CA1064841A - Plastics container for pressurized carbonated beverages - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T o f t h e D I S C L O S U R E
A cylindrical container body for packaging pressurized carbonated beverages, comprising (a) at least one film of a synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer having a permeability to oxygen lower than 6 x 10 13 ml.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 25°C and 0% relative air humidity; (b) at least two films of a polyester; and (c) at least two layers of an organic thermoplastic binder having a permeability to water vapor lower than 1 x 10-14 g.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 38°C and 90% relative air humidity, all the films of (a) and (b) being adhesively bonded together by means of the binder of (c) in the form of a cylindrical body, the wall of which has a spirally or convolutely wound structure, in which each film of (a) is separated both from the outside surface and from the inside surface of the cylindrical body by at least one film of (b) and at least one layer of (c), and containers comprising said cylindrical body and provided with top and bottom end closures at the opposite ends thereof.

Description

~ ` --The presenL ~nvention ~elates to a con~ainer for packing beer and other pressurized carbona~ed bevera~es, thls con~aïner beîng~ ;n particular, a canS
a novel characteristic of whlch is that the cylindrlcal body thereof is entirely made of plastics ma~erial.
There ;s a general tendency to replace glass by other materials Eor containers ;ntended for packlng liquids. ~n the case of still beverages, i.e.
those not containing a gas under pressure, glass bottles are being increasingly replaced by bottles of plastics material, which are l;ghter and which have the advantage that they can be thrown into the dustbin àfter use, unlike glass bottles which are normally taken back by the beverage manufacturer for the purpose of re-use after washing, In order to permit competition w;th the glass bottle, the bottle of plastics material is given the smallest possible wall thickness, having regard to the cost of plastics materials, which is several times that of glass; by this and other means, for example by illcreaslng the capacity of the plastics bottle in comparLson with that of the glass bottle, : the plastics material: beverage cost ratio becomes c~mparable with that of glass: beverage.
However, in the case of packing beverages containlng gas under pressure, usually carbon dioxide (C02), the problem is quite diff~rent. In order to be able to withstand the pressure of the gas inslde the bottle, which may amount to several kg~cm2, ;t is essent;al to increase the wall thickness of the bottle of plastics material; consequently, this bottle is no longer competitive - with the glass bottle, particularly as other factors favouring glass are involved, such as the better impermeabilLty of glass to the carbon dioxide inside the bottle and ~o the air outslde the bottle, as compared with the vast majority of plastics materials at present available commercially, while, - in add;tion, glass i~,a material which is completely devoid of toxici~y, wh;ch - ls far from always belng the case wlth plastics materiaLs. These different aspe~ts of the problem will be examined in greater detail hereinbelow.
Another form of packing which competes wîth traditional glass packing for beverages containing gas under pressure is the cylindrical metal can, of the type already well known for preserving meat, vegetables, fruit, milk and ` the like. For example, the cylindrical metal can for packing carbonated beverages generally has a capacity of from about 25 to about 48 centilitres.
The ratio between the weight of the packing and that of the beverage, while ., :, :?

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lower than the ratio of the weight of the packlng to that of the beverage in the case of a glass bottle of the sam~e capacity, is nevertheless, high.
Another disadvantage of the metal can is that, once emptied and thrown away with refuse, it occupies a considerable ~olume, on the one hand, and~ on thr other hand is practically indestructible, thus giving rise to serious ecological problems. It ls for this reason that at~empts have been made to discover substitute ma~erials for metals for the production o~ this type of can.
Various Patents describe cans of this kind in which the conventional metal ~tin-plated steel, aluminium or the like) is partly replaced by non-metallic ma~erial for the production of the cylindrical can bodyu In U~S. PatentSpecification No. 3,6O7,351, the cyli~drical body comprises (a) a thick, strong strip of aluminium or steel which constitutes the inner w~ll of the body, (b) a middle layer of cardboard provided on both sides with a layer of adhesive and (c) an outer extruded layer of plastics material. In UOS. Patent Specification NoO 3~980,107~ the wall of the cyli~drical body comprises (a) an lnner lining romprising, from inside to outside, a polyester filmJ an adhesive layPr of polye~hylene~ a strip o~ aluminium and a layer of polyethyleneterephthalate-modified vinyl varnish, (b) an outer ~acket of a rigid material composed of two layers of cardboard separated by a layer of polyethyleDe and ~c) a paper label stuck to the outer face of the ~acket. These cans, while ConStitUting technical progress in respect of the improvement of ~he ratio of the weight of ~he packing to the weight of beverage, still contain a metal strip, which does not entirely solve the problem of environmental pollut~on.
It will be noted that the metal strip used up to the present time for either entirely metallic or partially m0tallic rans plays an i~portant multiple role, namely, it constitutes a fluid~ti~ht barrier pr~venting the passage of gases and liquids through the ~all of the container and it provides the mechanical s~rength propertles necessary ~or this type of packing~
The ideal would obYiously be for the cylindrical body of the can to be entirely composed of a material o~her ~han metal, which material would be ;-completely testructible by inc~neration or by atmospheric agents, the problem of pollution thereby being radically solved. Only the metal closures constituting the bottom and top of the container would, therefore~ remain as residue and these repre~ent only a negligible fraction of the entlre can, both - 3 _ ,- :. ... ..

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as regards welght and as regards volume; if desir~d, th~se covers could e~en be made of plastics material, which would completely solve the probl~m of pollution.
However, the difficulty is ~o find a ~aterial capable of completely replacing the metal strip used up to the present time for the cylindrical body of the can. This material would have to comply with the followlng ; req~rements:
: (1) be completely deYoid of toxicity~ iOe. phys~ologically asceptable;
- (2) be organoleptically neutral, in order not to impair the taste properties : 10 of the packed carbonated beverage; :~
(3) be sufficiently impermeable to gases, particularly to oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor, to enable the packed beverJge to retain lts original properties intact for at least one year;
(4) be able to withstand the internal pressure of the gases, which may attain 10 kg/cm2 for be~erages which are not pasteurized in their packing and 15 kg/cm2 for those which are;
(5) be able to withstand the pasteurization temperature, which is of the order of 70C;
: (6) be able to withstand creep so that the can will not increase in volume~ -~
which would entail a loss of carbon dioxide in the beverage through expansion and consequently an organoleptical deterioration;
(7) be able to withstand shocks, crushing and burs~ing in the course of storage and ~ransport; `
(8) ha~e as small a thickness as possible so as ~o have a ratio of ~eight of : 25 packing to weigh of beverage which is as low as possible so that the cost price of the packing can ~hus be reduced and~ at the same ~ime, facilitate heat exchange in the course of pasteurization;
(9) be able to take printing by usual printing methods;
(10) be able to be inci~erated or destroyed by atmospheric agents after use~ :
~ 30 without liberatiag toxic vapors or ~ases into the atmosphere.
Nhen the proper~ies of plastics materials in general are examined systematically, it is found that none of them gives e~tire satisfaction in respect of all the above-mentioned reg~irements at one and the same time. In order to achieve the desired aim of completely replacing metal strips by plastics materials, it is, therefore, necessary to selec~ a plurality of - 4 _ .. . .

