Company insight
A new bio-circular polymer for metal replacement
French advanced materials leader Arkema has just launched a new bio-based and recyclable medical polymer poised to disrupt the surgical tools market.
ago, the goal was perfectly clear: to offer the medical market an advanced polymer that can finally meet all the requirements surgical tool producers have been looking for: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
W biocompatibility
as high performing as metal easy to process
allowing for a perfect finish
high resistance to chemical agents bio-based recyclable.
After years of R&D, Arkema is extremely proud to present its new glass fibre-reinforced Rilsan MED Polyamide 11, which answers all the needs mentioned above and more.
hen Arkema started to work on this new product development a few years
easily and to decrease their cycle times significantly, while maintaining component integrity.
Furthermore, this new Rilsan MED Polyamide 11 exhibits excellent resistance to gamma, steam, ETO and E-beam sterilisation (data available on demand) opening new doors and opportunities for the development of sustainable reusable surgical tools and for the replacement of petroleum-based polymers. Finally, the biocompatibility of this new product has been successfully assessed according to USP Class VI, ISO 10993-4, ISO 10993-5 and ISO 10993-10 standards.
Arkema’s bio-based, recyclable polymers are derived from its amino-11 chemistry, which is derived from the oil of the renewable castor bean.
Sustainable raw materials for a sustainable polymer According to the Sustainable Agriculture Network, ‘There is no such thing as an inherently sustainable crop. It all depends on the farming of that crop’. Arkema’s advanced bio-circular materials have a long proven legacy in some of the world’s most demanding applications. These bio-based, recyclable polymers are derived from Arkema’s flagship amino-11 chemistry, which, in turn, is derived from the oil of the renewable castor bean. Consequently, the Polyamide 11 used to produce this material comprises more than 98% bio-based carbon, according to ASTM 6866. A full life cycle assessment is available on demand. Castor beans originate mainly in India and do not compete directly with the food chain. They are grown only in the poorest soils, they do not cause deforestation and their irrigation benefits from the natural monsoon phenomena. It is, therefore, a profitable crop. Castor farming represents a powerful, human, and social dimension to sustainable
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materials and Arkema is extremely proud to play a role in this story and in the life of castor farmers. To strengthen its commitment to sustainable castor farming, Arkema has launched with its partners the PRAGATI initiative, designed to help the Indian farmers improving their agricultural practices, water management, and enabling better health and safety while respecting human rights.
Best-in-class performances for metal replacement
Formulated with a high content of glass fibres, this new Rilsan MED Polyamide 11 displays a tensile modulus of 18.5GPa, making it a perfect fit to replace metal for the production of highly demanding surgical tools. Compared with reinforced polyacrylamide (PARA), used for the manufacture of surgical tools, Arkema’s Rilsan MED Polyamide 11 requires lower mould temperatures and injection pressures. Those properties helped early adopters to switch materials extremely
Endless possibilities for the end of life
Mindful of the end of life of its products, Arkema has invested in recycling capabilities. More specifically, Arkema has invested in mechanical recycling capabilities as being the most environmentally efficient process. Indeed, mechanical recycling allows it to decrease the climate change impact of its Rilsan Polyamide 11 by roughly 70% – compared with non-recycled Rilsan Polyamide 11 (kg equals CO2
/kg according
to ISO 14040 standard; 100% recycled versus virgin material) – of which the climate change impact is already more than 40% lower than a traditional petroleum- based Polyamide 12.
Arkema has been working with partners to either recycle those polymers into close loops, to be used again by the same customer or industry, or in open loops, meaning by different customers or industries who wish to purchase post-consumer materials. Step up and fulfil sustainability commitments with this new Rilsan MED Polyamide 11. More information is available on Arkema’s website. ●
https://ark.ma/healthcare Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com
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