Friendly Plastic Pop Can Nearly Ready for Market

drfishy writes "BevNET has the story of Toledo, OH based Owens-Illinois and their new pop can. The can is made of a "fancy" new clear plastic with a traditional aluminum top and should be in stores sometime this year. Consumers are supposed to like it because of the "cool" factor, manufacturers will like it because they can use the same equipment to fill and package them, beverage companies like it because consumers and manufacturers will, and advertising agencies love it because they can get rich making all new commercials to convince people it really is cool. Seriously though, I like the idea, enough to submit a story about it anyway..."

Comments

Re:"It doesn't taste the same"

[Christopher Thomas]

Otherwise the carbonic acid would react with the aluminum, and leave you with a nasty taste (I believe due to Aluminum Oxide? but its been a while since high school Chemistry).

Aluminum oxide is not soluble and almost certainly doesn't have any taste (it's even more stable than silica).

What you get after dissolving aluminum with an acid is hydrogen and an aluminum-based salt. This would be aluminum carbonate for carbonic acid, and aluminum phosphate for the phosphoric acid many drinks use as a flavouring agent.

I left a case of coke unused for about 6 months once. Tasted very odd after the lining broke down.