species of these materials so that, through their simultaneous use, a composite m~terial will be obtalned which complie~ with all the requirements indicated aboveO Assuming that such a selection is possible, it is, in ` addition, necessary that the plastics materials thus seleceed should be compatible with one another. If they are nvt, the problem of making these plastics materials compatible with one another by means still to be found : will9 therefore, arise. In addition, th,e order in which these various plastics materials are superimposed on one anothe~e in the cylindrical ~all of the can must be strictly established, Furthermore, the thickness of each of - 10 these plastics materials, which is cr$tical for obtaining the desired- properties, and also the total thickness of the wall of the cylindrical body of the resulting can must not be so great that the cost of this composite material would become prohibitiveO According to another aspect, it is necessary for this composite material to be able to be produced in conventional machines for making cylindrical bodies in order to avoid investment costs which will be technically and econom~cally impossible. In the same spirit~ the cylindrical body thus obtained must be cap~ble of closure, without special difficulty, by bottcm and top clo~ures in conventional machin~s designed for the purpose. Finally, assuming that the two conditions mentioned above in connection with machines for making the can are satisfied, it is still`
necessary for the can obtained to be able to be used by the manufacturer of carbonated be~erages on conventional can filling m2chines. It can, therefore, be seen that the desired aim encounters a considerable number of difficulties in its achievement which explains why, as far as we are aware, no cans for the packing of carbonated beverages are at present known, the cylindrical body of which is entirely ~ade of one or more plastics msterials and, therefore,en~irely without using traditional ~aterials, such as ~etals, cardboard, textiles and the llke.
~e ~ave now discovered that, by using clearly determined plastics materials and, at the same time, selecting a clearly determined construction technique~ it ls possible to produce cylindrical container bodies for packaging pressurized carbonated beverages which are made entirely of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic poly~ers and which comply with all the technological, econcmlc and ecological requirements indicated above in (1) to (10).
The present invention, therefore, provides a cylindrical containder body - 5 ~

4134~l for packaging press~lrized carbonated bPverages, ~his cylindrical body compris;n~ as component elements:
(a) at least one fi]m of a synthetic or semi-synthetlc organic polymer havlng a permeability to oxygen lower than 6 x 10 ml.cmicm .sec.cm of mercury at 25C and `~ relative air humidity;
~b) at least two films of a polyester; and (c) at least two layers of an organic thermoplastic binder hav;ng a permeabilityto water vapor lower than 1 x 10 14 g~cm~cm .sec.cm of mercury at 38C and 90~ relative air humidity, all the films of (a) and (b) being adhesively bonded together by means of the binder of (c) ln the form of a cylindrical body, the wall of which has a spirally or convolutely- wound structure,in which each film of (a~ is separated both from the outside surface and from the inside surface of the cyl;ndrical body by at least one film of (b) and at least one layer of (c).
The present învention relates also to a container for packaging -~ pressurîzed carbonated beverages which comprises the cyl;ndrical body according to the present învention provided with top and bottom end closures at the opposite ends thereof.
Accord;ng to the present invention, the synthetic or semi-synthet;c polymer used ;n the form of a film of element (a) must have a permeabil;ty to oxygen lower than 6 x 10 13 ml.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 25C and at 0%
relative air hum;d;ty~ It ;s essential that atmospheric oxygen should not be able~to come ;nto contact with the pressur;zed beverage stored in the container according to the present invention, in view of the well known harmful action of oxygen on preservation and on the organolept;c propert;es of beverages such as beer, lemonades, and the like. The barrier properties towards oxygen vary considerably from one polymer to another. It is, therefore, necessary to choose from the polymers those wh;ch are the most effective and the permability of which to oxygen is lower than the value indicated above because, otherwise, it would be necessary to use in the container of the present invention thicknesses of the element (a) such that this type of packaging would become too expensive and unsuitable for the intended purposeO For this reason, according to the present invention, the synthetic or semi~synthetic organic ~! polymer of element (a) is preferably selected from polyvinyl alcohol and copolymers containing at least 70~ by weight of vinyl alcohol units, regenerated : .

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cellulose, polyacrylonîtrile and polymethacrylonitrile and also copolymers containing mo~e than 65% by weight of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile and copolymers of vinylidene chloride containing more than 85% by weight of vinylidene chloride units, the permeab;lity of which to oxygen is of the ~ 5 following order of magnitude:
- Permeability to oxygen (ml~cm/cm - sec.cm Eg at 25C and 0% relative air humid;ty Polyvinyl alcohol 6024 x 10 17 Vinyl alcohol copolymers about 1.5 --x'10 14 Regenerated cellulose 8.94 x 10 14 Poly(meth)acrylonitrile about 2.2 x 10 14 Copolymers of (meth)acrylonitr;le about 5 x 10 13 Copolymers of vinylldene chloride about 2 to 5 x 10 13 Examples of copolymers of vinyl alcohol include those containing at most 30% by weight of ethylene, vinyl acetate or the like.
Examples of copolymers of acrylonitrile and copolymers of methacrylo-- nitrile include those containing at most 35% by weight of styrene, methyl methacrylate, butadiene or the like.
~- 20 Examples of copolymers of vinylidene chloride Include those containlng at most 15% by weight of acrylonitrile, methyl methacIylate, itaconic acid or the like.
Among the polymers used in accordance with the present invention as element (a), particular preference is given to polyvinyl alcohol, vinyl alcGhol copolymers and regenerated cellulose, particularly polyvinyl alcohol~ taking into account, in this particular selection, not only the factor of impermeabili-ty to oxygen but also other considerations, such as physiological innocuousness and mechanical properties, including tensile slrength, resistancr to creep and the like.
The polymers used as element (aj in the present invention are commercially ava;lable in the form of films of different thickness. These f;lms may optional-ly be biaxially oriented.
In view of the fact that the polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol, regenerated cellulose and poly(meth)acrylonitrile, are sensit;ve to humidity with a simultaneous decrease in their barrier properties towards oxygen wiLh : . . . : - . :.

