Abstract: A method of producing a polymer composition adapted to be added to a sealed volume to increase the durability of goods contained in said volume comprising treating a polyamide or copolyamide with a metal compound contained in a volatile solvent composition during refluxing conditions to obtain an active component having capacity to consume oxygen, the metal of said compound being iron, nickel, cobalt, copper or manganese, said active component being a metal complex.

Abstract: A polymer composition for manufacturing containers, intermediate forms or parts thereof for improving their oxygen barrier properties is described. According to the invention the composition contains as an active component a metal compound having capacity to scavenge oxygen and consisting of a metal ion having complexing properties and a polymer to which the metal ion is combined as a complex.A method of producing said polymer composition is also described, according to which a polymer is treated with a metal compound dissolved or slurried in a volatile solvent composition during refluxing conditions for obtaining the active component having capacity to scavenge oxygen. The polymer composition in admixture with a further polymer can be molded into containers, intermediate forms or parts thereof.

Abstract: A container wall of stretched plastic material has high oxygen barrier properties by incorporating an activating metal into the plastic material. The plastic material is PET in admixture with a polyamide and the metal is either added to the mixture or contained in one or both of the polymers. The material is stretched and aged to produce the container wall with the high oxygen barrier properties. The metal is preferably a transition metal and can be derived from a salt, such as a halide or acetate.