liner opening 128 may be formed after molding the tube 100. Further, in an example, the one or more recesses of the shoulder barrier liner 108, for instance, the first recess 122, may extend along the entire second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 and may lie entirely below the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the tube 100. In an example, the second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 forming the second shoulder barrier liner opening 128 may have a contour where two given points on the contour of the second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 may have a second distance L2 between them. The second distance L2 may be increased or decreased, based on requirement, during manufacturing of the shoulder barrier liner 108 and the tube 100. In an example, as shown in Figure 1C, the second distance L2 between the two given points of the contour of the second peripheral shoulder barrier liner edge 126 may be greater than the first distance LI between the two given points of the contour of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner laminate may have different tear initiation structures including but not limited to de-bossing, thinned section, piercing node, etc., coinciding with shoulder opening.

[0044] In an example, as shown in Figure 1C, the overlapping of the sleeve 102, of the tube 100, over the shoulder barrier liner 108, in a region of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112, may facilitate the second distance L2 to be greater than the first distance LI. The sleeve 102 may be curved towards the hollow volume 110. Simultaneously, the second shoulder barrier liner edge 126 may be curved away from the hollow volume 110. Inward curve of the sleeve 102 towards the hollow volume 110 and outward curve of the second shoulder barrier liner edge 126 away from the hollow volume 110, in the region of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112, may be to an extent where the contour of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 crosses over the contour of the second shoulder barrier liner edge 126, along the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. The extent of overlapping or crossover of the sleeve 102 over the shoulder barrier liner 108 may be tailored to specific needs and requirements.

[0045] In an example, the tube 100 including the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have the shoulder 104 that may extend between the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 and the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100. In an example, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may be such, that when extended between the shoulder barrier liner 108 and the sleeve 102 of the tube 100, the shoulder 104 may have one or more shoulder portions, for instance, a first shoulder portion (A) (as indicated by circles / bubbles in Figure 1C), lying above the plane (XX') of the first peripheral edge 112 of the sleeve 102. In an example, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may be such, that when extended between the shoulder barrier liner 108 and the sleeve 102 of the tube 100, the shoulder 104 may have one or more shoulder portions, for instance, a second shoulder portion (B) (as indicated by small diagonal lines in Figure 1C) lying below the plane (XX') of the first peripheral edge 112 of the sleeve 102. Further, in an example, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may have one or more shoulder openings. The shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may also be extended to form a neck 130 of the tube 100. In other examples, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 may be attached to the neck 130 of tube 100, where the neck 130 may be manufactured separately or along with the shoulder. The neck 130 of tube 100 may include one or more neck openings (not shown in Figure 1C) for dispensing the oxidizable product out of the tube 100. Further, the neck 130 of the tube 100 may allow closing means including screw fastening a cap (not shown in Figure 1C) to one or more threads, for instance a first thread 132 which may be provided on the neck 130 of the tube 100. In an example, the cap 106 may be made of polypropylene. In another example, the cap 106 may be made of polyethylene. In an example, the tube 100 achieves the OTR less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day). As a result, the tube 100 can provide long term stability of the oxidizable product stored within the tube 100 even when stored for extremely long durations.

[0046] In an example, manufacturing method / process for the tube 100 may include manufacturing of individual components which may comprise the sleeve 102, the shoulder barrier liner 108, and the shoulder 104 including severalspecialized steps. The sleeve 102 may be a laminate extruded from different materials, which may be bonded sequentially, into a tubular shape, cut to the desired length, and optionally printed and decorated. The shoulder barrier liner 108 may be thermoformed and may comprise laminate including various different materials which may be bonded sequentially. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may be shaped into the desired form, and trimmed and may comprise a plastic sheet including EVOH or nylon. The shoulder 104 may be injection or compression molded, from plastic, into the appropriate shape with a threaded neck 130. Assembly of the tube 100 may include placing the sleeve 102 onto a mandrel or holding fixture. The pre-thermoformed shoulder barrier liner 108 may then be inserted into the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the tube 100 ensuring proper structural alignment and shoulder 104 may then be compression molded while having the shoulder barrier liner 108 insert covering the open end of the sleeve 102, over the shoulder barrier liner 108. Heat and pressure may then be applied to fuse the shoulder 104 to the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108, along with the neck 130, which may be threaded, where portion of the neck 130 may extend beyond the sleeve 102. In an example, quality checks may be performed to verify proper assembly, seal integrity, and exterior finish. Finally, a cap or closure may be applied to the neck 130, and the tube 100 may be packaged for shipping. The components may be manufactured at separate facilities or produced and assembled at a single site.