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increasing absorption of humidity, certain manu~a~u~ers sell these types of films provided WiLil a thin coatïng oE polymer forming a humidity barrier, for example a cGating of polyvinylidene chloride. I~ is unde~stood that such coated films may obvious1y also be used in the present inventlon as element (a).
Dependlng on the particular barrier p~operties towards oxygen of the films used as element (a), one or more of these films may be used for the constructlon of the cyllndrical body of the container according to the present invention.
It will be noted that element (a) acts, at the same ti~ne, as a barrler impermeable to carbon d;oxide released by the pressurized beverage which is stored ;nside the container accord;ng to the present invent;on. The crlterlon of permeabiliLy to oxygen required to be possessed by element (a), i.e. the requirement that ;t should be lower than 6 x 10 3 ml.cm/cm2.sec.cm Hg, Is suff;cient to prevent, at the same time~ the escape of carbon dioxide ;n the opposite directlon into the atmosphere through the wall of the can according to the present invention.
The element (b) is composed of a plurality of polyester films, the tenn "polyester" being understood to mean a polycondensation product of terephthalic - 20 acid with an a7kylene glycol, such as ethylene glycol, butylene glycol, cyclohexylene-1,4-d;methanol or the L;ke, whlle a mlnor propor~;on of the terephtha7ic acid may also be replaced by another polybasic carboxyl;c acid.
An example of such as polyester film ;s "Mylar" sold by E~Io du PONT de NEMOURS & CO The polyester film ;s preferably a bia~lally oriented poly-ethylene terephthalate, hav;ng regard to the vastly super;or mechan;cal propert;es of the blor;ented f;lms as compared w;th the corresponding non-oriented polyester. The role of the element (b~ in the cylindr;cal body of the present ;n~ention is very important because ;t is this element which, at the same time, supplies the propertles of resistance to the internal pressures of the gases in the can, to creep, to shock, to crushing and to heat and the ; rigidity of the cylîndrical body of the can. In addition, the polyester is completely devoid of tox;c;ty and ;s organoleptically neutral, which makes it poss;ble for it to be used advantageously (but not obligatorlly) as the internal film of the cyl;ndr;cal body wh;ch comes into dlrect contact wlth the pressurized beverage.
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:',.~.', . ' Accordlng to the present invention, the element (c) Is composed of a plurality oE l~yers of an organic therrnoplastic binder, the permeability of which to water vapor is less than l x L0 14 g.cmjcm2.sec.cm of mercury at 38C and at 90% relatlve air humidfty~ The elemenL (c) serves two purposes, S namely, on the one hand, bonding together adhesively the fllms of elements - (a) and ~b) used as construction material for the cylîndrlcal body of the present ;nvention and, on the other ha~d, constituting a humidity-tight barrier,taking into account any sensitlv;ty of component (a) to water, as explained above. In addit;on thereto, the element (c) musL have a suffic;ently high softening temperature to enable the cylindrical body of the can according to ; the present invention to withstand the actlon of heat, either in the course of atorage or in the event of the pasteurization of the beverage when the latteris already within ~he can. It is for thLs reason that the element (c) preferablyhas a softening temperature of at least 60C and advantageously of at least - 15 80C. In addit;on, the element (c) must have, in the molten state, a suffic;ently low viscosity for it to be spread without diffLculty in layers of a few microns thickness on the films of elements (a) and (b) which are to be adhes;vely bonded. Examples of element (c) include the adhesive compositions technically known as "hot melts" and which contain one or more o~ the three components (i), (ii) and (iii):
~; (i) a synthetic polymer selected from polyetnylene, an ethylene-vinyl acetatè copolymer, an ethylene-propylene-d;ene terpolymer, polyisobutyl-ene, polypropylene, a polyamlde or a polyester;
(ii) a natural or synthetic adhes;ve resin having a low molecular weight, such as polyterpenes, phenollc terpenes, terpene-urethane res;ns, phenolic resins, natural or modified rosln or resinous styrene copolymers, (iii) a water-repellent wax, such as the paraffins and microcrystalline waxes, preferably the latter, the presence of this component (iii) being compulsory in the element (c).
The components (i), (ii) and (ili) are s~ected as regards their nature and weight in such a manner that the properties ;ndicated above of the element -tc) are complied with. Various non limiting composltlons of the element (c) are ment~oned in the ~xamples illustrating the present invention.
The elements (a), (b) and (c) described above are the essential, _ - -- g _ ,.

indispensable elements for the construction of th~ c~ir;dLieal body of the container of the present lnvention. Nevertheles~s, for Leasons such as the ; reduction of the cost of the container, the des~re foL decoratlve effec~s or the temporary scarcity of one or both of the elemen~s (aj and (b), it is possible, ~h;le remaining within the scope of the prPsent invention, to use, in addit;on, at least one element (d) which is at least one film of organ;c polymer d;fferent from the films of elements (a) and (b). The element (d) includes var;ous films of an organic polymer in current use in the packagLng - industry, while, by way of example, mentLon may be made of a preferably biaxially oriented polypropylene f;lm, a paper entïrely or partly composed :~ of synthetic fibres, and particularly the f;lm known as "spun-bonded" or the like.
When, for the construction of the cylindrical body, the elPment (d) is simply added to the ~lements (a), (b) and (c), no part;cular problems are encountered because the elements (a), (b) and (c~ comply by themselves with the requ;rements ;ndicated for ~he cyl;ndrical body of the conta;ner. If, on the other hand, the element (d) partially replaces the element (b~, it must be of such a nature and used in such a quantLty that the cylindrical body will have the same mechanical properties as in cases ~here the element (bj is used in the absence of the element (d), these mechanical properties being resistance to the internal pressure of gases in the contaLner ~Ll12d with the pressurized beverage, resistance to creep, resistance to shocks, resistance to crush mg, resistance to heat and rig;dity.
As previously indicated, the elements ~a), ~bj and ~c) and optionally (d) are assembled in such a manner that the cylindrical cvntainer body has a spiral or convolute structure. The technique of constructing tubular bodLes by spirallLng, which consists in forming a tubular body by drivlng a plurality of continuous, helico;dally wound strips one over the other on a mandrel, is known per se and has been described in patent literature (see, for example, : 30 U.S. Patent SpecificatLons Nos. 3,980,107; 3,687,351; 3,960,624 and 3,524,779;
and British Patent Specification No. 1,432,788) Each strip of film cons;dered individually is wound helicoidally on the mandrel wLth its edges abutting or ove~apping. The various strips cvnsti,ut;ng the cyl;ndr;cal container body are superimposed on one another helic-oidally so that the jo~ning edges of one stripare staggered wLth respect to the Jo;ning edges of another in the longitudlnal ~-_ _ -- 1 0 .' .

