Stress Cracking in

PET bottles
 Content
• Objectives
• Reasons to be concerned
• Failure Mechanisms
• Factors Involved
• Gate Failure x Stress Cracking
• Degradation of PET
• Drying PET / parameters / maintenance
• Low IV
• Effects of aging
• Fractography / testing to study Stress Cracking
• Injection molding / conditions
• Blow molding / conditions / troubleshooting
• Quality Control
• Reacting to the problem
• Recommendations – Summary
• Check List – after failure
• ISBT – Check List
 Reheat
air

Re-
Working
generating
desiccant
desiccant

Control
panel

3 MAIN
COMPONENTS Reheat
air

FOR BOTTLE
PRODUCTION
To
injection
 Objectives

The purpose of this presentation is to get

familiar with the prevention of stress-
cracking occurrence, and help to solve the
problem.

We will discuss the basic mechanisms that

cause the problem, and we will explore
some useful techniques to investigate
incidences of Stress-Cracking in PET
bottles.
Reasons to be concerned

– Stress-cracking is a problem on PET bottle

where the bottles lose syrup.
– The bottles blow up, after being filled – when
they are at the plant, storage, trucks or for
sale.
– Bottles close to the damage ones become
ruined by the sticky syrup: mess and lost
product.
– The cleaning is laborious and the lose is big.
– Safety reasons
 Reasons to be concerned

• As the stress cracking can occur even 3 weeks after being filled,
there are big chances that it can occur with the final customer.
• The stress cracking failures happen without any order and can be
violent.
• If the stress cracking cause is at the bottle producer or the bottler,
the quantity of filled product before the problem being found, can
be enormous.
• Usually, 10 to 20 failures bottles per million is considered
excessive.
• It is hard to find the direct causes. It is a very emotional situation.
• Normally, it occurs during the first 3 weeks after being filled, and
happens in a small number of bottles, but with severe results.
 Failure Mechanisms

PET will Stress-Crack during:

- Amorphous phase
- Under stress due to pressure
- Chemical attack

All conditions need to occur at the same

time.
 Failure Mechanisms
Amorphous PET under stress is attacked by a
stress crack agent.
The stress crack agent can attack by:
a) Reducing the PET’s surface energy
b) Plasticizing the polymer
c) Swelling the polymer
d) Reacting with the polymer

As a result of the attack, tiny CRAZES appear on the stressed

surface.
These CRAZES can develop into CRACKS – and
rupture or failure may occur.
 Failure Mechanisms

PET + promoter of stress-cracking:

• Normal situation: • Under stress:
– Weight gain – Weight gain
– Weight loss – Weight loss
– Dissolution – Dissolution
– Change of opacity – Change on opacity
– Color change – Color change
– Crazing
– Cracking
Factors Involved
AMORPHOUS PET STRESS STRESS CRACK AGENT

IV CONTAINER DESIGN CONVEYOR LINE LUBES

GEOMETRY

BOTTLE WARMER SOLUTIONS

COPOLYMER vs
HOMOPOLYMER PROCESSING:
- Thickness distribution FILLING LINE CLEANERS
- Internal Stresses
- Mold Surface
AGING - Contamination OTHER CLEANERS

STORAGE INTERNAL PRESSURE WATER AT THE PLANT

CONDITIONS: a) Filling
-Temperature b) handling, Storage &
-Humidity Distribution MOLD LUBRICANT AND
RELEASE AGENTS

CAPPER LUBRICANTS

CHEMICALS FROM CORRUGATED

BOX MATERIALS
Factors Involved

The factors are cumulative !

New Lubricant
Stress-Cracking Limit
Recycled water

Overcarbonation

Bad drying

Date 1 Date 2
 Gate Failure vs Stress Cracking

• Gate Failure: crack originated in the gate.

Cause: Crystalline PET is very brittle and is
crushed by the stretch rod during the blow
process. If the gate is too crystalline, or if the
gate is compressed too much, the bottle will
develop tiny fractures around the preform gate.
When exposed to filler pressure, these fractures
will cause leakers or gate failures.

