Aluminum Coffee Capsule Structure to Eliminate Microplastics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single-serve brewing capsules often contain plastic components that can introduce microplastics into beverages, posing potential health risks and ecological concerns.
Innovation Solution
A single-use container made from an aluminum alloy with specific compositions, including 95.5% to 98.2% aluminum, is designed with a multi-layer structure that eliminates the need for plastic, reducing the risk of microplastic contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic components are used in single-serve brewing capsules, then manufacturing cost and ease of manufacture are improved, but microplastic contamination and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to aluminum alloy, specifically controlling the alloy composition (95.5-98.2% aluminum, 0.05-0.25% copper, 0.8-1.3% magnesium, 1.0-1.5% manganese, and trace elements) to achieve the desired properties without plastic contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite aluminum alloy material combining multiple elements (aluminum, copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, zinc) to create a material that provides both the structural integrity needed for capsule manufacturing and the safety advantage of being plastic-free
2Device complexity
If plastic components are used in single-serve brewing capsules, then device complexity is reduced, but ecological harm and waste problems increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter to eliminate plastic entirely, using aluminum alloy with controlled elemental composition to maintain functionality while reducing ecological harm through recyclability and elimination of microplastic waste
3Object-affected harmful factors
If aluminum alloy with specific composition is used, then microplastic contamination is eliminated, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise compositional parameters for the aluminum alloy (95.5-98.2% aluminum, 0.05-0.25% copper, 0.8-1.3% magnesium, 1.0-1.5% manganese, ≤0.6% silicon, ≤0.25% zinc) to achieve the desired balance between safety and manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality requirements to different aspects of the material: high purity aluminum content for safety and low microplastic risk, while allowing controlled amounts of alloying elements to maintain ease of manufacturing and structural properties
Data Source
AI summary
In an aspect, disclosed herein is a single-use container. A single-use container may include a sheet including a rim, a sidewall, and a bottom, a lid affixed to the rim, and a filter dividing the single-use container into a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the first compartment contains coffee grounds. In some embodiments, the sheet may include aluminum 3004-H19. In some embodiments, the sheet may include aluminum 3104-H19. In some embodiments, the sheet may include aluminum 5182-H48.