[0047] In an example, the thermoforming process for the shoulder barrier liner 108 may include heating the laminate comprising plastic sheet, vacuum-forming it into a mold, cooling, and trimming. Further, in an example, variations may include manufacturing the sleeve 102 and shoulder 104 as a single component or co-extruding multiple materials to form an integrated barrier layer within walls of sleeve 102. Furthermore, in an example, to achieve the specific structure described with respect to Figures 1 A to 1C, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may be thermoformed to have a tapered shape that matches interior contour of the shoulder 104. This tapered shape may allow the shoulder barrier liner 108 to fit snugly between the sleeve 102 and the shoulder 104, providing a seamlessleak-proof barrier. In some instances, an additional sealing compound or adhesive may be applied at the junction of the sleeve 102, shoulder barrier liner 108, and shoulder 104 to enhance integrity of achieved sealing. In an example, the second peripheral sleeve edge 114 (as shown in Figure IB) forming the second sleeve opening 118 (as shown in Figure IB) may be closed using various techniques including, but not limited to, thermal -sealing, snap fitting a bottom cap, and screw based fastening to provide an airtight sealing of the second sleeve opening of the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 (as shown in Figure 1 C).

[0048] While executing manufacturing method / process for the tube 100, the shoulder barrier liner 108 having the laminate with extremely high oxygen impermeability and portions extending above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 allows one or more shoulder portions of the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 to be sandwiched between the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108. As a result, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 can also be extended to have one or more shoulder portions above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. This provides a substantially airtight arrangement having multiple layers of enhanced barrier laminate within shoulder region of the tube 100 along with no gaps or spaces, which further limits transmission of oxygen or moisture to enter the tube 100. Also, the use of laminates for the shoulder barrier liner 108 facilitates the shoulder barrier liner 108 to be easily integrated within the tube 100 without any deformations, damages, and misalignments. Therefore, there is substantially no oxygen transmission within the tube 100 from the shoulder of the tube 100. The presence of shoulder barrier liner 108 having high impermeability laminate, substantially airtight arrangement in the shoulder region of the tube 100, and the sleeve 102 having high impermeability laminate complement and compound each other’s effect to provide superior oxygen transmission resistance to the entire tube 100 compared to conventional packaging tubes. For instance, an OTR less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day) may be achieved for the tube 100. As a result, the tube 100 can provide long term stability of theoxidizable product stored within the tube 100 even when stored for extremely long durations.

[0049] Further, FIG. 2 illustrates a method (200) of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube (100) for oxidizable products, according to an example. The order in which the method 200 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the methods, or an alternative method.