Stress Cracking: crack at the transition between

amorphous and oriented material.
 Minimizing Gate Failure
- Gate should not exceed 2 mm in length
- Minimize crystallization in preform gate (maintain at least 1.5 mm
of amorphous material thickness through the preform wall, at the
injection gate – crystallization should ideally be limited to end
cap surface only.
- Stretch rod gap must be set according to preform base thickness.
Compression by stretch rod should never exceed 0.5 mm.
- Minimize preform storage time, temperature and humidity.
- Avoid excessive shrinkage in bottle base which would lead to
under specification base clearance.
- Use good base design.
 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%

Lubricant

Overcarbonation

Wrapping film of
finish product

Syrup leaking
over other
bottles

Material
distribution

Non-conclusive

Old bottle
Contribution of factors - History

Preform quality
Other contributors to Stress Cracking

Time
– Hot conditions, high humidity increase significantly th
chances of stress cracking ocurrence.
– The summer is a stress cracking season.
Base design:
– A bottle must support very high pressures, and the base
design is very important
Bottle design:
– The larger the bottle dia, the more susceptible to stress
cracking.
 Homo vs Copolymer

HOMOPOLYMER COPOLYMER
TPA and EG TPA, EG and other glycol or
acid.

Crystallizes fast Crystallizes slowly (wider

processing window)

Moderate NSR (natural stretch Higher NSR than

ratio) homopolymers

It is not indicated to produce Has higher stress cracking

CSD bottles or pressurized resistance !
containers
 Mechanical Stress

• Origin:
- From overcarbonation

- Increased by heat of the ambient temperature

(4 volumes at 100 F increases the bottle pressure to 92 psi –

which is 1.5 times the initial pressure).
Chemical Exposure

Some chemical can cause Stress Cracking

in PET bottles:

– Surfactants in Detergents
– Caustic substance (solutions of NaOH) – most
aggressive !
– Ketones such as acetone
– Alcohols
– Other organic solvents
 Degradation of PET

1) Hydrolysis: reaction with water, lowering the IV.

2) Oxidation: over-drying PET (yellow PET).

3) Thermal degradation: over-heating in the

injection molding (AA level increases).
 Chemical Exposure

PET Hidrolysis by NaOH

O O

* O O CH2 CH2
n + OH-

O O

* O O + HO CH2 CH2
n *
 Drying PET

Most critical part of the process

Parameter conditions – basics:

a) Dew point: -40 F (dryer should have a dew point

meter)
b) Time: 6 – 8 hours
c) Air flow: min. 1 cfm per 1 lb/h of plastic
processed.
d) Temperature: 320 – 350 F
Note: temperature and drying time are inversely related.
 PET Moisture Absorption
0.4
0.35
% Water Absorbed

0.3
0.25
Amorphous PET
0.2
Crystalline PET
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 10 20
Time ( Days ) @ 50% RH
 Parts of dessicant dryer

Component Actuation Comments

Absorb the moisture from
Dessicant material the air

Regeneration process Generate the air flow for the

Blowers process and regeneration

Regeneration process Heat the air for the process

Heaters and regeneration

Primary and secondary Remove fines and dust from

Filters return air

Improve the efficiency of

Heat exchanger the dessicant material.
Reduce the temperature of
the return air.
 Vacuum &
Filter
Process Filter
Dryer Setup Flapper
After Cooler
Process Blower

Resin in

Resin SW H
Adjustable

Desiccant
Hot Wet Air
Resin SW L Canister
Dew point
Sensor

Con

Insulated
Feed Hose
Dry Air
Magnet Box Process Heater

Barrel

= Temperature Gauge
DRYING PARAMETERS

DWELL TIME Greater than 4 hours

HOPPER SIZE and GEOMETRY h = 2.5xd (minimum)
RESIN USAGE (Lb. / Hour)
h - SHOT SIZE
- CYCLE TIME
DRYING TEMPERATURE 150-155° C Nominal
AIR FLOW 1 cfm / lb. / hour (minimum)
- BLOWER CAPACITY >1 cfm / lb. / hour
- RESIN USAGE
DEW POINT (DRYNESS OF AIR) - 40° F
DRYER EFFECTIVENESS ? - Setup
d - Desiccant
- RH
- Maintenance
Dryer Parameters / calculations

- Residence Time in the Silo (Rt):

- Silo Capacity (Sc in Kilos)
- Resin Utilization (Ru in Kilos/hour)
- Shot size (SS in grams)
- Cycle time (Ct in seconds)

Formulas:
Ru = (3.6 x SS) / Ct
Rt = Sc / Ru
 Drying PET Pellets

Oxidative Degradation
It takes place in the hopper if drying temperatures are too high for long
periods. This is where the oxygen in the drying air chemically attacks the
polymer structure.

