Pressurized containers and method for making thereof

Abstract

A pressurized container for storing gaseous or liquid carbon dioxide for use in pneumatic power devices, and carbonated beverages such as beer, soft drinks, and the like, which has acceptable creep, modulus, and yield strength values, which container is made from fiber-reinforced polyesters.

1 . A pressurized container made of reinforced polyesters wherein upon being filled with a liquid having a dissolved carbon dioxide content of about 0.4-0.6 wt % at an internal pressure of at least 1 bar, said pressurized container maintains a dissolved carbon dioxide content of at least 0.25 wt % after 0.5 year at a storage temperature of about 30 to 35° C.  
     
     
         2 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , wherein the polyesters are reinforced by reinforcing agents selected from glass fibers, carbon fibers, metal fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , obtainable by a conventional thermoplastic processing method selected from injection molding, thermoforming, hot-press molding, injection-compression molding, blow molding, pultrusion, extrusion, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of re-enforcing strips attached to and reinforcing said container with each strip encircling the container in a hoop direction at least once.  
     
     
         5 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing agents are glass fibers having a length of at least 0.5 cm.  
     
     
         6 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , wherein the polyesters are reinforced by glass fibers in an amount of at least 20 wt. % based on the total weight of said reinforced polyesters.  
     
     
         7 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , wherein the polyesters are reinforced by glass fibers in an amount of about 1 to about 50 volume % (vol. %).  
     
     
         8 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm.  
     
     
         9 . The pressurized container of  claim 1 , having a total liquid volume of at least 15 liters.  
     
     
         10 . A pressurized container made of reinforced polyesters having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm and a carbon dioxide permeability property of less than 0.8 g/100 sq in. in 24 hours per mil.