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direction of Lhe mandrel. In this way, the Joints of each strip will be covered by the strlp directly superimposed on it, thus ensur;ng tightnessO
The element (c) ~s used for bonding the strips to one another.
In the convolute construction of the cylindrical container body, the strips of component films are discontinuous and their width i9 about one to several tlmes (in the case of cutting-out) the height of the cylindrical body which is to be built. The first strip is wound one or more times over itself on the mandrel, then the second strip is wound over or together with the first, whereupon the third strip is wound over or with the second and so on, the joints of each strip being overlapped by the following strip in order - to achieve tightness. Here again, the element (c) is used for bonding the various strips. ~eference is made to such convolute structures in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent Spec;fication No. 3,524,779 among other publications.
It will be noted that in the above-mentioned Patents, as examples of spiral or convolute structure, mention is made of comb;nations of materials which differ from the combination of the elements(a), (b) and (c) according to the present invention.
As hereinbefore indicated, the element (c~ is preferably a so-called "hot melt" adhesive composltion. The applicatlon of the element (c) over the films of elements (a) and/or (b) is preferably effected JUSt before the formation of the cylindrical body according to the present invention by splral winding on the mandrel. This technique of application of the "hot melt"
composition is described in the followlng articles: WENDELL T. KOPP, Hot Melt Equipment, Package Printing and Diecutting, September 1974~ pages 10, 11, 92 94, 95; ibîdem, October 1974, pages 12 to 14.
In the cylindrical container body according to the present in~entlon, the position of the elements (a), (b), (c) and optionally ~d) is strictly determined.
As indicated above, each film of element ~a) is separa~ed both from the outside surface and from the inside surface of the cylindrical body by at least one film of element (b) and by at least one layer of element (c). Since the element (c) is, at the same tlme, a barrier against humidity, each film of element (a) is perfectly protected from humidity w~ich may arise from the outer - atmosphere and from hum;dity and also the liqu;d of the pressurized beverage present inslde the cylindrical body of the containerO
When using only elements (a), (b) and (c~ for the construction of the cylindrical body according to the present invention, the outer surface and ,. -- 11 --:: , . ~ : . , : , ~ ~o~
also the inner surface ot Lhe cylinclrical body ~ll alwdys each be composed of a film of element (b) which, wich the aid of the element (c~, ;s adhesively bonded either to one or more other Lnner films of element ~b) andjor to one or more inner f il~3 of element {a).
When using the optLonal elemen~ ~d), in additlon to th~ obllgatory elements (a), (b? and (c), the optional element (d) can occupy any pos;tion inside the wall of the cylindrical body or outside ~hat wall. Nevertheless, if the optional element (d) is a physiologically and organoleptically-- acceptable organic polymer it may also constïtute tne inne~ surface of the cylindrical body which comes into direct contact with the pressurized beverage.
An important Eactor for the cylindrical body according ~o the present invention ;s the thickness of its wall, because it go~erns, at the same t;me, the upper thickness limlts of the elements (a3, (b), (c~ and, where applicable, - 15 (d). The wall thickness must be sufficient to ensure the required strength of the container bu;lt with the cyl;ndrieal body w~ile, at the came time, ensuring perfect preservatlon of the pressurized beverage for a period of at least one year. On the other hand, the wall thickness must not be so great as to lose ~ the advantage of the low density of plastics materials in general or to - 20 increase excess;vely the welght and cost of this type of packaging. That is - why, accord;ng to the present in~ent;on, the wall thickness of the cylindrical body ;s generally between 85 and 770 microns and preferably between lOO and 400 microns.
The thickness of the element ~a) in the cylindrical body of the present invention depends on its de~ree of imp~rviousness to oxygen. The greater is th;s imperviousness, the smaller the thlckness of the element (a3 may be.
Depending upon circumstances, the element (a) may be composed of one or more films, depending, in particular, upon the th;ckness o~ the fllms of element - (a) available commercially. The total th;ckness of element (a), in one or more films, is generally within the range of from 10 to 250 m;cronsO In the -particular and preferred case of using polyvinyl alcohol or its copolymers as element (a), the th;ckness of thls element is preferably 10 to 80 micrGnsO
The thicknesæ of element (b~ in the cylindrical body of the present invent;on is dependent upon the mechanical properties w~lch the packing container ls requlred to possessO The element (b) is composed or at least two ,j j ~

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films protectlng the elemen~ (a) on each side, the number of these f~lms of element (b) llkewise belng dependent upon the thicknesse~ of the fi1ms of ; element (b) available on the market. The total thickness of element (b), in two or more films, is generally within the range of from 35 to 250 microns and preferably from 35 to 180 microns.
The thickness of element (c) in the cylindrical 'body of the present invention must be suffic;ent both to ensure good adhesive bonding of the f;lms of elements (a) and~or (b) to one anothe~ and to constltute an effect~ve barrier agalnst humid;ty, both on the atmosphere side and on the pressurized beverage side inside the can. The nuMber of layers of elernent (c) is obviously dependent upon the number of films of' element (a) and of element (b) to be bonded, while the total thickness of element (c), governed by its ~- imperviousness to hum;dity, is generally within the range ~rom 40 to 70 microns and preferably from 50 to 65 m;crons.
The thickness of element (d), when such an ele~ent is optionally employed in the cylindrlcal body of the present invention, depends essentially upon its mechan;cal properties and on its barrier properties towards oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is well known that the mechanical properties may vary considerably from one polymer to another and it is for this ~eason that it is '' 20 practically impossible to attribu~e a precise limit to the thickness of the element (d) which may be employed. The essential criterion is, nevertheless, that the thickness of element (d) optionally used must not compro~ise ~ther the mechanical properties or the barrier properties towards oxygen and carbon diox;de ~ e p`rovided for the cylindrical body by the element (a). In general, ~; 25 the thickness of element (d) may be up to 200 mlcronsO
The container comprising the cylindrical body according to the present invention as well as top and bottom end closures at the opposite ends ' *hereof, is constructed by the conventional techniques in the pressuri~ed beverage canning industry. These closing elements are, cvnsequently, mounted on the cylindrical body according to the present invention in conventional automat;c machines with the aid of known processes cf adhesive bonding, heat-sealing and particularly by crimping, this last-mentioned process being particularly preferred for the packaging of carbonated beverages under pressure, because of its high production rate.
Similarly, the cylindrical body according to the present invention lends ~' i:
.j itself, without dlf~lcuL~y, to the various conventional manne~C~ of decoIation of cans for pressurized beverages. Thus, (ne~allized or non-metallized pa;nts, varnishes, ïnks, printing type and th2 ltke can be appLied to the recto or verso of the last and/or penultimate strîps of the cylindrical body, these being composed, according to the present invention, or an element (b) and/or (d). Similarly, the application of labek~ to the outside surface of the cylindrical body is possible by adhesive bonding in the conventional manner.
The advantages of the container according to the present invention over the prior art are substantial:
unlike conventional cans containing a metal str;p, the container of the present invention has a cyllndrical body which is entirely composed of plastics materials which can be completely destroyed by incineration or, in the course of time, by atmospheric agents, which is advantageous from the ecological point of view;
in comparison with conventional cans, ~he container according to the present ;nvention is substantially lighter because of its entirely organ;c body. Thus, the weight (4-7 g) of a cylindrical body of the present ;nvention having a volume of 330 cm3 is much lower than that of a similar cylindrical body of t;n plate (about 35 g~, of aluMinum ~about 13 gj and a similar - 20 cyl;ndrical body according to U.~ Patent Specifi~atlvn No 3,687,351 made oE
aluminum and cardboard ~11.3 g), thus providlng a s~b,stantial saving of raw materials and a very advantagevus ratio of dead weight to useful weight;
as an unexpected advantàge, becàuse of the low relatlve weight of its cylindrical body, the container according tv the present invention,w~en -p~ov~ded only w;th its bottom closure, i eO when it is abcut to b~ filled with the carbonated beverage, has a very low centre of gravity; this very low ; centre of gravity ensures exceptional stability of the container ;n the ~`
vertical pos;tion in the filling machines, this stability being far greater than that of conventional cans, the cylindrical body of whîch is heavler than that of the present invention, thus making it possible tb achieve at least the same rate of filling of the cans with thP beverage which is to be preserved;at the present ~ime, all forms of polluLfon and, in particular, nbise ~-are being vigorously cGmbatted. We have now found that, in the production of the body and of the container of the present invention and also in the course i~ 35 of its filling with a pre~surized beverage, the noise of ~he machines is .1 : .
~ `14 - ~

