Container and Sealing Membrane for Packaging of Reactive Products

Abstract

Sealing (peel seal) membranes for packaging aggressive or chemically reactive products such as hair colorants over long periods without seal failure are described. Advantageously, the membranes and other packaging components have a high resistance to chemical attack and exhibit other advantageous characteristics, such as good barrier properties that minimize or eliminate interaction with the external environment, chemical inertness with respect to the product, and desirable heat sealing properties for prolonged adhesion without cracking and/or product leakage. The membranes comprise an inner bonding layer comprising a blend of polyethylene (PE) with an anti-cohesion additive, and a barrier layer.

1 . A packaged product comprising:
 (a) a container having an opening;   (b) a product within the container and comprising a reactive ingredient selected from the group consisting of an inorganic hydroxide, an inorganic halide, and a peroxide; and   (c) a sealing membrane covering the opening and having an inner layer comprising a blend of polyethylene (PE) with an anti-cohesion additive and a bather layer.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged product of  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged product of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the container comprises a laminate. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the container does not comprise aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the container has a circular or oval-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the reactive ingredient is an inorganic hydroxide. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged product of  claim 6 , wherein the inorganic hydroxide is ammonium hydroxide. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the product is a hair colorant. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the inner layer has a thickness from about 10 to about 60 microns. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  9 , wherein the barrier layer is an aluminum foil layer in contact with the inner layer. 
     
     
         11 . The packaged product of  claim 10 , wherein the aluminum foil layer has a thickness from about 12 to about 45 microns. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged product of any of  claims 1  to  11 , wherein the sealing membrane further comprises an external layer in contact with the aluminum foil layer. 
     
     
         13 . The packaged product of  claim 12 , wherein the inner layer has a weight from about 10 to about 50 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ) and the external layer has a weight from about 1 to about 15 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         14 . A package for dispensing a product comprising a reactive ingredient selected from the group consisting of an inorganic hydroxide, an inorganic halide, and a peroxide, the package comprising:
 (a) a container having an opening; and   (b) a sealing membrane covering the opening and having an inner layer comprising a blend of polyethylene (PE) with an anti-cohesion additive, in contact with the container, and a barrier layer.   
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein the opening has an area of less than about 50% of a cross-sectional area of the container. 
     
     
         16 . A method for dispensing product, the method comprising:
 (a) peeling the sealing membrane from the opening of the container of the packaged product of  claim 1 , and   (b) squeezing the container to dispense the product,   wherein (a) and (b) are performed using manual forces.   
     
     
         17 . A sealing membrane for covering an opening of a container having a product disposed therein, wherein the product comprises a reactive ingredient selected from the group consisting of an inorganic hydroxide, an inorganic halide, and a peroxide, the sealing membrane comprising an inner layer of modified polyethylene (PE) in contact with the container and a barrier layer. 
     
     
         18 . The sealing membrane of  claim 16 , having a total weight from about 100 to about 200 grams per square meter (g/m 2 ), a total thickness from about 50 to about 200 microns, a tensile strength from about 35 to about 75 N/15 mm, an elongation from about 5 to about 10%, a burst strength from about 300 to about 500 kPa, a water vapor transmission of less than 0.05 g/m 2 ·day and an O 2  permeability of less than 0.05 cc/m 2 ·day·bar. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making a packaged product, the method comprising:
 adhering an inner layer of a sealing membrane to a container, to cover an opening of the container,   the container having disposed therein a product comprising a reactive ingredient selected from the group consisting of an inorganic hydroxide, an inorganic halide, and a peroxide, wherein the inner layer of the sealing membrane comprises modified polyethylene (PE).   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the inner layer of the sealing member is adhered such that manual peeling forces are sufficient to remove the sealing membrane from the container.