Snappy innovation for plastics packaging
By David Vink
EUROPEAN PLASTICS NEWS
OYONNAX, FRANCE (July 21, 2009) -- The breakage-resistant property of plastics is an advantage in most applications but not in production of ampoules, which are opened by snapping away the neck. Now,
the French plastic processor Sériplast has developed a technology that uses irradiation to embrittle the neck of a polypropylene (PP) ampoule, allowing it to be "snapped" open without the risk of
sharp glass splinters.
Sériplast's new am-poules feature a round moulded-in notch in the neck between the tip and the shoulders. The company then uses selectively applied beta irradiation to embrittle the specially
selected PP material in the area around these notches by initiating scission of the polymer chains.
The radiation treatment is integrated into the production and logistics process. After moulding, the printed ampoules are packed in film in cardboard boxes and sent from Oyonnax to the radiation
treatment plant of Beta Gamma Service (BSG) which is located 500km away in Bruchsal, Germany. There they are exposed to low level beta radiation for "several minutes", according to André
Tartaglione, owner and founder of Oyonnax-based Sériplast.
Available in sizes from 1.5 to 11ml, the new PP ampoules are less sharp than glass and do not cause splinters, reducing risk of injury. They are also said to be easier to fill, and the neck can be
re-closed with the broken off tip if required.
Tartaglione sees potential for the new ampoules in a range of other applications such as catering products, where it can enable easier opening.
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