.1 : :.. :: : . -:~, .:. . . . , . : :: , : , , . . :
~ . . ! , . . .

greatly reduced ss comp~Ied WlLh thaL when ril~ing co~venelorlal cans, this being due Lo the aco~s~ic insula~ing properties o~ the mate~ial used for the constructlon of the cun~aine~ according to the present inve~t:Lon.
! ~ In the accompanying drawings, which are Riven for ~he purpose of S illustratlng the present invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective vlew of a closed can, the cylindrical body of which, according to the present invention, has been produced by the spiral winding techniaue ~Figure lAj; and also of a cvlindrïcal body shown without a lid and produced according to the convolute windïng technlque (Flgure lB);
Figure 2 ls a longitudinal sect;onal view on the l-ine 2-2 in FiguIe lA;
Figures 3 and 4 show modified Eorms of the connectlon Joints of Figure 2, these joints being made in the course of the spiral windirlg operation;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectlonal view on the line 5-5 in Figure lB;
Figure 6 LS a cross-sectional vlew on the l;ne 6-6 in Figure lA;
Figure 7 ;s a cross-sectional view on the line 7-7 in Figure lB; and Flgure 8 shows a modified form of the connection Joinc of Figure 7, produced by the convolute winding technlque.
It should be noticed that the container according to the inventlon has been represented in the accompanying drawlngs in the form of a can wlth a cylindrical vertical body closed with a horlzontal lid and bo.tomO It iB
however to be understood t~at wi~hin the scope of the presPnt invention, the essential characteristic resides in the cylindrlcal body, which 15 entirely ; made of plastics materlal and that the closin~ upper and lower elements can be of any kind whatsoever. Thus these closlng elements may for e~ample conslst of simple heat-sealable JolntsO Fur~hermore, the container constructed wîth the cyllndr;cal hody according to the invention mlght comprlse as upper clos mg lid any means allowlng the dellvery of the contents o~ the contalner ` in the form of a sausage, an aerosol, or the like. In o~her words, the- 30 container constructed with the cylindrical body according to ~he inventlon, besides its particular use as a container for pre~surized carbonated beverage, can also be used for the preservatlon of liqulds, pastes, suspensions, under pressure, not only in the foodstuffs sector, but also in many other cvmmercial sectors belonging to the pharmaceutical, phy~vpharmaceutical, cosmetic and other fields~ Furthe-rmore, slnce the containers constructed with the cylindrical :, ~ !
.~ I

8~
body accordlng to the invention are particularly designed so as to resIst to high pressures, it is evident ehat they are all the more suitable for packlng products under nonmal pressure, in particular preserved foodstuffs, still --~ liqulds such as uncarbonated beYerages, vegeeable, anlmal or even mineral oils, unpressurized hair lotions and the like~
The following Examples are given for the purpose of illustrating the ~ .
present invention:
. ~:., A cylindrical body for a can of the type shown ln Figure lA is ~:;
constructed by the known spiral winding ~echnique, wieh a spiral winding angle of about 30C. As shown in Figure 2~ ~hich is a longitudinal section ~ on ~he line 2-2 in Figure lA, it can be seen that the wall of ehe cylindrical . body has the following composltion: `
layers A~ B~ C~ E~ F ant G of element (b) according to the present invention, the element (b) being composed of a bioriented films of polyethylene .
; terephthalate ~known commercially under the name Mylar A (du PONT), with a aominal thickness of 23 microns; :
a layer D of element ~a) according to the present in~ention, the :
~ element (a) being composed of a bioriented film of polyvinyl alcohol coated ; 20 with a polyvlnylidene chloride varnish on both faces and having a nominal :- :

thickness of 15 microns, this fil~ being the co~mercial product Emblar OV ~.

~ sold by Unitika; `

:~ layers H of element (c~ according to the present invention, ehe ;.~ element (~) being composed of an adhesive of the hot melt type~ each layer H

having a thic~ness of about 10 microns.
. ,~
The holt melt adhesive used as element ~c) has the following compDsition:

1) 60 parts by weight of microorystalline wax (M.P. 32C) (Ba Square 180 la5 ., ~ of ~areco);

'! 30 parts by weight of a 72:28 ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, density:

0.953; melt index: 1.2 (EV~-508 of Unlon Carbide);

i 10 parts by weight of alpha-methylstyrene/vinyltoluene resin~ denslty: 1.04;

- N.P. 120C (Piccoeex 120 of PennsylYania Industrial Chemical Corporation).

;~ The following two hot melt co~positions can also be used as ele~ent (c):

2) 4V parts by weight o polyethylene resin, density: 0~90&; acid n~ber:5;
ring and ball softening point: 106C (Epolene C 16 of Eastman Chemical Products);
_ 16 -.. ;........ .

