Environmentally friendly container with bioplastic shell and glass lining

Abstract

An environmentally friendly container with bioplastic shell and glass lining includes a shell defining a hollow body of the container; a wall of the shell that includes a bioplastic resin; and a lining that includes a liquid glass and coats a surface of the wall. Embodiments may include an opening at an end of the shell; a cap that includes the bioplastic resin of the shell; and a cap lining on an inner surface of the cap, the cap lining forming a closure with the lining of the wall so that the container provides a sealed cavity; wherein the lining is on an inner surface of the wall of the shell, thereby fully lining an interior cavity of the container with glass; and the bioplastic resin includes PLA, PLLA, PDLA, PHA, PCL, or PBT.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a shell defining a hollow body of the container;   a wall of the shell that includes a bioplastic resin; and   a lining that includes liquid glass and coats a surface of the wall.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lining is on an inner surface of the wall of the shell, thereby fully lining an interior cavity of the container with liquid glass. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an opening at an end of the shell;   a cap that includes the bioplastic resin of the shell, the cap forming a closure with the opening that seals the container.   
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an opening at an end of the shell;   a cap that includes the bioplastic resin; and   a cap lining on an inner surface of the cap, the cap lining forming a closure with the lining of the wall so that the container provides a sealed cavity.   
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the cap lining includes liquid glass. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the cap lining includes biobased rubber. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the bioplastic resin and glass are pre-selected to provide a container that meets a specified gas permeation level, where the gas includes oxygen and carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the bioplastic resin includes polylactic acid (PLA), Poly L lactide (PLLA), poly D lactide (PDLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolate (PCL), or polybutyleneadipatetetephathalate (PBT). 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lining and the bioplastic resin are coextruded to form the wall. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lining is a thin, flexible coating of glass on an inner surface of the wall. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lining has a thickness of from 100 nanometers to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the glass is a spray coating on an inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the shell consists entirely of a bioplastic resin and the lining consists entirely of a thin layer of liquid glass. 
     
     
         14 . A container comprising:
 a shell defining a hollow body of the container;   a wall of the shell that includes a bioplastic resin;   a lining that includes thin, flexible coating of liquid glass and that coats an inner surface of the wall;   an opening at an end of the shell;   a cap that includes the bioplastic resin of the shell;   a cap lining on an inner surface of the cap, the cap lining forming a closure with the lining of the wall so that the container provides a sealed cavity;   wherein the lining is on an inner surface of the wall of the shell, thereby fully lining an interior cavity of the container with glass; and   the bioplastic resin includes polylactic acid (PLA), Poly L lactide (PLLA), poly D lactide (PDLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolate (PCL), or polybutyleneadipatetetephathalate (PBT).   
     
     
         15 . A method for making a container, comprising:
 forming a shell that defines a hollow body of the container, the shell having a wall that includes a bioplastic resin; and   coating the wall with a lining that includes liquid glass.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the lining is on an inner surface of the wall of the shell, thereby fully lining an interior cavity of the container with liquid glass. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 forming the shell to have an opening at an end of the shell;   providing a cap that includes the bioplastic resin of the shell, the cap forming a closure with the opening that seals the container.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 forming an opening at an end of the shell;   providing a cap that includes the bioplastic resin; and   lining the inner surface of the cap with a cap lining that forms a closure with the lining of the wall so that the container provides a cavity sealed in glass.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 blow-molding a bioplastic resin to provide the shell; and   spray coating the shell with a layer of glass.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 coextruding a bioplastic resin and a glass to provide two layers that form the wall of the shell.