Pressure resistant reinforcing means for containers to be heated by microwaves.

摘要

Containers 19 for materials which are to be microwave heated, such as in digesting or extracting operations, are made of thermoplastic material, such as a fluoropolymer, e.g., TEFLON TM PFA, that is strengthened by reinforcing means that may be a fiber reinforced theremoplastic of high tensile strength, such as polyetherimide, e.g., ULTEM TM , with reinforcing continuous fibers in a matrix of such thermoplastic, which fibers are preferably of glass or other heat resistant and microwave transmissive material. The containers 19 may be strengthened by incorporating the fiber reinforced thermoplastic in a wall or walls of the container or by inserting the container into a reinforcement 31, which is a sleeve or collar of the reinforced thermoplastic. In both such constructions the reinforcing means protects the container 19 against peripheral or radial failure due to pressure that is generated by the microwave heating of the container contents. Also described are processes for manufacturing the described reinforcing means and for utilizing containers protected by such means.