US-12623823-B1 - Recyclable packaging materials

Abstract

Layers of a recyclable packaging material can include a first layer of, or including, oriented polyethylene; a second layer of, or including, oriented polyethylene; a tie layer disposed between and joining the first layer and the second layer to one another; an ink layer printed onto at least a portion of at least one of an inner surface of the first layer or an outer surface of the first layer; a metallic barrier layer on at least a portion of at least one of the first and second layers; and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of an outer surface of the second layer and at least partially defining an exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material. A cold seal release coating can be on at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or the outer surface of the first layer.

Inventors

• Wil Ryan Goetsch

Assignees

• PRINTPACK ILLINOIS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230130

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of at least partially forming a recyclable packaging material, the method comprising: printing an ink layer onto at least a portion of at least one of an inner surface of a first layer comprising oriented polyethylene or an outer surface of the first layer comprising oriented polyethylene; drawing the first layer through a system so that the inner surface of the first layer is in opposing face-to-face relation with a predetermined component of the system, including providing the first layer in a first orientation to the system, wherein the printing occurs during the drawing; drawing the first layer through the system with the outer surface of the first layer in opposing face-to-face relation with the predetermined component, including providing the first layer in a second orientation to the system, and the first and second orientations being inverted from one another; during the providing of the first layer in the second orientation to the system, applying material onto at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or the outer surface of the first layer; laminating the first layer to a second layer comprising oriented polyethylene; applying a patterned adhesive layer on at least a portion of an outer surface of the second layer, so that the patterned adhesive layer partially defines an exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material; and then forming the recyclable packaging material into a roll, wherein in the roll of the recyclable packaging material the patterned adhesive layer is in opposing face-to-face contact with the material.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the patterned adhesive layer is a patterned cold seal adhesive layer; the exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material is a first exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material; the applying of the material onto at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or the outer surface of the first layer is comprised of applying a cold seal release layer on at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or the outer surface of the first layer, so that the cold seal release layer at least partially defines a second exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material that is opposite from the first exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material; and in the roll of the recyclable packaging material the patterned cold seal adhesive layer is in opposing face-to-face contact with the cold seal release layer.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprises a metallic barrier layer.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the patterned adhesive layer is a patterned cold seal adhesive layer; the material is a cold seal release material; and in the roll of the recyclable packaging material the patterned cold seal adhesive layer is in opposing face-to-face contact with the cold seal release material.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprises a metallic barrier layer.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating of the first layer to the second layer is comprised of: extruding polymeric material onto at least one of the first and second layers; and nipping together the first and second layers while the extruded polymeric material is positioned between the first and second layers.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the extruded polymer comprises at least one of polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and linear low density polyethylene.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating of the first layer to the second layer is comprised of: applying adhesive onto at least one of the first and second layers; and nipping together the first and second layers while the adhesive is positioned between the first and second layers.
9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the adhesive comprises an acrylic polyurethane adhesive.
10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the oriented polyethylene of the first layer is oriented high density polyethylene; and the oriented polyethylene of the second layer is oriented high density polyethylene.
11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the oriented polyethylene of the first layer and the oriented polyethylene of the second layer is oriented high density polyethylene.
12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising a metallic barrier layer on at least a portion of at least one of the first and second layers.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic barrier layer comprises at least one of aluminum and aluminum oxide deposited on the second layer.
14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned adhesive layer comprises a heat seal adhesive.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the heat seal adhesive layer comprises at least one of polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and linear low density polyethylene.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein: the oriented polyethylene of the first layer is oriented high density polyethylene; and the oriented polyethylene of the second layer is oriented high density polyethylene.
17. 17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: drawing the recyclable packaging material from the roll; and forming the recyclable packaging material into a package in which the patterned adhesive layer at least partially defines a seal of the package.
18. 18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the ink layer is printed onto at least a portion of the inner surface of the first layer; and the material is applied onto at least a portion of the outer surface of the first layer.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predetermined component comprises a surface treater.
20. 20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the material comprises cold seal release material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATIONS This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/738,266, filed Jan. 9, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,584,574, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/790,651 (filed Jan. 10, 2019) and 62/802,421 (filed Feb. 7, 2019). INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE The entire disclosure of each of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/738,266, filed Jan. 9, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/790,651 (filed Jan. 10, 2019) and 62/802,421 (filed Feb. 7, 2019) is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Packaging materials, for example, used to form packages for food or other items, are typically formed from polyester/polypropylene film composites. However, since the component materials have different melting points and processing characteristics, packaging materials formed from polyester/polypropylene film composites are difficult to recycle. Attempts have been made to form recyclable packaging materials from various polyethylenes. Unfortunately, many linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPE) and low density polyethylenes (LDPE) lack the stiffness and/or heat resistance needed to be formed into packages. High density polyethylenes (HDPE) offer somewhat greater stiffness and heat resistance, but lack the optical clarity to be used in such packages. Thus, there remains a need for packaging materials for a variety of applications that can be recycled. SUMMARY The present disclosure is directed generally to various packaging materials. The packaging materials include at least one layer of oriented polyethylene (OPE), for example, high density polyethylene (HDPE). The OPE (e.g., oriented HDPE) may be oriented in one direction (e.g., machine direction/MDO or MDOPE) or in both directions (e.g., biaxially-oriented/BO or BOPE). Orienting the HDPE film enhances the optical clarity, stiffness, and heat resistance of the film to render it suitable for use in packaging applications. The at least one layer of OPE may be joined to other polyethylene-based layers. For example, at least two layers of OPE may be joined together, and they may support one or more additional layers. The various packaging materials described herein (and variations contemplated hereby) thus have the needed attributes for packaging materials, while also being recyclable. For example, an aspect of this disclosure is the provision of a recyclable packaging material having a plurality of layers respectively in a facing relationship with one another, wherein the plurality of layers can include a first layer comprising oriented polyethylene; a second layer comprising oriented polyethylene; a tie layer disposed between and joining the first layer and the second layer to one another; an ink layer printed onto at least a portion of at least one of an inner surface of the first layer or an outer surface of the first layer; a metallic barrier layer on at least a portion of at least one of the first and second layers; and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of an outer surface of the second layer and at least partially defining an exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material. A cold seal release coating can be on at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or the outer surface of the first layer. At least one of the oriented polyethylene of the first layer and the oriented polyethylene of the second layer can be oriented high density polyethylene. Another aspect of this disclosure is the provision of a recyclable packaging material having a plurality of layers respectively in a facing relationship with one another, wherein the plurality of layers can include a first layer comprising oriented high density polyethylene; a second layer comprising oriented high density polyethylene; a tie layer disposed between and joining the first layer and the second layer to one another; an ink layer printed onto at least a portion of at least one of an inner surface of the first layer or an outer surface of the first layer; a metallic barrier layer on at least a portion of the second layer; a cold seal adhesive layer on at least a portion of an outer surface of the second layer and at least partially defining a first exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material; and a cold seal release layer on at least a portion of at least one of the ink layer or an outer surface of the first layer, wherein the cold seal release layer at least partially defines a second exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material that is opposite from the first exterior surface of the recyclable packaging material. A further aspect of this disclosure is the provisional of a method of at least partially forming a recyclable packaging material having a layer of oriented polyethylene, wherein the method can include printing an ink layer onto at least a portion of at least one of an inner surface of a first layer comprising oriented polyethylene or an outer surface of the first layer comprising