Details for Patent: 6,030,682
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Title: | Container for aerosol formulation |
Abstract: | A container for aerosols which contains 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane, or a mixture thereof as a propellant, wherein the container has at least one elastomeric sealing member comprising a thermoplastic copolymer of about 80 to about 95 mole percent ethylene and a total of about 5 to about 20 mole percent of one or more comonomers which may be 1-butene, 2-hexene, and 1-octene. |
Inventor(s): | Marecki; Paul E. (St. Paul, MN) |
Assignee: | 3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN) |
Filing Date: | Nov 20, 1997 |
Application Number: | 08/975,032 |
Claims: | 1. A container for an aerosol formulation that contains 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane or a mixture thereof in an amount effective to function as a propellant, said container having one or more elastomeric sealing members that are comprised of a thermoplastic copolymer of about 80 to about 95 mole percent ethylene and a total of about 5 to about 20 mole percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene. 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer comprises about 91 mole percent ethylene and about 9 mole percent 1-butene, wherein the respective monomer units are substantially randomly distributed in the copolymer. 3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer comprises: a copolymer of about 88 mole percent ethylene and about 12 mole percent 1-butene. 4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the sole comonomer is 1-butene. 5. A container according to claim 1, wherein the sole comonomer is 1-hexene. 6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the sole comonomer is 1-octene. 7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 80 mole percent ethylene and about 20 mole percent 1-butene. 8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 90 mole percent ethylene and about 10 mole percent 1-butene. 9. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 92 mole percent ethylene and about 8 mole percent 1-butene. 10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 90 mole percent ethylene and about 10 mole percent 1-octene. 11. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 92 mole percent ethylene and about 8 percent 1-octene. 12. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 95 mole percent ethylene, about 1 mole percent 1-butene, and about 4 mole percent 1-hexene. 13. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a copolymer of about 94 mole percent ethylene, about 1 mole percent 1-butene, and about 5 mole percent 1-octene. 14. A container according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a thermoplastic polymer blend comprising at least two thermoplastic copolymers, each comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 mole percent ethylene and a total of about 5 to about 20 mole percent of one or more comomoners selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene. 15. A container according to claim 14, wherein the sole comonomer in each of the copolymers is 1-butene. 16. A container according to claim 14, wherein the thermoplastic polymer blend comprises (i) a copolymer of about 91 mole percent ethylene and about 9 mole percent 1-butene and (ii) a copolymer of about 80 mole percent ethylene and about 20 mole percent 1-butene. 17. A container according to claim 16, wherein the thermoplastic polymer blend comprises one part by weight of component (i) and about 0.25 to about 4 parts by weight of component (ii). 18. A container according to claim 1 further comprising talc. 19. A container according to claim 1, in the form of a diaphragm. 20. A container according to claim 1, in the form of an O-ring. 21. A container according to claim 1, in the form of a gasket. 22. A container according to claim 1, in the form of a tank seal. |