Alkali-Soluble PECVD Coating for Reusable PET Bottle Washing

The patent implements a system where single-use plastic containers are collected, automatically washed and disinfected in industrial washing machines, then reused multiple times. This recovery process eliminates environmental pollution from disposal while maintaining hygiene through automated cleaning cycles that reach temperatures of 70-90°C and use food-safe detergents and disinfectants.

The containers are equipped with self-identifying features such as RFID tags, data matrices, or color codes that enable automatic recognition by washing machines. This allows the containers to effectively 'identify themselves' for appropriate cleaning protocols, enabling high-speed automated processing without manual intervention while maintaining consistent hygiene standards across thousands of containers.

The washing machine system employs strong oxidizing agents including ozone, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide to eliminate bacteria and organic contaminants from containers. These oxidants effectively sanitize surfaces at lower temperatures than traditional thermal methods, ensuring thorough disinfection while reducing energy consumption and protecting container material integrity during repeated washing cycles.

The system applies protective coatings to container surfaces before reuse, creating a barrier that prevents bacterial adhesion and makes subsequent cleaning more effective. These coatings are applied during the washing process and provide ongoing protection against contamination between wash cycles, ensuring hygiene is maintained throughout the container's reuse lifecycle.

The washing process is divided into multiple sequential stages including pre-rinsing, main washing with detergents, rinsing, and disinfection with oxidants. Each stage targets specific types of contamination and uses optimized parameters for that phase. This segmentation allows thorough cleaning to be achieved through cumulative effect of multiple brief treatments rather than requiring prolonged single-stage processing, maintaining both speed and effectiveness.

Food-safe detergents and disinfectants serve as intermediary substances that enhance the cleaning and disinfection effectiveness during brief contact periods. These chemical intermediaries actively break down and remove contaminants, allowing thorough sanitation to be achieved in seconds rather than minutes, thus enabling high-speed processing without compromising cleaning quality.