10~;~84~
40 parts by weight o~ hydro~enated microcrys~alLine ~ax, drop point (ASTM D 127): 7~(Mobilwax 2360 of Mobilj;
20 parts by weighL of hydrogenated rosin pentaerythritol ester, densIty:
1.07; Hercules drop softenin~ point: 102-110~C (Pentalyn ~1 of Hercules);

3) 40 parts by weight oE amorphous polypropylene resin, density: 0~86;
softening point: 107CC (Epolene M5W of Eastman Chemical Products);
50 part~ by weight o~ microcrystalline wax,drop poillt (ASTM D 127): 88C
(Multiwax 195M of Witco Chemical);
10 parts by weight of terpenlc resln based on beta-pinene, density: 0~98;
softening point: 135C (Piccolyte S 135 o Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation).
Example 2.
As shown ;n Figure 2, the wall of the cylindr;cal body has the follow;ng composition:
layers A, B, F and G of element (b) of bioriented polyethylene t~rephthalate f;lm (Melinex S of ICI), with a nominal thickness of 23 microns;
layers C, D and E of element ~a) of regenerated cellulose film varnished on both faces with a coating of polyv;nyl;dene chloride (film 340 XS of UCB -SIDAC), with a we;ght of 34 g/m2, ;.eO a thickness of about 21 microns;
layers H of element (c), th;s being the hot-melt adhesive mentioned under 2) ;n Example 1, each layer H hav;ng a thickness of about 10 micrcnsO
Example_3.
.
; As shown in Figure 2, the wall of the cyLindr;cal body has the follow;ng compos;t;on:
layers A, B, C, E, F and G of element (b) of b;oriented polyethylene therephthalate f;lm (Terphane H of Cellophane Francaise), with a nom;nal thickness of 23 microns;
a layer D of element (a) of a completely saponifled 25:75 ethylene~vinyl acetate copolymer, M.P. 180C; glass transition point: 74~C; melt index lol (Eval of Kuraray), w;th a ~ inal thickness of 25 microns;
layers H of element (c) of the hot-melt adhes;ve ment;oned under 3) în Example 19 each layer H hav;ng a th;ckness of about 10 microns.

.1 ' ;~, :
;:

~! ~

ii4~
Example_4.
As shown ln Elgu~e 2, the wall of ~he cyllndrlcaL body has the following composition:
:
; layers A and ~i of elemenc (b) of bioriented polyester film (Mylar A of du PONT), with a nomlnal thickness of 23 microns;
: a layer D of element (a) of a bioriented polyvinyl alcohol fllm coated on both sides with a coating of poly~inylidene chloride ~Embler OV of ~ Unitika), with a nominal thickness of 15 microns;
:: layers B, C, E and F of element (d) of bioriented polypropylene film, .` lO dens;ty: 0.91 (Propafilm O of ICI), wlth a nomlnal thickness of 2~ micIons; ~ .
. layers H of element (c) of the hot melt adhesi~e mentioned under 1) ln ~- .
Example 1, each layer H having a thickness of about lO mlcrons. j~.
Below is g;ven an outline of the properties of packing cans constructed with the cyl;ndrlcal bodles of the composltions glven In Examples 1 to 4 ; 15 abo~e. In order to perm;t comparison, these cans all ha~e a diameter of 6.3 cm and a height of 12 cm.
:'............ The ;nternal pressure which the cans can withstand is given by the `~
.. following equation:
P x D
:i'. S 2 x d in which S = threshold of elastlc elongation (in kg/cm P - internal pressure ~in kg~cm2) .. D = diameter of can (in cm) ' d = thickness of wall ~ln cm~
`~ The maximum tolerable internal pressure at 70~C (pasteurization tempera-' 25 ture) for~body wound spirally with an angle of 30~is given by the fGllowing .:- equation, the value of S being known by meas~rement for each cyllndrlcal body `~ of Examples 1 to 4:
!-` p _ 2 x d x S
';
The results shown in the following Table ar~ thus obtained: ~
Elastic elongation Wall thlck- Maxlmum P CO content of ~:
. Compos;tion threshold ~t 70C ness in ~m kg/cm~ be2erage g/liter :........................... ln k~/cm - Example 1 1800 213 12017 8 .~ 2 1200 215 8.19 6 ~:
; 353 1600 223 1103~ 705 .,J
., 4 1400 221 9.82 6.5 : j :
:~ - 18 -. ;i :

.i .:~

. , ;. . .::. . .:.::,. : : , : - : , ,: , : .

48~
By way o~ exp1anat1on, it being assumed, for example, that the threshold of elastic elongation o~ ~he spiral wound body of Example 1, which has a thickness of 0.0213 cm., is 1800 kg/cm2, this means that the maximum - tolerable pressure at 70C (pasteurizat;on temperature~ is:
- 5 p 2 x d x S 2 x 0 0213 x 1800 2 D = 6.3 = 12.17 kg~cm This pressure corresponds to that of a carbonated beverage having a carbon dioxide content of 8 g./litre.
Example S.
This Example relates to a cylindr;cal body according to the present invention, the structure of which is convolute (see ~igures lB, 5 and 7)~
This structure has the following compos;tion:
layers A', C', D' and E' of element (b) of biorlented polyestex film (Mylar A of du PONT) with a nom;nal thickness of 35~um;
a layer B' of element (a) of bioriented polyvinyl alcohol film coated on both faces with a polyvinylidene chloride based varnish (Emblar OV of Unitika), with a nominal thickness of 15lum;
layers H' of element (c) of the hot-melt adhesive mentioned under 1) in Example 1, each layer hav;ng a th;ckness of about 10 m;crons. For a can with a d;ameter of 6.3 cm and a height of 12 cm, the following values are obtained:
elastîc elongation threshold at 70C: 1800 kg~cm wall thickness: 195~um P. max.: 11oI4 kg/cm ' carbon dioxide content of beverage:7'.`5g/literO
; 25 Example 6.
j In the preceding Examples 1 to 5, the max;mum performance of a cylindrical body according to the invention has been calculated for the construction of a standard can hav;ng a diameter of 6.3 cm and a height of 12 cm.
It is also poss;ble to calculate the wall thickness as a funct;on of the potential pressure of the packed liqu;d for a given can diameterO
The equation mentioned in Example 4 can also be written as follows:
d , P2-S
.
'.
-- 1 9 -- ~

"

;~.. ~ ; .~, . :