- If drying temperatures are maintained below 155° C, this oxidative

degradation is very slow and not an important factor.

- As drying temperatures exceed 175° C, the degradation becomes very rapid.

- This is why moderate drying temperatures are so important to the

preservation of the resin’s color and, in some cases, IV.
 PET Drying Temperature Guide
For Known Pellet Dwell Times
Optimum Drying Time
340
Temperature ( °F )
Dryer Process

330

320 Optimum
310 High Limit
Low Limit
300

290

280
4 5 6 7 8

Pellet Dwell Time ( Hours )

Dryer Preventive Maintenance I
DAILY CHECKS

Monitor dew point of drying air

Monitor Molding Machine Injection Pressure
Clean return-air filters
Check for proper drying-air temperature
Check for proper air flow, i.e. no leaks or restrictions
Check for proper hopper - loader operation
Check the heaters for proper sequencing
Check that the material level on the dryer is constant
Check moisture level in resin
Dryer Preventive Maintenance II
WEEKLY CHECKS

Check that dryer bed indexes properly and at the proper time.
Check for any air leaks, inside the dryer cabinet and outside.
Check the dew point of each bed at it comes on-stream.
Check regeneration air temperature.
Check the after cooler. Make sure of proper water flow through
coil.
Check inlet air temperature of on-stream (process) beds.
Check the operation of the air blowers, regeneration and process
Check for proper regrind level in hopper.
Check the air temperature on the cylinders when they are in use.
Dryer Preventive Maintenance III

MONTHLY CHECKS

Check hopper for bridging

Check temperature controller for calibration
Check heaters for proper Amperage
Replace any hoses that have become brittle

 Cleanliness of the desiccant is a major concern!

If the surface of the desiccant becomes contaminated, the fissures can no
longer grasp water molecules. This is the main reason that desiccants must be
changed approximately every two years.
 IV Measurement - Testings

A) Solution:
• Dissolution of PET on Tetrachloroethane.
• Measurement of the time that takes to flow in a
orifice.
• Comparison with the time with solvent alone
• Remarks: results can vary much, and it is a very
dangerous procedure.
 IV Measurement - Testings

B) Free Blow Method:

- Based on the Natural Stretch Ratio of PET.
- Reheat and blow without mold
- Measurement of the volume blown – this
volume is inversely proportional to the IV (the
higher the volume, the lower the IV).
- Consistent and safe method, allowing the
production control, before stock accumulation.
 Low IV

• Will mean:
a) Faster crystallization rate
b) Higher natural stretch ratio
c) Faster aging

And causing:
- Thin sidewalls: affecting shelf life, burst, top load.
- Heavy bases: stress-cracks.
- Light bases: roll-out, white feet.
- Faster aging: embrittelment causing stress-cracks,
drop impact, and neck fractures.
 Low IV

• Faster crystallization rate will cause:

a) Hazy preforms
b) Hazy bottles
c) Gate with crystallinity
d) Crystallization lines: material distribution
 Low IV

• Higher Natural Stretch Ratio will cause:

a) Thin sidewalls
b) Heavy bases: stress-cracking
c) Light bases: foot with pearlescence
 Low IV

• PET generally embrittles with age:

a) Aging effects increase with decreasing MW

b) Aging increases with higher temperatures

• Aging will cause:

a) Fragilization: stress-cracking, low drop impact,
brittle finish
 Effects of Aging on PET preforms
• Embrittlement
• Moisture Absortion
• Free Volume Relaxation
Aging increases:
a) Density
b) Tensile strength
c) Flexural Yield Stress
Aging reduces:
a) Elongation
b) Impact strength

