What is claimed is:
1. A preform comprising:
a threaded neck finish;
a body portion including an end cap, the neck finish and the body portion comprising a first layer and the body portion additionally comprising a second layer, the first layer comprising virgin polyester and the second layer comprising recycled polyester;
a third layer comprising a gas barrier material applied to one of the first and second layers; and
wherein the second layer comprises about 25% to about 50% of the preform.
2. A preform according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is selected from the group consisting of PET homopolymers and copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, polyethylene naphthalatepolyethylene terephthalate blends, and combinations thereof.
3. A preform according to claim 1, wherein the second layer is selected from the group consisting of recycled PET homopolymers and copolymers, recycled polyethylene naphthalate, recycled polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, recycled polyethylene naphthalatepolyethylene terephthalate blends, and combinations thereof.
4. A preform according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is primarily amorphous or semi-crystalline, and the threaded neck finish is primarily crystalline.
5. A preform according to claim 4, wherein the interior surface of the threaded neck finish is amorphous.
6. A preform according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises recycled PET, the recycled PET being a product of a recycling process for barrier containers made of PET and hydroxy-phenoxyether polymers, the process comprising;
chopping the containers into smaller pieces;
cleaning the pieces;
dissolving the hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer with acid;
separating the hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer solution from the PET pieces;
rinsing and drying the PET pieces.
7. A method of making a preform according to claim 1, comprising:
injecting a polyester melt into a cavity formed by a mold and a core wherein the mold comprises a threaded neck finish portion at a first temperature and a body portion at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is greater than the crystallinity temperature of the polyester and the second temperature is less than the crystallinity temperature of the polyester;
leaving the polyester melt in contact with the mold and core to form a preform wherein the body portion is primarily amorphous or semi-crystalline, and the threaded neck finish is primarily crystalline;
removing the preform from the mold;
placing the preform in a second mold wherein the second mold comprises a threaded neck finish portion at the first temperature and a body portion at the third temperature;
injecting a melt of the recycled PET material over the body portion to form a two-layer preform;
and removing the two-layer preform from the mold.
8. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising:
blow molding the preform to create a beverage container;
depositing a barrier layer onto the container.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the barrier layer comprises a silicon oxide film deposited on an inner surface of the container.
10. A mold for making a preform according to claim 1, comprising:
a first mold;
a second mold; and
a core;
wherein the first mold comprises:
a threaded neck finish portion having a first mold temperature control system; and
a body portion having a second temperature control system; and
the core having a third temperature control system;
wherein the first temperature control system is independent of the second and third temperature control systems and the threaded neck finish portion is thermally isolated from the body portion and core.
11. A mold according to claim 10, wherein the first, second and third temperature control systems comprise circulating fluid.
12. A mold according to claim 10, wherein the first and second temperature control systems are selected from the group consisting of heaters, heating coils, heating probes, and circulating fluid.
13. A mold according to claim 10, wherein the core comprises a first core portion in the region of the threaded neck portion of the mold and a second core portion in the region of the body portion of the mold, wherein the first and second core portions have separate temperature regulation systems.
14. A mold according to claim 13, wherein the first and second core temperature regulation systems are selected from the group consisting of heaters, heating coils, heating probes, and circulating fluid.
15. A laminate comprising:
a virgin PET layer;
a recycled PET layer; and
a gas barrier layer;
the virgin PET layer being directly adhered to the recycled or post-consumer PET layer and the recycled layer comprising from about 25% to about 50% of the laminate.
16. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the gas barrier layer comprises a silicon oxide film.
17. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the laminate is in the form of a preform.
18. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the laminate is in the form of a beverage container.
19. The laminate of claim 18, wherein the silicon oxide film is the innermost layer of the beverage container.
20. The laminate of claim 15, wherein the virgin PET has an isophthalic acid content of at least about 2% by weight.
21. The laminate of claim 20, wherein the isophthalic acid content of the virgin PET is about 2%-10% by weight.
22. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the isophthalic acid content of the virgin PET is about 4%-5% by weight.
