(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,160,939 B2 Finnegan Et Al
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US007160939B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,160,939 B2 Finnegan et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 9, 2007 (54) ACTIVE MASTERBATCH FOR (56) References Cited PRODUCTION OF CO2 GENERATING MASTERBATCH U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (76) Inventors: Michael J. Finnegan, 13855 Lake 3.950,484 A * 4, 1976 Egli .......................... 264/45.5 Shore Dr. Clive, IA (US) 50325: 2002fO1981 23 A1* 12/2002 Nitzsche ..................... 510,188 Wesley L. Boldt, 2870 Druid Hill Rd., Des Moines, IA (US) 50315 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this * cited by examiner patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. Primary Examiner Patrick D. Niland (21) Appl. No.: 10/879,784 (57) ABSTRACT (22) Filed: Jun. 29, 2004 (65) Prior Publication Data A compound permitting the economic production of pack US 2005/OOO1204 A1 Jan. 6, 2005 aging containers, which when activated produces concen trated amounts of CO2 gas for extended periods for preser Related U.S. Application Data Vation of perishable products therein, comprises a mixture (60) Provisional application No. 60/484.421, filed on Jul. including a CO2 generating portion incorporated within a 2, 2003. polymer matrix. Preferably, the mixture includes citric acid; calcium carbonate, and polyethylene resin. More preferably, (51) Int. C. the mixture includes a mixture of a carboxylic acid C83/100 (2006.01) (0.1–40%); a hydrogen carbonate (0.1–40%) and any poly CSK 3/00 (2006.01) olefin resin. Even more preferably, the mixture includes a CSK 3/20 (2006.01) mixture including (0.01–40%) Citric Acid; (0.01–40%); and CSK 5/09 (2006.01) 30–75% polyethylene resin. Most preferably, the mixture COSL 57/02 (2006.01) includes by weight 12% citric acid; 38% calcium carbonate: (52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 524/320: 264/45.3; 264/54; and 50% low density polyethylene resin with a melt index of 264/331.17; 428/34.1; 428/34.3; 428/35.2: 20 and a density of 0.924 g/cc. Alternatively, the carboxylic 428/35.7; 428/36.5: 524/284; 524/321:524/424; acid and hydrogen carbonate components are compounded 524/425; 524/499; 523/351; 521/97:521/142 into separate polymer matrixes, and later combined. The (58) Field of Classification Search ................ 524/284, compound may be packaged in containers that are formed of 524/321, 424, 425,499, 320: 264/45.3, 54, 264/331.17; 428/34.1, 34.3, 35.2, 35.7, 36.5; flexible or rigid material. 521/97, 142; 523/351 See application file for complete search history. 10 Claims, No Drawings US 7,160,939 B2 1. 2 ACTIVE MASTERBATCH FOR amounts of CO2 gas for extended periods, thereby facilitat PRODUCTION OF CO2 GENERATING ing the preservation of perishable products stored therein. MASTERBATCH Most commercial blown and cast film extrusion equip ment lacks the capability to effectively blend and mix direct CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED powdered additives into their melt streams without capital APPLICATION modifications. Even with materials handling equipment, typical extrusion screw designs are not engineered to pro This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional vide uniform dispersions of dry powdered additives in the Application No. 60/484.421, filed on Jul. 2, 2003. particle size range of 20–500 microns. 10 Technical Studies have proven the beneficial effect con BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION trolled generation of carbon dioxide gas can have on pre serving post harvest fruits, vegetables, and other flora/ Conventional Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is agricultural crops. Further work confirms the value of produced by gas flushing barrier packages with a mixture of controlled generation of CO2 in the packaging and preser Gases including CO2. This requires capital investment in 15 Vation of meats, poultry, and seafood. The principle of this equipment, special packaging materials, and the gas. The invention is a cost effective method and formula to produce ability to packaging material or film to self generate an a Masterbatch that contains measured amounts of a carboxy efficacious amount of carbon dioxide upon activation would lic acid and a hydrogen carbonate that are designed to eliminate some of these costs but still deliver the benefits of survive the heat, pressure, and shear conditions common to CO2 in perishable product preservation. plastics processing, that when blended with appropriate Therefore, a principle object of the invention is to provide polyolefin resins can be converted into “Active' films or active packaging materials that generate CO2 on conven packaging on conventional plastics processing equipment. tional plastics processing equipment. A compound formed in accordance with the present Another object of the invention is to provide active invention permits the economic production of packaging packaging materials that generate CO2 on conventional 25 containers, which when activated will produce concentrated plastics processing equipment, where the carboxylic acid amounts of CO2 gas for extended