;
L891~ ~
wherein d = thlckness of wall (in cm) P = ;nte mal press~re (in kg/cm2) D = diameter of can (in cm) S = elastlc elongation ~hreshold (in kg/cm ) - 5 It can be seen from thLs equation that the waLl thickness (d) must be increased when the diameter (D) of the can and/or the pressure (P) within this can are increased.
The pressure (P) within the can depends on the amount of dlssolved gas in the packed liquld as well as on the temperature at which the liquid withln the can will be suhJected. For example, a beer normally contains 5 g CO,2/
; liter. If the beer is not ;ntended to be subjected to a pasteurization treatment, the Internal pressure reaches a maximum of about 4 kg/cm for a max;mum storage temperature of 40Co On the other hand, if the beer can has to be subjected to a pasteurization operat;on, the temperature will reach at most 70C and the maximum internal pressure (P) about 7 kg/cm2. The wall thickness of the cylindrical body of the can ~ight thus in the first case be - smaller than in the second.
In Examples 6.1 to 6.5, the following abbrev;ations of produc~s are used: ;
Emblar OV = b;oriented polyvinyl alcohol film coated on both sides wLth a polyvinylidene chloride coatLng cited in Example 1 ~element a) `~ PAN= polyacrylonitrile f;lm (Barex 210 of Lonza) obtained from 70% by i weight of 80:20 acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate copolymer and 30%
by weight of 40:60 acrylonitrile-butadiene elastomer copolymer. ;~
-. Saran= f;lm obtalned from 85:13:2 vinylidene chlorlde-vinyl chloride~
.~ 25 acrylon;trile copolymer sold by DOW (element a).
PETP= bioriented polyethylene terephthalate film (Mylar of du PONT) (element b). ~-- Hot-melt = adhes;ve mentioned under 1) in Example 1 (element c)O -~
Tyvek 1073 = "spun-bonded" synthetic paper foil obtained from h;gh dens;ty polyethylene fibres sold by du PONT (element d).
:, :
Example 6.1~ , -.. : 2 .. - :
` Conditions: beer with 5 g C02/l;ter (Pma~imUm = 4 kg/cm ) ` no pasteurization ! diameter of can = 40 mm - 35 PETP hav;ng at 40~C an elast;c elongat;on threshold of ` 1870 kg/cm2 : .
- 20 - ~
.` ~
.i ~, :

For chis PETP, d - 7 S = 2 1870 ~ aboutO.(~4~ cm or 4~ microns.
The cyLind~fcaL body is cons~ructed by spiral winding USltlg as barri~-r layer an Embla~ OV ~llm of 15 mlc~ons (elemellt a), PETP films of 12 microns ~-- (element b) and hot-melt lay2rs of 12.5 microns (element cj. Consequerl~ly, four layers of element (b~ (4 x 12 = 48 microns) should be u3ed.
But, since the 15 mlC~ons/o~ element (a) has mechanical characterLstics -~ which are superior to those of a 12 microns film of element (b), the possibility of using only three films of element (b) instead of 4 might be contemplated. ~owever, in the abutting spiral winding technique, the outer ~-~ 10 layer does not contribute to the mechanical character-istics. Under these circumstances, it will all the same be necessary to use four layers of PETP
of 12 microns each - The wall of the cylindrical body thus comprises the followin~ layers, from inside to outside:
~; 15 1. PETP : 12 microns 2. hot-melt : 1205 microns ~ 3. PETP : 12 microns --~ 4. hot-melt : 12.5 microns -~ 5. Emblar OV : 15 microns 6. hot-melt : 12.5 microns 7~ PETP : 12 microns ~ 8. hot-melt : 12.5 microns 9. PETP : 12 microns i.e. n;ne layers with a total wa11 thickness of the cylindrical body of 113 microns.
Example 6.2.
Conditions: beer -~ith 5 g C02iliter ~P a = 4 kgjcm ) no pasteurization diameter of can - 40 mm PETP having at 40~C an elastlc elongation threshold of i870 kg~ -The difference with Example 6 1 is that the c~yllndrical body is constructed by convolution. As in Example 6Dl, four layers of element (b3 ~4x12 = 48 microns) are necessary. But since the film of element (a3 of 15 mi~rons has superior ~;

., ~''' , ., ,, ' .

,` :; . : ': ~. ,. . . ~ , ~ ,.

mechanical properties as compared wlth a 12 microns film ~b), the (a) film layer can be counted as an equivalent of ~ne of the (b) film layers. Moreover, since in a cylindrlcal body constructed by convolution, contrary to a similar body constructed by spiral winding, all the PETP layers take part in the mechanicsl characteristics, only three P~TP layers, instead of four, will be necessary. The element (a) is protected from the outside and the inslde of ~he cylindrical body by 35 microns of el~ement (c) in one or two layers.
- The wall of the cylindrical body thus comprises the following layers~
from inside to outside:
1. PETP : 12 microns 2. hot-melt : 17.5 microns 3. PETP : 12 microns

4. hot-melt : 17.5 microns

- 5 E~blar OV : 15 microns

6. hot-melt : 35 micrsns

7. PETP : 12 microns i.e. seYen layers forming a cylindrical body with a total wall thlckness of ;; 121 microns.

Conditions: beer with 5 g C02/liter ~PmaX = 4 kglcm2) no pacteurization diameter of can = 100 mm PETP having at 40C an elastic elongation threshold of 1870 kg/cm For this PEIP, d = P2s ~ ~ 7~ ~ about 0.0107 cm or 107 microns~ which is equivalent ~o 3 PETP films of 36 microns each.
The cylindrical ~ody of the can is realized by convolution. In order that layer (a) of PAN be a 100ZJ efficaceo~s barrier towards oxygea and ~arbon dioxide, it should have a thickness of 250 microns. The mechanical characte~
ristics of such a film (a) of 250 microns are far superior to those of a film of PETP (b) of 36 microns. Therefore~ only two layers of element (b~ instead of three are used~ Finally, in order to efficaceously protect the PAN film from humidity9 it is isolated from the outside and the inside of the cylindrical body by a ~hickness of hot-melt (element c) of 30 microns. Un~er these circums-tances, the wall of the cylindrical body comprises the following layersg from . : :

1~)64B4~
inside to outside:
, 1. PETP : 36 mic~orls s; 2. hot-melt : 30 ~nLCrGnS
3. PAN : 250 microns `' 4, hot-melt : 30 rnicrons , 5. PETP : 36 microns ,.:
s i.e. five layers formlng a cylindrlcal body wall with a total thickness of 382 microns.
Exemple 604~
;, 10 Conditions: beer wi~h 5 g C02/liter ~P - 7 kg/cm ) pasteurization diameter of can = 100 mm PETP having at 70C an elastic elongation threshold of L800 kg/cm For this PETP, d = 27 l8l = 0.0194 cm or 194 microns~
; The cylindrical body is realized by convolutlon usmg a~ element (a) "~ an Emblar OV film of lS microns and as eLement ~b3 PETP Eilms of 36 micronsO
Since the film (a) has mechanical propercies which are superlor to those of film (b) of the same Ihickness, ~he thickness of the EmbL~r OV film (a3 (15 microns) can be substracted from the necessary thickness of the PETP layers (b), i.eO the PETP layers must have a total thickness of 194-15 = 179 ~iCrdns and thus 36 ~ 5 films of ~b) wlll be necessary. Furthermore, film (a~ is protected from the mside and the outside of the cylindrical body by a total th;ckness of 30 microns of eLement (c) divided lnto 2 or 3 layers. Thus the wall of the cyllndrlcal body comprises the following l~yer~, from inside to outside:
1. PETP : 36 microns 2.,hot-melt ~ 10 micrGns - 3. PETP : ~6 micrvns 4. hot-melt : 10 microns 5. PETP . 36 microns ,- 6. hot-melt : 10 microns '~: ~
~: 7. Emblar OV :`15 microns '-~
. 80 hot~melt : 15 microns - 35 9. PETP : 36 microns "~ 10. hot-melt : 15 microns `:' ~' 11. PETP : 36 microns :~ . -:.