Recommendation: do not store preforms for more

than 2 months.
 Fractography

• Fractography is the examination and

interpretation of breakage failure
• It is used to determine the origin of the failure

• This identification supplys information about:

• - Presence of defects
• - Geometry of load
• - Nature of usage
 Fractography

Fractography analysis of a failure

 Tests to study Stress Cracking

• For chemicals that react with the polymer:

- Test of stress cracking in bottles
- Mechanical study of failures

• For chemicals that swelling the polymer:

- Absortive conduct of polymer
- Critical stress
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Stress Crack testing in bottles:

– Bottles are filled with water till normal level.
– Then, it is pressurized with air at 60 psig.
– They are exposed on the base at a solution of
NaOH at defined concentration in distilled
water.
– Find out the time that the sample blows up.
– Finally, prepare a statistical study of compiled
data.
Reference: ISBT stress cracking procedure.
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Source of wrong data:

– Bottles with different ages
– Bottles with different base design
– Bottles with different thickness distribution on the base
– Bottles with different design
– Different preform design
– Bottles produced from different blow molding machines
– Different IV values
– Variations on the agent used
– Contaminated bottles before analysis
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Mechanical Study of Fractures:

- Use stress gages molded by injection

- Measurement of the crazing length as function of
time
- Evaluate the resins to compare the speed of
crazing growth (da/dt) and the factor of stress
intensity (K)
- CIP: test of Craze Initiation Pressure
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Mechanical Study of Fractures

45
Crack Length (mm)

40
35
30
25
20
15
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
PET in NAOH: 1% Time (s)
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Mechanical Study of Fractures

1

0.1
da/dt (mm/s)

0.01

0.001

0.0001
0.1 1 10

PET in NAOH: 1%
K (MPa.m^0.5)
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Absortive conduct of the polymer

 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Critical Strength:
– Critical strength, c , is the minimum
deformation required to create crazes.
– It is determined using eliptical formula of
Bergen:

1.5
b tb   1 b 2
 2
ε  2 1   2  4 X 
2a   a a  
a
 Testing to study Stress Cracking

Critical Strength:
2

=23.5 MPa1/2
Critical Strain (%)

1.5

0.5

0
14 19 24 29 34
Solubility Parameter
Testing to study Stress Cracking

Critical Strength:

– In aquous solutions, aliphatic alcohols reduce

the superficial tension of PET.
– The longer the alcohol chain, the higher the
reduction on the superficial tension
– Critical strength and superficial tension follow
a linear relation.
 Injection Molding conditions

Injection Molding
Typical Machine Settings

 Extruder Barrel 270 - 290° C

 Nozzle 270 - 290° C
 Manifold 275 - 295° C
 Gates 280 - 300° C

 High Injection Pressure 1200 PSI

 Low Injection Pressure 800 PSI

 Mold Cooling Water 10 -15° C

 Cycle Time 12 - 24 seconds

Injection Molding
Melting PET Pellets

 The Melting Point of PET is approx. 250° C

(PET crystals are destroyed at this temperature)
 Normal Barrel Heater Setting range from: 265 - 280° C
(always work with the lowest temperature that can produce
transparent preforms)
 Typical molten PET bulk temperatures range from: 270 - 295° C
 Melt temperature should always be minimized
 Melt residence time should always be minimized
 Low melt temperature and residence time results in:
 Lower AA generation
 Reduced IV loss
 Minimum temperature is lowest temperature at which
clear preforms can be molded
Injection Molding
Injecting PET

 Minimal pressure should be used to fill the mold

 Typically 90% of the shot is filled under primary pressure

 The remaining 10% is filled under secondary (lower)
pressure

 Usually, a rather flat velocity / pressure profile is acceptable

 If the secondary pressure is too high, pressure induced haze may

appear in the preform gate area

 Excessive injection pressure may cause deflection of the core

rods which gives poor wall thickness uniformity
Injection Molding
Shear Heat

 Always keep in mind the strong impact of shear heat on the overall
resin temperature.
 Controlling the shear heat is the reason why emphasis is placed on
minimizing screw speed whenever possible in processing PET.
 Screw speeds higher than necessary can only have detrimental
results as it affects resin quality.
 Not only is the mechanical shear damaging the polymer physically, the
increased shear heat damages the polymer thermally.

