A process is presented and described for the production of moldings, comprising the steps of (a) providing a polymer composition comprising from 1 to 99% by weight of polyhydroxyalkanoate and from 1 to 99% by weight of starch-containing polymer; (b) homogenizing the polymer composition with use of thermal and/or mechanical energy; (c) introducing the polymer composition into a mold; (d) molding the molding in the mold; and (e) removing the molding from the mold. The process described is in particular suitable for the production of hard capsules.

A method of forming a fibre article, comprising: providing a former having a contoured forming surface; locating a fibre preform between a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm, the second diaphragm being offset from the forming surface; drawing a vacuum between the first and second diaphragms so as to hold the preform captive between the diaphragms; displacing the second diaphragm towards the former so as to bring the second diaphragm into partial contact with the former; drawing a vacuum between the second diaphragm and the former so as to bring at least a part of the second diaphragm adjoining the preform into conformity with the forming surface; and setting the preform in its configuration; wherein: the fibre preform comprises one or more substantially inextensible fibres extending linearly in a first direction; the forming surface comprises a concavity and prominences on either side of the concavity; and the step of bringing the second diaphragm into partial contact with the former comprises bringing the second diaphragm into contact with the prominences whilst the second diaphragm does not fully contact the concavity and with the substantially inextensible fibres extending from one of the prominences to the other.

A transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is provided for use in storing food and beverages, personal care products, health care products, and other applications that require excellent transparency and barrier properties. The transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle includes first and second outer layers formed using a transparent polyester or polyester copolymer; an inner nanolayer sequence including a plurality of nanolayers a) including ethylene vinyl alcohol, alternating with nanolayers b) including at least one of ethylene ethyl acrylate, low density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene, each of the nanolayers b) having a degree of crystallinity less than about 45%; and adhesive layers between each of the two outer layers and the inner nanolayer sequence. A method for producing a transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is also provided.

A transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is provided for use in storing food and beverages, personal care products, health care products, and other applications that require excellent transparency and barrier properties. The transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle includes first and second outer layers formed using a transparent polyester or polyester copolymer; an inner nanolayer sequence including a plurality of nanolayers a) including ethylene vinyl alcohol, alternating with nanolayers b) including at least one of ethylene ethyl acrylate, low density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene, each of the nanolayers b) having a degree of crystallinity less than about 45%; and adhesive layers between each of the two outer layers and the inner nanolayer sequence. A method for producing a transparent thermoformed high barrier plastic bottle is also provided.

This invention provides a food container which can be manufactured cheaply by using inexpensive general PET resin or further inexpensive PET resin for fiber or recovered PET flakes, and nevertheless, which has a high heat resistance up to 250° C., and the container is obtained by adding a chain extender and a compatibilizer and talc to PET resin, charging the mixture into an extruder 30 having two or more vent holes, degassing under a condition where the PET resin is melted with heating by sucking at a high vacuum of −99.99 kPa or lower from the vent holes 33, 34, thereafter, forming a sheet by extrusion molding, pressure-forming with vacuum the sheet by a thermoforming machine, forming the container by keeping in a mold at 100-220° C. The container has a total of the content of crystal portion represented by the following formula and the content of talc being 25% by weight or more.

This invention provides a food container which can be manufactured cheaply by using inexpensive general PET resin or further inexpensive PET resin for fiber or recovered PET flakes, and nevertheless, which has a high heat resistance up to 250° C., and the container is obtained by adding a chain extender and a compatibilizer and talc to PET resin, charging the mixture into an extruder 30 having two or more vent holes, degassing under a condition where the PET resin is melted with heating by sucking at a high vacuum of −99.99 kPa or lower from the vent holes 33, 34, thereafter, forming a sheet by extrusion molding, pressure-forming with vacuum the sheet by a thermoforming machine, forming the container by keeping in a mold at 100-220° C. The container has a total of the content of crystal portion represented by the following formula and the content of talc being 25% by weight or more.

Thermoformed articles comprising a film thermoformed to be in the form of a pouch defining an interior pouch volume, the film comprising a mixture of a polyvinyl alcohol resin and a plasticizer, wherein the plasticizer is provided in an amount in a range of about 5 to about 30 weight parts, based on 100 weight parts of total polyvinyl alcohol resin; wherein the thermoformed film in the form of a pouch defining an interior pouch volume is characterized by a draw ratio in a range of about 2.3 to about 2.9; the article is characterized by a release time of at least 30 seconds when formed into a sealed packet and tested in accordance with the Liquid Release Test; and the article is characterized by a residue value of at most 9%, as determined by the Residue Test.

Resin-molded articles, to which such advantages as strength, rigidness and light weight are secured thanks to kneading with fibers, and which has excellent surface characteristics such as smoothness of the surface and beauty in the appearance, and resistance against weather, ultraviolet rays and light are provided.

Resin-molded articles, to which such advantages as strength, rigidness and light weight are secured thanks to kneading with fibers, and which has excellent surface characteristics such as smoothness of the surface and beauty in the appearance, and resistance against weather, ultraviolet rays and light are provided.

Methods and systems for vacuum forming to form a final plastic product defining a notch, including providing a plastic material; providing a mold for a preform plastic product from which to form the final plastic product having a sacrificial forming feature associated with forming an inline trimmable part defining a notch area from which to form the notch, the sacrificial forming feature positioned on the mold within the notch area to be trimmed via an inline trimming operation to form the notch and shaped to selectively reduce a material thickness at a selective remaining location of the preform plastic product; disposing the plastic material on the mold to form an assembly; applying vacuum forming to the assembly to form the preform plastic product; and reducing the material thickness at the selective remaining location of the preform plastic product during vacuum forming to affect a corresponding localized stiffness reduction.