'''' ' ' ~ - :

,r,. ,'. ' ~ . ; ~, , . ' ~ ' . .. . .

~0~;4!34~

i.e. eleven L~yers formlng a cylLndrlcal body wail with a to~aL thickness of 255 microns Examp1e! 6~5.
Condltions: lemonade wlth 6 g C02/liter (P ~ - S kg/cm ) no pas~eurization diameter of can = 65 mm . PETP having at 40C an elastlc eLongation threshold oi .~ 187G kg/cm For this PETP, d = - 18605 ~ 0~0087 cm or 87 microns.
The cylindrical body is realized by convolution using as element (a) t two films of Saràn, having each a ~hickness of 51 microns~ The films o~
element (a) are protected from the lnside and the outside of the cglindricaL
:- body by a total thickness of element (c) of 25 misrons ln one or two layers.
:. Furthermore, the two films of element (a) are separated frorn each other by a ~ 15 layer of element (c) of 10 micronsO ::
`.~ As element ~b), films of PETP of 19 microns are used To obtain the : nacessary 87 microns, 87 = 5 films should normally be used ~ -Since each film of Saran ~element a) of 51 microns has mecha~;cal .-~: properties which are equivalent to those of a PETP fllm of l9 microns, the two Saran films can replace two out of 5 of the PETP fllms and only three .
more of these remain necessary `
Furthermore, a film of Tyve~ 1073 o:t 200 microns (element d) is used .~ because of its decorative ef~ect This has mechanic~l characteristics which are superior to those of a 19 micrGns PETP filmO Thus, one more uf the three ; 25 remaining PETP ~ilms can be repLaced, leaving only two PETP fllms - The wall of the cylindrical body finally comprises the followin~ layers9 :: from inside to outslde:
1. PETP : 19 microns ~ 2. hot-melt : 25 microns 3. Saran : 51 microns 4. hot-melt : 10 microns 5. Saran : 51 microns -: 6.:hot-melt : 12.5 microns 7 PETP : 19 microns . 35 8. hot-melt : 12 5 microns e 9. Tyvek 1073 : 200 microns .' i ,~

... .

~L~6f?~8fg~
i e. n~ l~yers fol~ing a cylindrical body w~ll wieh a toc~l thickne6s of :
~: :

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f - 25 -f , ,~ ' '""`' ' , ' :. ' ' `, " ' - ', , ' . , . ' ~ -, ~ ' , " : ' ' ' ', '' , ' ' ,', : , '

Claims (20)

WE CLAIM:

1. A cylindrical container body for packaging pressurized carbonated beverages comprising:
(a) at least one film of a synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer having a permeability to oxygen lower than 6 x 10-13 ml.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 25°C and 0% relative air humidity;
(b) at least two films of a polyester; and (c) at least two layers of an organic thermoplastic binder having a permeabi-lity to water vapor lower than 1 x 10-14 g.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 38°C and 90% relative air humidity, all the films of (a) and (b) being adhesively bonded together by means of the binder of (c) in the form of a cylindrical body, the wall of which has a spirally or convolutely-wound structure, in which each film of (a) is separated both from the outside surface and from the inside surface of the cylindrical body by at least one film of (b) and at least one layer of (c).

2. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, a vinyl alcohol copolymer containing at least 70% by weight vinyl alcohol units, regenerated cellulose, polyacrylonitrile, an acrylonitrile copolymer containing at least 65% by weight acrylonitrile units, polymethacrylonitrile, a methacrylonitrile copolymer containing at least 65% by weight methacrylonitrile units or a vinylidene chloride copolymer containing at least 85% by weight vinylidene chloride units.

3. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the total thickness of element (a) in the cylindrical body is between 10 and 250 microns.

4. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic organic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol or a vinyl alcohol copolymer containing at least 70% by weight vinyl alcohol units, the total thickness of element (a) being from 10 to 80 microns.

5. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the polyester is a polycondensation product of terephthalic acid with an alkylene glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, butylene glycol and cyclohexylene-1,4 dimethanol.

6. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the total thickness of element (b) in the cylindrical body is from 35 to 250 microns.

7 The cylindrical container body according to claim 6, wherein the total thickness of element (b) in the cylindrical body is from 35 to 180 microns.

8. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder is a hot melt binder.

9. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder comprises a water-repellent wax.

10. The cylindrical container body according to claim 9, wherein the water-repellent wax is a paraffin wax or a microcrystalline wax.

11. The cylindrical container body according to claim 9, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder comprises in addition a synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer, polyisobutylene, poly-propylene, a polyamide and a polyester.

12. The cylindrical container body according to claim 9, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder comprises in addition a low molecular weight natural or synthetic adhesive resin selected from the group consisting of polyterpenes, phenolic terpenes, terpene-urethane resins, phenolic resins, natural or modified rosin and resinous styrene copolymers.

13. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder has a softening temperature of at least 60°C.

14. The cylindrical container body according to claim 13, wherein the organic thermoplastic binder has a softening temperature of at least 80°C.

15. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, wherein the total thickness of element (c) in the cylindrical body is from 40 to 70 microns.

16. The cylindrical container body according to claim 15, wherein the total thickness of element (c) in the cylindrical body is from 50 to 65 microns.

17. The cylindrical container body according to claim 1, further comprising an element (d) consisting of at least one film of polypropylene, biaxially oriented polypropylene, a paper at least partially constituted of synthetic fibers and a spun-bonded film, said element (d) having a total thickness up to 200 microns.

18. The cylindrical body according to claim 1, wherein the total thickness of its wall is from 85 to 770 Microns.

19. The cylindrical body according to claim 18, wherein the total thickness of its wall is from 100 to 400 microns.

20. A container for packaging pressurized carbonated beverages having a cylindrical body provided with top and bottom end closures at the opposite ends thereof, said cylindrical body comprising:
(a) at least one film of a synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer having a permeability to oxygen lower than 6 x 10-13 ml.cm/cm2 .sec.cm of mercury at 25°C and 0% relative air humidity;
(b) at least two films of a polyester, and (c) at least two layers of an organic thermoplastic binder having a permeabi-lity to water vapor lower than 1 x 10-14 g.cm/cm2.sec.cm of mercury at 38°C and 90% relative air humidity, all the films of (a) and (b) being adhesively bonded together by means of the binder of (c) in the form of a cylindrical body, the wall of which has a spirally or convolutely-wound structure, in which each film of (a) is separated both from the outside surface and from the inside surface of the cylindrical body by at least one film of (b) and at least one layer of (c).