-1
Shear Rate sec = 3.14 * Screw Diameter * Screw RPM
Flight Depth * 60

 The formula indicates that the highest shear rate take place where the
flight depth is smallest, i.e. in the metering zone.
 To avoid excessive shearing of the material the screw RPM should
be as low as possible.
 Injection Molding
Mold Cooling Calculation

nRe = D*Va*Vp / u
Where:
nRe Reynolds Number
D The diameter of the cooling channel
Va The average velocity of the cooling media
Vp Density of the cooling media
u Viscosity of the cooling media

If the Reynolds number, which is the product of velocity, fluid density, and
pipe diameter, divided by the fluid viscosity, is less than 2100, the pipe
flow will always be laminar; at higher values it will normally be turbulent.
 Blown Molding conditions
Stretch-Blow Molding of PET
Crystallite Melting Range
°C °F Processing Range
Injection MT Glass Transition Point
300 572
MT Melting Temperature
ST Stretch Temperature
250 482
RT Room Temperature

Cooling
200 392 Melting in Barrel Crystallites Growth
Fastest Crystallites Growth

150 302
Stretch Blow Range

One Step ST
100 212

Drying of PET
50 122
in Hopper Cooling

Two Step

RT
START
PET Chips Preform Bottle
Stretch-Blow Molding
What Affects Bottle Blowing ?

 Preform IV

 Preform crystallinity

 Preform stress pattern

 Stress / Elongation characteristic of polymer

 Temperature of preform at blow

 IV of polymer

 Polymer type
 Stretch-Blow Molding
RHB Process Window
3
HAZE
REHEAT TEMPERATURE

MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES

6 5 1
PEARL
4
1
LOW

PEARL 2

ORIENTATION ( Preform / Bottle Design)

Position
1. Ideal conditions
2. Pearlescent ( too cold for design )
3. Crystalline Haze ( too hot )
4. Pearlescent ( too much stretch for any temperature )
5. Mediocre Properties
6. Poor Properties
 Stretch-Blow Molding
Heating preforms

- Cool the preforms down with air.

- Cooling time: 40 seconds for 2 liters bottle.
- Temperature: 100 to 115 C
- Temperature is function of IV absorption of the
polymer.
- If the preform is overheated, it can occur crystalline
haziness on the preform.
- Excessive base shrinkage: repair auxiliary equipment,
improve base distribution or clean base mold cooling
channels.
Stretch-Blow Molding

Stretch Rod:
- Helps the material distribution on the bottle.
- Starts just after the pre-blow.
- Critical adjustment
- Act for less than 0.5 seconds.
- Usually constructed with stainless steel.
- Different designs of tip.
Stretch-Blow Molding

Pre-blow Process:

- Blow bottle at a dimension a little smaller than the final

dimension.
- Important to have a good thickness distribution.
- Pressure from 100 to 200 psi.
- It is coordinated with the stretch rod.
- Duration: less than 1 second.
Stretch-Blow Molding
Factors Affecting Material Distribution

 Preform design (stretch ratios)

 Preform temperature profile (Hotter Thinner)

 Resin composition (Copolymer Thinner)

 Preform IV (Lower Thinner)

 Moisture Content in Preforms (Higher Thinner)

 Preblow Pressure / Timing

 Stretch Rod Rate / Timing

 Bottle design (Easy vs. Difficult)

Stretch-Blow Molding
Trouble – Shooting

 HAZY BOTTLES
 Preform too hot
 IV too low
 Crystallinity in preform

 PEARLESCENT BOTTLES
 Preform too cold
 Insufficient soak time
 Improper preform design

 THIN SIDEWALLS
 Preform too hot
 IV too low
 Improper heating profile
 Excessive moisture absorption in preforms

 OFF - CENTER GATES

 None - Uniform preform wall thickness
 Bent preform
 Bent stretch rod
 Preblow “outrunning” stretch rod
 Preblow pressure too high
Stretch-Blow Molding
Trouble - Shooting

 HEAVY NECK OR BASE

 Preform too hot
 IV too low
 Improper heating profile
 Improper timing of preblow
 Improper volume of preblow

