Screwcap
Encyclopedia
A screw cap or closure is a common type of closure for bottle
s, jar
s, and tube
s.
. Either continuous threads or lugs are used. It must be engineered to be cost-effective, to provide an effective seal (and barrier), to be compatible with the contents, to be easily opened by the consumer, often to be reclosable, and to comply with product, package, and environmental laws and regulations. Some closures need to be tamper resistant
and have child-resistant packaging
features.
for sealing wine
bottles. A screw cap is a metal
cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a bottle
, generally with a metal skirt down the neck to resemble the traditional wine capsule ("foil"). A layer of plastic
(often PVDC), cork, rubber
, or other soft material is used as wad to make a seal with the mouth of the bottle.
Bottle
A bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth". By contrast, a jar has a relatively large mouth or opening. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids such as water, milk, soft...
s, jar
Jar
A jar is a rigid, approximately cylindrical container with a wide mouth or opening. Jars are typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic. They are used for foods, cosmetics, medications, and chemicals that are relatively thick or viscous...
s, and tube
Tube (container)
A tube is a soft squeezable container which can be used for thick liquids such as glue and toothpaste. Basically, a tube is a cylindrical, hollow piece with a round or oval profile, made of plastic, paperboard, or aluminum. Both ends of this tube are treated differently during the manufacturing...
s.
Usage
A screw closure is a mechanical device which is screwed on and off of a "finish" on a containerPackaging and labelling
Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport,...
. Either continuous threads or lugs are used. It must be engineered to be cost-effective, to provide an effective seal (and barrier), to be compatible with the contents, to be easily opened by the consumer, often to be reclosable, and to comply with product, package, and environmental laws and regulations. Some closures need to be tamper resistant
Tamper resistance
Tamper resistance is resistance to tampering by either the normal users of a product, package, or system or others with physical access to it. There are many reasons for employing tamper resistance....
and have child-resistant packaging
Child-resistant packaging
Child-resistant packaging or C-R packaging is special packaging used to reduce the risk of children ingesting dangerous items. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, pesticides, and household...
features.
Wine Industry
Its use as an alternative wine closure is gaining increasing support as an alternative to corkCork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
for sealing wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
bottles. A screw cap is a metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a bottle
Bottle
A bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth". By contrast, a jar has a relatively large mouth or opening. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids such as water, milk, soft...
, generally with a metal skirt down the neck to resemble the traditional wine capsule ("foil"). A layer of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
(often PVDC), cork, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, or other soft material is used as wad to make a seal with the mouth of the bottle.
Sake industry
Sake bottles are almost universally closed with screw caps (some are packed in barrels, or novelty bottles).Sources
- Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, ISBN 1-930268-25-4
- Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6
- Prlewe, J. Wine from Grape to Glass. NY: Abbeville Press, 1999.
- Wayne J. Mortensen and Brian K. Marks, The Failure of a Wine Closure Innovation: A Strategic Marketing Analysis,
- ASTM D3474 Standard Practice for Calibration and Use of Torque Meters Used in Packaging Applications
See also
- Screw cap (wine)Screw cap (wine)A screw cap is a metal cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a bottle, generally with a metal skirt down the neck to resemble the traditional wine capsule . A layer of plastic , cork, rubber, or other soft material is used as wad to make a seal with the mouth of the bottle...
- Packaging
- Bottle capBottle capBottle caps are a type of closure used to seal the openings of bottles of many types. They can be small circular pieces of metal, usually steel, with plastic backings, and for plastic bottles a plastic cap is used instead. A bottle cap is typically colorfully decorated with the logo of the brand...
- Permeation
- Child-resistant packagingChild-resistant packagingChild-resistant packaging or C-R packaging is special packaging used to reduce the risk of children ingesting dangerous items. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, pesticides, and household...
- Closure & Container Manufacturers AssociationClosure & Container Manufacturers AssociationThe Closure & Container Manufacturers Association is a trade association of manufacturers who produce closures and containers. Only manufacturers of plastic containers are represented in the association, although this may change in time.-Purpose:...
- Closure (container)