Method for reducing freeze-thaw voids in uncured adhesives

Abstract

A method for reducing the level of freeze-thaw voids in an uncured adhesive subjected to freezing and thawing comprises storing the adhesive in a container in which the walls of the container are a thermoplastic material and have been thinned and roughened.

1 . A method for reducing the level of freeze-thaw voids in an uncured adhesive subjected to freezing and thawing comprising storing the adhesive in a container in which the walls of the container are a thermoplastic material and 
 (i) have a thickness of 0.0254 mm to 0.762 mm or    (ii) have a thickness of 0.0254 to 1.524 mm and are roughened to have a mean roughness value of greater than 0.3 μm.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the thermoplastic material is injection moldable and has a flexural modulus of less than or equal to 1240 MPa.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2  in which the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, ethylene-octene copyolymer, ethylene-hexene copolymer, ethylene-butene copolymer, polypropylene homopolymer, polypropylene copolymer, and polypropylene random copolymer.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the container is a syringe or a syringe within a rigid sleeve.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the container has walls having a thickness of 0.0254 mm to 0.762 mm.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the container has walls having a thickness of 0.0254 to 1.524 mm and are roughened to have a mean roughness value of greater than 0.3 μm.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the walls of the container are roughened by: adding contours to the interior walls of the container during fabrication, mechanical abrasion, plasma etching, chemical etching, corona discharge.  
   
   
       8 . A container in which the walls of the container are a thermoplastic material and 
 (i) have a thickness of 0.0254 mm to 0.762 mm or    (ii) have a thickness of 0.0254 to 1.524 mm and are roughened to have a mean roughness value of greater than 0.3 μm.    
   
   
       9 . The container according to  claim 8  in which the container is a syringe or a syringe within a rigid sleeve.