 FOLDED NECK
 Wrong heating profile
 Late preblow
 Preblow pressure too low

 FILL VOLUME TOO LOW

 Blow mold too small
 Excessive shrinkage
 Preform too cold
 IV too high for preform design
 Improper preform design
 Preform storage temperature too high
 Blow pressure too high
Stretch-Blow Molding
Trouble - Shooting

 EXCESSIVE SHRINKAGE
 Wrong preform design
 High IV for the preform design
 Long storage time
 Preform too cold
 Preform too hot
 Premature descompressure
 Inefficient mold cooling

 GATE DISTORTED
 Preform too hot
 Cooling water too hot
 Inefficient water flow
 Accumulation of material on the gate area

 FOOT DISTORTED
 Review pressure and timing on the pre-blowing
 Increase the thickness

 STRANGLED BOTTLE
 Premature pre-blowing
Quality Control
Preform
Checks on:

 appearance and shape

 weight
 neck dimensions
 wall thickness
 and inspection using polarized light should be made
 on preforms taken from each set of lip cavities

When required, Intrinsic Viscosity (IV) need only be measured in

one sample from each injection cavity (sometimes two or even
three replica samples are required for accuracy).
Quality Control
Appearance and Shape

 Minor imperfections are likely to be present in every container, so the

specification should quantify or set limit on what is acceptable.
The following list may be used as a guide:
 DESCRIPTION LIMITS
 Mismatch of mold parts 0.05-mm maximum ‘step’ height
 Flash 0.05-mm maximum
 Crystalline haze / streaks Not generally acceptable
 Short shots / sink marks Not acceptable
 Bubbles Not acceptable
 Grease / surface Not acceptable
 Embedded dirt Not acceptable
 Crystalline slugs Not acceptable
 Gate stringing Not acceptable
Quality Control
Weight

 Preform weight variation or fluctuation will affect container wall thickness

(and thus the top load and vacuum strength)
 For a preform weight of up to 25g the normal tolerance is +/- 0.5 g, while for
preforms weighing 26 – 100g the normal tolerance is +/- 1g.
 The variation in preform weight between cavities should be less than 0.3g for
preforms with small neck finishes (35 mm OD or less), and 0.5 g for preforms
with wider necks.
 The fluctuation in weight of consecutive preforms from the same cavity (i.e.
between one shot and the next shot) should be less than 0.3g for preforms
with small neck finishes (35 mm OD or less), and 0.5 g for preforms with
wider necks.
Quality Control
Intrinsic Viscosity (IV)

 Measuring the IV of the material in the preform and comparing it with that of
the virgin material can give an indication of dryer effectiveness
 PET in the molten shape is very susceptible to hydrolytic degradation and
therefore must be correctly dried before processing
 Any moisture remaining in the polymer chip will lead to a drop in viscosity
during processing resulting in:
 Reduced physical properties:
a) Reduced top load
b) Increased creep in the finished container
 Experiment has shown that an IV drop of 0.01 will occur for every
25 PPM of moisture retained in the PET on melting.
Quality Control
Dimensions

 Container dimensions should be within the tolerances specified on

the drawing (typically +/-1 mm on diameter and +/-1.5 mm on
height for a 2 liter bottle).
 Many factors can effect the container dimensions but in general:
 If the preform is fully blown, the container dimensions should
be correct.

Capacity
 The container capacity should be within the tolerance specified on
the drawing
 Container capacity is affected by:
 Storage time
 Environment
 Shrinkage of a typical PET bottle is:
 0.5% on volume after 72 hours storage, rising to a maximum
of about 1.5% after 150 days at 22° C, (higher temperature will
increase shrinkage rates but not peak values).
Quality Control
Container wall thickness and material distribution

 When a bottle is blown it is crucial that the material is consistently and

accurately placed in the correct position since a variable wall thickness will
result in:
 poorer top load
 increased carbonation loss
 and in extreme cases, distortion of the bottle
(caused by the carbonation pressure)
 For these reasons, the specifications of the bottles will often define the
minimum wall thickness in each part of the container.
 Uneven material distribution may be due to:

