The bottle is a ubiquitous item in our daily lives, used to hold everything from milk and soda to motor oil and shampoo. But have you ever wondered what it takes to make these bottles?
The raw material that makes plastic goes through a manufacturing process to become bottles for liquid substances like milk, soda, and motor oil and for dry products such as medications and nutritional supplements. This process converts organic polymers into a soft, malleable state that can be molded into the desired shape and then cast into a solid form. The resulting bottle is a sturdy, lightweight container that keeps its contents secure, preserves the contents’ freshness and quality, and has an attractive appearance.
Glass bottles are also in widespread use. Like plastic, they are made from non-equilibrium atomic states that appear solid on a short time scale but continuously relax toward the equilibrium liquid or crystal state. Glass manufacturers produced bottles for specific products with defined shapes that were associated with a particular period of time. For example, the square, short necked bottle pictured to the right is generally considered to be of an early 19th century type that was popular for a high alcohol nominally medicinal product known as “bitters” or “schnapps.”
Bottles are produced by various techniques such as blow molding (using air pressure to inflate molten material into a mold), injection molding, extrusion blow molding, and co-extrusion blow molding. Bottles can be decorated with a variety of materials and designs using inks, paints, or labels that are applied by either printing or shrinking to fit the bottle. In addition, a wide variety of finishing techniques can be used on bottles including painting, hot stamping, and silk screening.
These finishing techniques can be combined to create unique and eye-catching bottle designs that are sure to impress consumers and increase sales. In fact, consumer demand for eco-friendly, durable, and attractive bottles has increased significantly in recent years, prompting major plastic companies to invest in research and development of new glass and plastic materials.
Some scientists are working on alternatives to the traditional bottle, including a version of glass that is both biodegradable and recyclable. However, the current generation of alternative bottles has not yet made a significant impact on recycling. The vast majority of plastic bottles still end up in landfills or as waste in oceans where they may leach harmful pollutants into the soil and water, or be ingested by marine life.
In an effort to help reduce the amount of plastic waste, many communities have implemented bottle bills and other measures to encourage residents to recycle their bottles. However, a more long-term solution will require the development of innovative, alternative production methods that will reduce the dependence on virgin raw materials and improve the economics of plastic bottle manufacturing. This will not be an easy task as the chemical makeup of bottles is so complex and multifaceted, but the goal is certainly worth the effort.