[0050] At block 202, the method 200 includes forming a sleeve 102 having a first peripheral sleeve edge 112. The sleeve 102 may be made of a first polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, the laminate for the tube 100 may be manufactured using processes including but not limited to, film and / or laminate making processes, such as a blown / cast film process, lamination, tube forming, etc. In an example, in the blown film process, a polymer-based resin component which may be in the form of pellets may be fed into an extruder through a hopper for melting and mixing. The melted resin may be blown as a bubble film by means of an annular die. The final product may be a roll of blown film. Further, the blown film(s) may undergo a lamination process for producing the laminate having required properties and thickness. In an example, flat laminate may then be slit, printed with desired text and images. The printed laminate may then be developed in the form of tubular cylinders from appropriately cut laminate to form the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. The laminate forming the sleeve 102 may be referred to as first polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, various layers, which may comprise various films of polymers and / or metallized films, where the polymers and / or metallized films may be similar or different, forming the laminate of the sleeve 102 for the tube 100, may have a sequential order. One or more layers of the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100 may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture without compromising the recyclability in HDPE stream. Further, opposite ends or edges of the laminate are joined to form the sleeve 102 and therefore resulting the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 and the second peripheral sleeve edge 114. The second peripheral sleeve edge 114 may be opposite to the first peripheralsleeve edge 112. The peripheral first and second peripheral sleeve edges may form the first sleeve opening 116 and the second sleeve opening 118 respectively. In an example, the second sleeve opening 118 may be closed using various techniques including, but not limited to, thermal-sealing, snap fitting a bottom cap, and screw based fastening to provide an airtight sealing of the second sleeve opening 118 of the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. In an example, the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 forming the first sleeve opening 116 may have a contour where two given points on the contour of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 may have a first distance LI between them. The first distance LI may be increased or decreased, based on requirement, during manufacturing of the tube 100.

[0051] At block 204, the method 200 includes placing a shoulder barrier liner 108 over the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the sleeve 102. The shoulder barrier liner 108 may be made of a second polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, for placing the shoulder barrier liner 108 over the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the sleeve (102), the method 200 includes placing the first protrusion 120 of the shoulder barrier liner 108 at a center of the sleeve 102. In an example, the first protrusion 120 is inverted flat bottomed cup-shaped. Particularly, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may be placed within the first sleeve opening 116, adjacent to the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may comprise a laminate which may be of same, similar, substantially same or equivalent to the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. In another example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may comprise a laminate different from the laminate forming the sleeve 102 of the tube 100. The laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as second polymeric barrier laminate. In an example, the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 may have materials including, but not limited to, PP, PE, coated-PE (metal, ceramic, etc.,), EVOH, PVOH, BVOH, Maleic Anhydride-grafted-PE (Tie layer material), etc. In an example, various layers forming the laminate of the shoulder barrier liner 108 for the tube 100 may have a sequential order which may include, but is notlimited to, layers of PE-Tie-EVOH (optionally with one or more PE, Coated-PE, EVOH, PVOH, Layers)-Tie-PE. In an example, laminate of the shoulder barrier liner 108 may hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as a second laminate. One or more layers of the laminate forming the shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may act as barrier layers providing extremely high impermeability for oxygen and moisture. The shoulder barrier liner 108 of the tube 100 may have a resulting thickness ranging from 100-250 microns.

[0052] At block 206, the method 200 includes forming a shoulder 104 on the shoulder barrier liner 108. The shoulder 104 may extend upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 to form a through passage for the oxidizable products. The shoulder 104 is made of a plastic material. The sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108 are to cause the recyclable packaging tube 100 to achieve an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day). The sleeve 102, the shoulder 104, and the shoulder barrier liner 108 are to cause the recyclable packaging tube 100 to achieve recyclability in bottle grade HDPE stream. The presence of the shoulder barrier liner 108 having the laminate with extremely high oxygen impermeability and portions extending above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 allows the one or more shoulder portions of the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 to be sandwiched between the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108. As a result, the shoulder 104 of the tube 100 can also be extended to have one or more shoulder portions above and below the plane of the first peripheral sleeve edge 112. This provides a substantially airtight arrangement having multiple layers of enhanced barrier laminate within shoulder region of the tube 100 along with no gaps or spaces, which further limits transmission of oxygen or moisture to enter the tube 100. Also, the use of laminates for the shoulder barrier liner 108 facilitates the shoulder barrier liner 108 to be easily integrated within the tube 100 without any deformations, damages, and misalignments. Therefore, there is substantially no oxygen transmission within the tube 100 from the shoulder of the tube 100. The presence of shoulder barrier liner 108 having high impermeability laminate, substantiallyairtight arrangement in the shoulder region of the tube 100, and the sleeve 102 having high impermeability laminate complement and compound each other’s effect to provide superior oxygen transmission resistance to the entire tube 100 compared to conventional packaging tubes. For instance, an OTR less than 0.005 cc / pkg.day may be achieved for the tube 100. As used herein, cc / pkg.day is cubic centimeter per package per day. As a result, the tube 100 can provide long term stability of the oxidizable product stored within the tube 100 even when stored for extremely long durations.