Circumferential Vertical
- container shape (oval designs) - container shape (wasted designs)
- uneven wall thickness of preform - uneven gate balance
- wrong temperature distribution - wrong stretch speed
in preform - wrong primary blow timing
- wrong stretch ratio or - wrong secondary blow timing
grade of PET resin - wrong stretch ratio or
- grade of PET resin
Quality Control
Environmental Stress Crazing Test

Submerge bottles for 15 minutes in a 2.5% solution of NaOH in water

at 59+/-1° C
 Remove from the solution and cool to room temperature
(21+/- 5° C)
 Pressurize to 7 kgf/cm2 with air for 15 minutes, then de-pressurize
the bottles and examine for crazing

 Pass criteria:
 no leakage from the pressurized bottles after the above test
sequence has been repeated 25 times.
Reacting to the problem

• Fast reaction is important. As soon as you suspect that

your bottle may have stress cracking, contact Amcor
immediately.
• It is very important to recover the bottles with problem, for
tracking and analysis.
• When Amcor investigate a stress cracking problem, we use
a very detailed check list, to gather all possible information
of the stages of the bottle history.
• The best we can do to avoid stress cracking is to work
together, to effectively eliminate all crucial areas of the
problem, within the life cycle of a PET bottle.
Recommendations – Summary
Preforms:

• Do not overload the preform and/or bottles boxes – each box can
transfer the weight to another box.
• Empty the preform box with cautious.
• Identify clearly the preform boxes.
• Allow the preforms to equilibrate its temperature at 24 hours before
the blowing.
• Do not stock preforms for more than 2 months (free volume
relaxation).
• Always keep track of the preforms/bottles.
• Never mix preforms with different storage times.
• Keep preforms protected against dust, heat and humidity.
• Check if stretch ratio is OK for the bottle.
Recommendations – Summary
Bottles/filling lines:

• Avoid over-carbonation
• Avoid the unnecessary exposition to chemicals, such
as: oils, alcohols, lubricants, cleaners, detergents, hard
water, etc.
• Control the pH of the any water used in contact with the
bottles.
• Use FIFO stock system.
• Blow at the lowest temperature possible.
• Adjust with care the stretch rod and pre-blow.
• Delay the decompression as much as you can.
Recommendations – Summary
Bottles/filling lines:

• Use qualified zero failure line lubricant only. Do not use

lubricants which have not been formally tested and
approved as ZERO failure by Amcor PET Packaging.
• Strictly control fill pressure and minimize variation in
carbonation.
• Avoid excessive counter pressure on filler.
• Avoid excessive line pressure; particularly on full side.
Avoid excessive drop packer height.
• Minimize temperature and exposure time in bottle
warmer.
Some Recommended Lubricants

From Diversey Lever:

a) Dicolube HPX (400:1)
b) Dicolube HPX (200:1)
c) Dicolube HPX-Plus (400:1)

From Chemstation:
a) 3930 (400:1)

For more information: refer to the List of Approved

Lubricants – Amcor.
Recommendations – Summary
Bottles/filling lines:

• Change warmer solution regularly to avoid build up of

stress crack causing agents.
• Bottle heaters:
- Keep the water temperature below 100 F (38 C),
and the bottle below 80 F (27 C).
- Change the water daily
- Do not use additives
- If the line stops, close the water spray.
- If the line stops fro 10 or 15 min, empty the
bottles from the heater.
Recommendations – Summary
Bottles/filling lines:

- Bottle Washers:
- Guarantee that the detergent be appropriately
dilluted.
- Alkalinity must not exceed 50 ppm
- Alkalinity must not exceed 100 ppm with lubricant.
- Only use silicon spray with edible level, with
additive that does not have any component or
additive that could cause stress cracking.
- Control the carbonation level below 4.2 volumes.
Recommendations – Summary
Bottles/filling lines:
• Avoid exposure to stress cracking agents such as caustic,
degreasers, solvents, ketones and alcohols.
• Avoid exposure to water with excessive alkalinity,
excessive hardness, or high chlorine level.
• Rinse the bottles before packing them.
• The lubricant for aluminum Myvacet Capper is a very
severe stress cracking agent. Be sure to keep it far from
the filling lines.
• Plant must dry the bottles, as the humidity ambient can
contribute to have the failure. If excessive humidity can
not be avoided, the bottles should be packed in corrugate
boxes.
Recommendations – Summary
Empty Bottle Storage Guidelines:

