MEDICAL | MATERIALS
has additional developments of Colorant Chromat- ics in development for other high-performance resins, including polyethersulfone (PES) and polysulfone (PSU).
TPE ambitions United Soft Plastics (USP), a manufacturer and custom compounder of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) experienced a surge in interest in its materials for a range of CoVid-19 related applications including personal protective equipment and venti- lator parts. Even though demand has started to gradually decline since the end of 2021 there is still long-term support for these medical products due to the growing use of antimicrobial, antivirus and antibiotic compounds. According to Benedict Herbst, Executive Vice
President and CFO, there remains interest in replacing liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and standard rubber in these applications with other plastics, and then scaling the applications. “We see a larger fraction of consumers become more conscious of infectious disease and the ability we have, both as manufacturers and consumers, to prevent the spread of disease through the choice of proper materials.” Herbst adds that many applications which previously were not considered medical, such as a pen cup in a public waiting room, will in the future need to hold up to different sterilisation methods such as autoclaving.
USP developed Special and Medical series
grades in its Unisoft line throughout the pandemic, which the company says provide excellent elastic- ity, strong recovery properties and tear resistance for all elastic parts. In addition, USP supplied a special TPE compound for the Nvironone OvaOne interchangeable filter face mask from Nvironone. The injection moulded material for the base structure of the mask is designed to meet US FDA contact requirements and is safe for skin contact. Elkem Silicones opened a new 18,000 ft2 specialised facility in York, South Carolina, US to produce high purity medical LSR materials that meet medical and pharma market requirements. The facility is designed to produce products that serve medical implantables and pharmaceutical applications, says Bertrand Mollet, President of Elkem Silicones Americas. The new manufacturing plant features state-of-
the-art ISO certified Class 7 and Class 8 cleanrooms. Implant grade and medical grade LSR, high consist- ency rubber, high purity silicone gels, silicone adhesives and dispersions offered under the Silbione Biomedical brand. The facility is Elkem’s second such site in York. It opened its main manu-
www.injectionworld.com
facturing campus for North America there in 2012.
POM grades Polyplastics Group extended its portfolio of high-performance acetal materials for the medical and healthcare market with the launch of its Duracon PM 27S01N grade of polyoxymethylene (POM), the newest product in the Duracon PM series. The formulation is a high-flow grade which can result in reduced wall thickness, miniaturisation and lower weight for various medical devices that are becoming both increasingly complicated and highly functional. Other features of the new grade include
excellent slip and wear properties that permit lower friction and thus greater design freedom. The material shows superior heat and moisture durabil- ity compared to competitive medical grades. The Duracon PM series is usable under hot steam and Ethylene Oxide (EtO) sterilisation conditions. The materials adhere to strict quality management systems including conformity to the VDI 2017 medical grade plastics guideline. Polyplastics says the Duracon PM line comple- ments its flagship Topas brand cyclic olefin copoly- mer (COC) product, which is also a high-purity material for a range of medical applications.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.factmr.com �
www.solvay.com �
www.ostiumgroup.eu �
www.mcam.com �
https://padmmedical.com �
www.basf.com �
www.totalenergies-corbion.com �
www.carmo.dk �
www.avient.com �
www.unitedsoftplastics.com �
www.elkem.com �
www.polyplastics.com
January/February 2023 | INJECTION WORLD 39
Above: Acetal materials used in medical products
IMAGE: POLYPLASTICS
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