[0053] As per an implementation of the present subject matter, manufacturing method for the recyclable packaging tube 100 may include manufacturing of individual components which may comprise the sleeve 102, the shoulder barrier liner 108, and the shoulder 104 including several specialized steps. The sleeve 102 may be a laminate extruded from different materials, which may be bonded sequentially, into a tubular shape, cut to the desired length, and optionally printed and decorated. The shoulder barrier liner 108 may be thermoformed and may comprise laminate including various different materials which may be bonded sequentially. In an example, the shoulder barrier liner 108 may be shaped into the desired form, and trimmed and may comprise a plastic sheet including EVOH or nylon. The shoulder 104 may be injection or compression molded, from plastic, into the appropriate shape with a threaded neck 130. Assembly of the tube 100 may include placing the sleeve 102 onto a mandrel or holding fixture. The pre-thermoformed shoulder barrier liner 108 may then be inserted into the first peripheral sleeve edge 112 of the tube 100 ensuring proper structural alignment and shoulder 104 may then be compression molded while having the shoulder barrier liner 108 insert covering the open end of the sleeve 102, over the shoulder barrier liner 108. Heat and pressure may then be applied to fuse the shoulder 104 to the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108, along with the neck 130, which may be threaded, where portion of the neck 130 may extend beyond the sleeve 102. In an example, quality checks may be performed to verify proper assembly, seal integrity, and exterior finish. Finally, a cap or closure may be applied to the neck 130, and the tube 100 may bepackaged for shipping. In an example, the cap may be made of polypropylene.In another example, the cap may be made of polyethylene. The components may be manufactured at separate facilities or produced and assembled at a single site.

[0054] Further, experimental details are detailed with respect to the OTR and Recyclability.

[0055] Table 1 (below) represents experimental details associated with the implementation of the present subject matter in some examples: The following tube configurations are tested for the oxygen permeability and also utilize the sensitive product shelf-life study.Sr. No. 1 : A tube with no barrier in the sleeve and no barrier liner in the shoulder Sr. No. 2: A tube with a typical barrier in the sleeve, but no barrier liner in the shoulderSr. No. 3 : A tube with a higher barrier layer in the sleeve, but no barrier liner in the shoulderSr. No. 4: A tube with a high barrier layer in the sleeve and also high barrier liner in the shoulderTable 1& &* Testing Standard is ASTM F 1307 for OTR-P ackage Testing#SBL - Shoulder Barrier Liner

[0056] The above presented experimental details clearly show, as indicated in Sr. No. 4 of the Table 1, that the tube 100 comprising the shoulder barrier liner 108, where the sleeve 102 and the shoulder barrier liner 108 comprise laminates made of multiple layers of materials achieves substantially low OTR whencompared to conventional packaging tubes, as indicated in Sr. No. 1, 2, and 3 of the Table 1.

[0057] The substantially low OTR, which may be 0.0016 cm3 / tube in a day, of the tube 100, may result in a more stable oxidizable product, stored within the tube 100, over long storage durations, compared to conventional packaging tubes. In an example, the experimental procedure may include filling the packaging tubes with an oxidizable product, for instance, a hair dye, after nitrogen flushing the tube and sealing immediately. The packaging tubes may be kept at 50°C for stability study, and at a frequency of every seven days, each packaging tube may be taken outside, cut, open, and observed for color change.