periods for the preserva and hydrogen carbonate components are compounded into tion of perishable products therein. The compound com separate polymer matrixes, and later combined. prises a mixture including a CO2 generating portion incor These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled porated within a polymer matrix. Preferably, the mixture 30 includes citric acid; calcium carbonate, and polyethylene in the art. resin. More preferably, the mixture includes a mixture of a carboxylic acid (0.1–40%); a hydrogen carbonate (0.1–40%) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION and any polyolefin resin. Even more preferably, the mixture includes a mixture including (0.01–40%) Citric Acid: A compound permitting the economic production of pack 35 (0.01–40%); and 30–75% polyethylene resin. Most prefer aging containers, which when activated produces concen ably, the mixture includes by weight 12% citric acid; 38% trated amounts of CO2 gas for extended periods for the calcium carbonate; and 50% low density polyethylene resin preservation of perishable products therein, comprises a with a melt index of 20 and a density of 0.924 g/cc. mixture including a CO2 generating portion incorporated The compound of the present invention may be packaged within a polymer matrix. Preferably, the mixture includes 40 in containers that when activated will produce concentrated citric acid; calcium carbonate, and polyethylene resin. More amounts of CO2 gas for extended periods for the preserva preferably, the mixture includes a mixture of a carboxylic tion of perishable products in the container. These containers acid (0.1–40%); a hydrogen carbonate (0.1–40%) and any may be formed of flexible or rigid material. polyolefin resin. Even more preferably, the mixture includes a mixture including (0.01–40%) Citric Acid; (0.01–40%); EXAMPLE 1. and 30–75% polyethylene resin. Most preferably, the mix 45 ture includes by weight 12% citric acid; 38% calcium Initial Masterbatch was 50% solids and 50% Polyethylene carbonate; and 50% low density polyethylene resin with a with a recipe of: BY WEIGHT Citric Acid+38% by weight melt index of 20 and a density of 0.924 g/cc. Alternatively, Calcium carbonate--50% Linear Low Density Polyethylene the carboxylic acid and hydrogen carbonate components are 50 resin with a Melt Index of 20 and a density of 0.924 g/cc. compounded into separate polymer matrixes, and later com Other samples produced at 55, 60, 65, and 70 percent solids bined. The compound may be packaged in containers that have also been produced. may be formed of flexible or rigid material. Alternatively, the carboxylic acid component and the hydrogen carbonate components may be compounded indi DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED 55 vidually into separate polymer matrixes using the same EMBODIMENT mixtures described above, which are later combined into a final compound. This binary approach reduces processing This invention consists of a blend of materials that costs, increases flexibility in formulation developments, and includes a polyolefin resin intended for use in compounding, shelf stability in the presence of humidity. and powdered chemistry capable of reacting with moisture 60 Specifically, the carboxylic acid is dispersed within a first to generate Carbon Dioxide gas. This combination forms a polymer matrix to form a first compound. Preferably, the Masterbatch concentrate suitable for blending with other carboxylic acid within the first polymer matrix is 0.5–90% melt processable polymers for Subsequent forming into by weight of the first compound. More preferably, the first blown, cast or molded Plastic Products. compound comprises a mixture of 33% by weight Citric acid The purpose of the invention is to permit the economical 65 and 67% by weight polyethylene. production of both flexible films and rigid packaging con Likewise, the hydrogen carbonate base is dispersed within tainers that (when properly activated) produce controlled a second polymer matrix to form a second compound. US 7,160,939 B2 3 4 Preferably, the hydrogen carbonate base within the second droxymandelic acid, 4-Decynoic acid, 4-Ethyl-2-octenoic polymer matrix is 0.5–90% by weight of the second com acid, Dec-3-enoic acid, 6-Acetoxy-5-hexenoic acid, 6-Ac pound. More preferably, the second compound comprises etoxy-4-hexenoic acid, 4-Ethylcaprylic acid, Capric acid, 55% by weight calcium carbonate and 45% by weight Aconitic acid, Suberic acid, 5-Phenyl-pent-4-ynoic acid, polyethylene. 5 Vitamin C, alpha-Mercapto-caprylate, Diperoxyadipic acid, The first and second polymer matrixes can be formed of 4-Oxo-4-phenyl-butyric acid, 5-Phenyl valeric acid, Hende the same or different materials. The first compound and cynoic acid, 5-Cyclohexyl-2-pentenoic acid, Cyclohexyl second compound are later combined to disperse a mixture n-valerate. Undecylenic acid, 2-Hendenoic acid, 1-Naphthy including the carboxylic acid and the hydrogen carbonate lacetic acid, trans-10-Hydroxy-dec-8-enoic Acid, Unde base within a primary polymer matrix (being a mixture of 10 canoic acid, AZelaic acid, Peroxy decanoic acid, BenZo1.3 first and second polymer matrixes) to form a primary dioxol-5-yl-propynoic Acid, Hexanoic acid, carboxy compound.