23. The laminate of claim 20, wherein the isophthalic acid content of the recycled PET is at least about 2% by weight.
24. A preform comprising:
a first layer comprising virgin PET having an isophthalic acid content of at least about 2% by weight; and
a second layer comprising recycled PET; and
wherein the first layer is thinner in the end cap than in the wall portion and the second layer is thicker in the end cap than in the wall portion.
25. The preform of claim 24, wherein the recycled PET comprises about 25% to about 50% of the preform.
26. A preform comprising:
a threaded neck finish, a neck cylinder and a body portion, the body portion additionally comprising an end cap;
the neck finish, the neck cylinder and the body portion comprising a first layer of virgin polyester and the body portion additionally comprising a second layer of recycled polyester, the second layer comprising about 25% to about 50% of the preform;
wherein each of the first layer and the second layer are formed by injection molding.
27. A preform according to claim 26, wherein the first layer is selected from the group consisting of PET homopolymers and copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, polyethylene naphthalatepolyethylene terephthalate blends, and combinations thereof.
28. A preform according to claim 26, wherein the second layer is selected from the group consisting of recycled PET homopolymers and copolymers, recycled polyethylene naphthalate, recycled polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, recycled polyethylene naphthalatepolyethylene terephthalate blends, and combinations thereof.
29. A preform according to claim 26, wherein the body portion is primarily amorphous or semi-crystalline, and the threaded neck finish is primarily crystalline.
30. A preform according to claim 29, wherein the interior surface of the threaded neck finish is amorphous.
31. A preform according to claim 26, wherein the second layer comprises recycled PET, the recycled PET being a product of a recycling process for barrier containers made of PET and hydroxy-phenoxyether polymers, the process comprising;
chopping the containers into smaller pieces;
cleaning the pieces;
dissolving the hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer with acid;
separating the hydroxy-phenoxyether polymer solution from the PET pieces;
rinsing and drying the PET pieces.
32. A method of making a preform according to claim 26, comprising:
injecting a polyester melt into a cavity formed by a mold and a core wherein the mold comprises a threaded neck finish portion at a first temperature and a body portion at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is greater than the crystallinity temperature of the polyester and the second temperature is less than the crystallinity temperature of the polyester;
leaving the polyester melt in contact with the mold and core to form a preform wherein the body portion is primarily amorphous or semi-crystalline, and the threaded neck finish is primarily crystalline;
removing the preform from the mold;
placing the preform in a second mold wherein the second mold comprises a threaded neck finish portion at the first temperature and a body portion at the third temperature;
injecting a melt of the recycled PET material over the body portion to form a two-layer preform;
and removing the two-layer preform from the mold.
33. The method of claim 32, additionally comprising:
blow molding the preform to create a beverage container;
depositing a barrier layer onto the container.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the barrier layer comprises a silicon oxide film deposited on an inner surface of the container.
35. A mold for making a preform according to claim 26, comprising:
a first mold;
a second mold; and
a core;
wherein the first mold comprises:
a threaded neck finish portion having a first mold temperature control system;
a body portion having a second temperature control system; and
the core having a third temperature control system;
wherein the first temperature control system is independent of the second and third temperature control systems and the threaded neck finish portion is thermally isolated from the body portion and core.
36. A mold according to claim 35, wherein the first, second and third temperature control systems comprise circulating fluid.
37. A mold according to claim 35, wherein the first and second temperature control systems are selected from the group consisting of heaters, heating coils, heating probes, and circulating fluid.
38. A mold according to claim 35, wherein the core comprises a first core portion in the region of the threaded neck portion of the mold and a second core portion in the region of the body portion of the mold, wherein the first and second core portions have separate temperature regulation systems.
39. A mold according to claim 38, wherein the first and second core temperature regulation systems are selected from the group consisting of heaters, heating coils, heating probes, and circulating fluid.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An X-ray CT apparatus comprising:
a scanner that includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector having two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector elements, disposed on an opposite side of the X-ray source interposing a subject to be examined therebetween, and provided for measuring X-rays irradiated from the X-ray source onto the subject and passed through the subject and carries out helical scanning by rotating the X-ray source and the X-ray detector relative to the subject around a revolving axis and moving the subject relative to the X-ray source and the X-ray detector along the revolving axis; and
an image processor for creating a tomogram of the subject from projection data collected by helical scanning using the X-ray detector,
wherein the image processor creates a tomogram by reconstructing data combining a plurality of different sets of projection data at a point on the subject on the revolving axis such that phase ranges of the rotation overlap with each other.