[0058] Immediate color change of the hair dye (getting darker) may be observed at start in (Sr. No. 1) PE Tube w / o Sleeve Barrier and w / o SBL, indicating oxidization of the hair dye. After the first seven days a very light color change in shoulder and sleeve of the packaging tubes may be observed as the hair dye gets oxidized. The darkest color may be observed for PE Tube w / o Sleeve Barrier and w / o SBL, Sr. No. 1 of Table 1, and may reduce gradually as we move towards Polymeric High Barrier Layer Tube with Shoulder Barrier Liner (SBL), Sr. No. 4 of Table 1, with least amount of color change observed at the Polymeric High Barrier Layer Tube with Shoulder Barrier Liner (SBL), i.e., tube 100. After the next seven days the process may be repeated, and it may be observed that the hair dye within the (Sr. No. 4) PBL Tube with Shoulder Barrier Liner (SBL) is lightest in color compared to color of the hair dye in packaging tubes mentioned in serial entry 1, 2, and 3 of Table 1. The hair dye’s color may turn dark brown to black in PE Tube w / o Sleeve Barrier and w / o SBL, whereas in the other two packaging tubes, i.e., (Sr.No.2) PBL Tube w / o Shoulder Barrier Liner (SBL) and (Sr.No.3) PBL Tube w / o Shoulder Barrier Liner (SBL), the hair dye may just start to turn brown. The shoulder of Sr. No. 4 PBL Tube with SBL may only be light yellow in color as compared to other packaging tubes of Table 1. The sleeve of Sr. No. 4 also may have only slight color change compared to other packaging tubes of Table 1.

[0059] Another observation may be made after the next seven days. The color of the hair dye inside Sr. No. 4 PBL Tube with SBL may be Pale white and the hair dye’s color may be turned from dark brown to black in Sr. No. 1 PE Tube w / o Sleeve Barrier and w / o SBL. For the other two packaging tubes, i.e., entry 2, and 3 of Table 1, the hair dye may just start to turn brown. The shoulder of Sr. No. 4 PBL Tube with SBL may only be light yellow in color as compared to other packaging tubes of Table 1. The sleeve of Sr. No. 4 PBL Tube with SBL may have only slight color change compared to other packaging tubes of Table 1. Therefore, after twenty eight days for the tube 100, i.e., Sr. No. 4- PBL Tube with SBL, the change in color of the oxidizable product, i.e., the hair dye, the change in color of the sleeve 102 and the change in color of the shoulder 104 is the least compared to other conventional packaging tubes as indicated in Table 1. Therefore, the oxidization of the oxidizable product is least, substantially negligible, for the tube 100 compared to conventional packaging tubes.

[0060] Table 2 (below) represents test details associated with the recyclability of the packaging tube of present subject matter. The packaging tube is the tube mentioned under Sr. No. 4 in Table 1.

[0061] Packaging tube recyclability-Various parameters, such as melt index, pellet colors, and screen pack pressure build were calculated for the packaging tube of the present disclosure. The test methods used for these experiments are listed in Tables 2 and 3 below.

[0062] One of the well-established recycle streams is blow moulded HDPE bottles. The properties of the recycled HDPE resin obtained from present packaging tube can be compared with this established recycling stream to establish equivalence in performance.

[0063] For this study, the properties of a blend of 50% recycled HDPE packaging tube based resin + 50% recycled HDPE blown bottle grade resin (test) was compared with 100% recycled HDPE blown bottle grade (control). Table 2 illustrates the results obtained for the 250 pm packaging tube.Table 2: HDPE Critical Guidance Pellet Summary <<< < <> > <Table 3: HDPE Critical Guidance Part Summary<>

[0064] As can be seen from the Table 2 and Table 3 above, the test packaging tube (250 pm) obtained from recycled material of the present packaging tubes showed equivalent performance as per the standard recycled material. Hence, the present packaging tubes can be recycled in code 2 (HDPE) stream as the values for all the parameters fall within the specification of the benchmark resin.