• Do not store filled bottles at high temperatures and

high humidity levels. Never at direct sunlinght.
• Never store empty bottles at temperatures exceeding
38 C.
• Control warehouse conditions: particularly with
bottles stacked near warehouse roof, where elevated
temperatures are likely. Minimum clearance between
bottles and roof should be 1 meter. Forced exhaust
ventilation must be used in warm climates (typically,
4 air changes por hour or more).
Recommendations – Summary
Full Bottle Retail Handling Guidelines:

• Minimize storage time and temperature.

• Practice FIFO inventory control.
• Avoid excessive shock to bottles, particularly when moving stock.
• Avoid exposure of bottles to cleaning products; particularly to caustic
cleaners like grease cutters, or to solvents which might contain ketones.
• Clean shelves thoroughly if any products leaks before putting new
product on the shelves. Use water only for cleaning shelves and dry the
shelves before using.
• Never store PET bottles in direct sunlight.
• Never store empty PET bottles in temperatures above 38 C
• Do not allow the trucks to stay under the sun –
open the doors or park under the shade.
Recommendations - Summary
Optimizing Stress Cracking Resistance:
• Design bottles with low stress concentration in
amorphous zones.
• Use preforms produced from high IV copolymers.
• Keep a good IV in the preform.
• Achieve sufficient orientation in the bottle base.
• Avoid store preforms or empty bottles for long time.
• Use compatible lubricants with PET and on the
recommended concentrations.
• Track variation in blow molding process by control
charting measurable quality
parameters.
 Investigation of Accidents
Maintenance

• The investigation is detailed

• Establish a team to solve the problem and

not to find out responsible

• Do not leave any possibility not checked

Check List – After Failure

1) Bottle identification
a) Packaging profile
b) Bottle weight
c) Cavity number of the preform
d) Cavity number of the blow mold
e) Bottle supplier and location
f) Production date and time
Check List

2) Bottler information:
• Location of filling
• Filling time and time
• CO2 level
• Used (or not) the flange
• Counter-pressure
• Type of lubricant used / concentration / last time
the line received maintenance.
• Alkalinity of the water
• Where the bottle was not approved (bottler or line
or storage or at the field)
Check List

3) Visual Analysis (bottle supplier) – initial:

• Location of the stress cracking (radial or
axial)
• General condition of the bottle
• Material distribution on the gate area
Check List

4) Laboratory Analysis:
• Base weight x specifications
• IV test
• Measurement of material distribution
• Results of titration of the lubricant
• Results of water alkalinity
• Results of chemical contamination
• Results of comparison of samples.
Check List

5) Does the filling line have heater ?

• Maximum temperature of the solution
• Any additive that was used on the
solution
• Residence time inside the heater
• Is the heater cleaned during long stops ?
• What is the frequency that the solution is
replaced ?
• Is the heater purged every night ?
 Check List

- Are the bottles dried before being

packing ?
- Was it used any chemicals to make the
corrugated boxes ?
ISBT – Check List (Summary)

• Resin:
a) Receive certificate of analysis for each
lot.
b) Resin needs to be dried correctly, to
assure performance. Residual moisture
of pellets must be less than 0.005% (50
ppm)
c) Very good control of recycled material.
ISBT – Check List (Summary)
• Bottle production and handling:
a) Maintain good material distribution on the base.
b) Isolate all samples in the storage and help the plant
to get the following data:
- Retain all samples and note all data involved (bottler
and bottle supplier). Separate for inspection.
- Get sample of water in all lines, and dilluted
lubricant, and chemical samples in-house for
analysis. Consult info about water alkalinity and
dillution of the lubricant.
- Check if any chemical substance not approved for
contact with PET.
ISBT – Check List (Summary)
• Segregate all suspect materials.
• Review the collected data in the quality control,
of the preform and bottle (such as dryer
maintenance, notes about dew point meter, IV
certificate and base weight).
• Check if any chemical substance not approved
contacted the PET bottles.
• Keep all water that could be in touch with the
bottles with controlled alkalinity.

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