PRODUCTION
CONTAINERS AND TRANSPORTATION Survey of thirty-four companies in t h e drug a n d pharmaceutical industry re veals problems a n d practices connected w i t h the use o f screw cap closures STUDY of the special problems con nected with screw cap closures in t h e drug and pharmaceutical industry has been distributed to interested members of t h e Packaging institute, according to an a n nouncement by H. Earl Nack of Sharp & Dohme, chairman of t h e institute's drug and pharmaceutical packaging d e velopment committee. Carl B. Burnside of Eli Lilly was in active charge of t h e study in which 34 companies participated by reporting their practices. For volatile liquids t h e report shows that vinylite was the most popular facing, closure liners of foil, saran, a n d Pliofilm being the second choices. Foil, however, takes first place where special closures are used for chloroform-containing liquids but some concerns feel that no special precautions are needed. W h e r e volatile oils, essential oils, and organic solvents are packaged, foil is again the first choice for a liner facing. Corrosion of metal caps is always a problem, b u t no one reported any com parable difficulties with molded plastic screw caps. Eight different types of spe cial closures were used by seventeen differ-
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ent companies for antibiotics a n d similar hygroscopic dry materials, with t h e major ity exercising considerable control over screw cap application and torque. Moisture-vapor transfer data pertain ing to liner facing were used by the ma jority of t h e companies reporting on this phase of the problem, but most users rely on t h e cap manufacturer's data in stead of measuring it in their o w n labo ratories. In spite of the functional need for high resilience of cap liners, u p w a r d of 80' '< of t h e users do no testing of cork or pulp liners, but those who make such tests are exacting in their requirements. Testing of the breakage strength of plastic closures, b y hand a n d by machine, and t h e frequency of such tests is indica tive of a trend toward greater care in this field. Λ survey of t h e methods and duration
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N e w Membership C a t e g o r y in PS A new form of membership in t h e Pack aging Institute ( N e w York 17, Ν . Υ.) t o be known as associate membership has b e e n announced. T h e associate m e m b e r ship has b e e n created t o permit individuals in m e m b e r corporations to benefit from t h e work of t h e Packaging Institute at dues of $15,00 a year. Such dues are payable eitHer b y the individual or his employer. Eligibility for t h e n e w type of m e m b e r ship is restricted to employees of m e m b e r corporations. Associate membership application blanks can be o b t a i n e d from t h e institute at 342 Madison Ave., N e w York 17, Ν. Υ.
Filling Machine f o r Acids MRM Co., I n c . , is announcing t h e com pletion o f a semiautomatic filling machine intended for filling CJ.F. grade acids in cluding Hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric, in addition to c.p. alkalis such as am monium hydroxide. T h e acid filler will fill acid bottles ranging in size up to 5 pints. Rate of fill on 5-pint bottles is established as two fills p e r spout per minute. Special materials h a v e been utilized in handling the highly corrosive acids a n d to avoid contamination of the liquids. These materials consist of teflon, poly ethylene, and chemically resistant glass. MRM Co. is presently constructing similar m a c h i n e r y for the filling of acids a n d alkali into 6.5- a n d 13-gallon carboys. C 1
Plastic Selling Containers
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of tests of new closures showed that some tests run S to 12 weeks under accelerating conditions or 1 y e a r under room conditions. T h i s r e p o r t is available at $1.50 a copy from Packaging Institute at 342 Madison Ave., New York 17, Ν . Υ.
Celluplastic Corp. announces t h a t 2 5 n e w stock sizes have been a d d e d t o their list of s t o c k plastic containers. Sizes start from Υβ Χ Γ/* inches and range t o IV* X 5 inches approximate inside dimensions. Clearsite plastic selling containers are a l s o available i n several stock styles—shell vials, shoulder vials, screw cap vials, a n d r i n g or bead vials. T h e y m a y b e h a d in r i g i d polystyrene a n d cellulose acetate as w e l l as i n flexible polyethylene a n d cellu l o s e acetate. T h e containers can b e fur nished w i t h plug and cap type polyethylene closures or with metal or bakélite screw c a p s or other t y p e s of closures, d e p e n d i n g o n the particular packaging problem involved. Celluplastic also produces vials t o manufacturers* own specifications in lengths as needed. Advantages claimed for these containers a r e that they are shatterproof, tasteless, a n d odorless, c a n be decorated a n d printed, a n d are available clear or opaque in a wide range o£ colors. C 2
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