[0065] Further, under the pellet colors test, the degree of yellowness under daylight illumination of transparent, translucent, or opaque plastics is measured for the packaging tube of the present disclosure. The test method used for these experiments is listed in Table 4 below. During such a test method, the color analyzing equipment is set up on reflectance and calibrated using pure white and black standards. The sample cell is filled to the brim with the pellets or flakes being tested. If parts are tested Izod bars a lined up and run under reflectance settings. The cell is inserted into the testing location, and the equipment runs the color test. The test indicates L*, a*, b* values.Table 4: Pellet ColorsAPR HDPE Guidelines: Optional Record and ReportReferences: ASTM D6290, HDPE-CG-01

[0066] As can be seen from the Table 4 above, the test packaging tube (250 pm) obtained from recycled material of the present packaging tubes showed equivalent performance as per the standard recycled material in terms of pellet colors.

[0067] Although implementations for design and manufacturing of tube 100 have been described in a language specific to structural features and / or steps, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific features and / or the steps described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as exemplary implementation for tube 100.

Claims

We claim:

1. A recyclable packaging tube (100) for oxidizable products, the recyclable packaging tube (100) comprising:a sleeve (102) having a first peripheral sleeve edge (112), wherein the sleeve (102) is made of a first polymeric barrier laminate;a shoulder (104) extending upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) to form a through passage for the oxidizable products, wherein the shoulder (104) is made of plastic material, wherein the shoulder (104) comprises a shoulder barrier liner (108) made of a second polymeric barrier laminate, wherein the sleeve (102) and the shoulder barrier liner (108) are to cause the recyclable packaging tube (100) to achieve an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day), andwherein the sleeve (102), the shoulder (104), and the shoulder barrier liner (108) are to cause the recyclable packaging tube (100) to achieve recyclability in bottle grade HDPE stream.

2. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first polymeric barrier laminate and the second polymeric barrier laminate are the same.

3. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first polymeric barrier laminate and the second polymeric barrier laminate are different.

4. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder barrier liner (108) is positioned adjacent to the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) of the sleeve (102) and spans across a plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge (112).

5. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder barrier liner (108) comprises a first protrusion (120) extending above the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge (112), wherein the first protrusion (120) is to position the shoulder barrier liner (108) exactly beneath the shoulder (104).

6. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first protrusion (120) of the shoulder barrier liner (108) is inverted flat bottomed cupshaped.

7. The recyclable packaging tube (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the shoulder (104) is formed with a first shoulder portion (A) extending above the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) and a second shoulder portion (B) extending below the plane (XX') of the first peripheral sleeve edge (H2).

8. A method of manufacturing a recyclable packaging tube (100) for oxidizable products, the method comprising:forming a sleeve (102) having a first peripheral sleeve edge (112), wherein the sleeve (102) is made of a first polymeric barrier laminate;placing a shoulder barrier liner (108) over the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) of the sleeve (102), wherein the shoulder barrier liner (108) is made of a second polymeric barrier laminate;forming a shoulder (104) on the shoulder barrier liner (108), wherein the shoulder (104) extends upward from the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) to form a through passage for the oxidizable products, wherein the shoulder (104) is made of a plastic material, wherein the sleeve (102) and the shoulder barrier liner (108) are to cause the recyclable packaging tube (100) to achieve an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.005 cubic centimeter per package per day (cc / pkg.day), and wherein the sleeve (102), the shoulder (104), and the shoulder barrier liner (108) are to cause the recyclable packaging tube (100) to achieve recyclability in bottle grade HDPE stream.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein placing the shoulder barrier liner (108) over the first peripheral sleeve edge (112) of the sleeve (102) comprises placing a first protrusion (120) of the shoulder barrier liner (108) at a center of the sleeve (102), wherein the first protrusion (120) is inverted flat bottomed cup--shaped.

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