2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processor reconstructs an image from data weighted and combined using the plurality of different sets of projection data and weighting functions which are functions of corresponding phase ranges of the revolution.
3. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the phase ranges of the revolution of the plurality of different sets of projection data extend over a range of 32 or more of a complete phase.
4. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processor includes a selection device which selects the plurality of different sets of projection data from a plurality of the two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector element arrays and an image is reconstructed using detected data of the element arrays selected by the selection device and data opposite to the detected data.
5. An X-ray CT apparatus comprising:
a scanner that includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector having two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector elements, disposed on the opposite side of the X-ray source interposing a subject to be examined therebetween, for measuring X-rays irradiated from the X-ray source onto the subject and passed through the subject and carries out helical scanning by rotating the X-ray source and the X-ray detector relative to the subject around a revolving axis and moving the subject relative to the X-ray source and the X-ray detector along the revolving axis; and
an image processor for creating a tomogram of the subject from projection data collected by helical scanning using the X-ray detector,
wherein the image processor creates a tomogram by reconstructing images of a plurality of different phase ranges from a plurality of different sets of projection data of the revolution at a point on the subject on the revolving axis such that the phase ranges of the rotation overlap with each other and adding the reconstructed images of the plurality of different phase ranges.
6. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the images in the plurality of different phase ranges are weighted by weighting functions which are functions of the phase ranges of the revolution and added to obtain a tomogram.
7. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image processor includes a selection device that selects the plurality of sets of projection data of different phases from a plurality of the two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector element arrays and reconstructs an image using the detected data of the element arrays selected by the selection device and data opposite to the detected data.
8. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the different phase range for the reconstructed images in the plurality of different phase ranges is 180-degree.
9. A method for creating a tomogram of a subject by revolving an X-ray source relative to a subject around a revolving axis and carrying out helical scanning which moves the X-ray source relative to the subject along the revolving axis from the projection data collected by an X-ray detector made up of a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged detector elements for measuring X-rays which have been irradiated from the X-ray source onto the subject and have passed through the subject, comprising:
a step of setting measuring parameters of the projection data;
a step of obtaining projection data by carrying out helical scanning based on the measuring parameters;
a step of creating a plurality of different sets of projection data such that phase ranges of helical scanning overlap with each other at a point on the subject on the revolving axis from the projection data;
a step of creating a plurality of reconstructed images at the point corresponding to the plurality of sets of projection data created; and
a step of creating a reconstructedadded image by applying a weighting function to and adding the plurality of reconstructed images created.
10. The method for creating a tomogram according to claim 9, wherein the step of creating the plurality of sets of projection data of comprising:
a step of setting the ientical point of the reconstructed subject on the revolving axis;
a step of deciding the range of the plurality of the two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector element arrays of the data used for reconstruction of the set point;
a step of deciding a phase range corresponding to the range of the decided X-ray detector element arrays;
a step of acquiring the data of the array range and the phase range as phase data; and
a step of acquiring helically corrected projection data by creating and applying the weighting function which is a function of phases on the revolving axis to the phase data.
11. The method for creating a tomogram according to claim 10, wherein the weighting function is a phase addition weighting function.
12. The method for creating a tomogram according to claim 11, wherein the phase range of the weighting function is or more.
13. A method for creating a tomogram of a subject by revolving an X-ray source relative to the subject around a revolving axis and carrying out helical scanning which moves the X-ray source relative to the subject along the revolving axis from the projection data collected by an X-ray detector made up of a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged detector elements for measuring X-rays which have been irradiated from the X-ray source onto the subject and have passed through the subject, comprising:
a step of setting measuring parameters of the projection data;
a step of obtaining projection data by carrying out helical scanning based on the measuring parameters;
a step of creating a plurality of different sets of projection data such that phase ranges of helical scanning overlap with each other at a point on the subject on the revolving axis from the projection data;
a step of applying a weighting function to and adding the plurality of sets of projection data created; and
a step of creating a reconstructed image using the data obtained by applying the weighting function and adding.