Medical Plastic Materials, Processes, and Applications Thriving!

Let's start with Celanese Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) such as VECTRA® MT. They are proving to be cost/performance effective in precise, thin-walled, miniaturized, injection-molded, medical device parts. For example, in pen injectors, compared to traditionally used, rival, unfilled, or filled PolyCarbonate (PC).

Tight part tolerance and high stiffness/strength favor LCP use. Key LCP performance features include:

• 0.2-millimeter thin-walled parts with no flash,
• high melt flow/low heat of fusion yielding fast cycle times

These LCP characteristics in small parts guarantee consistency, quality, and efficiency in high-volume medical molding. It is stated that the smaller the part the bigger the challenge. PC exhibits low surface friction which is important in medical injection devices. But it falls short in molding detailed parts leading to longer cycle times.

Unfilled Celanese VECTRA® MT grade LCP has a higher flexural modulus compared to traditional unfilled PC. Glass-filled PC is competitive stiffness-wise to unfilled LCP. However, glass-filled LCP outperforms glass-filled PC and additionally has superior melt flow.

Superior Glass Reinforced LCP Melt Flow Fill Time (seconds) vs. Unfilled PC
(Source: Celanese)

Next is BASF's Hexamoll® DINCH-ccycled™ specialty plasticizer additive. It is finding widespread use in disposable medical PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) products like tubing and blood bags. Hexamoll® DINCH-ccycled™, or 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, is a non-phthalate plasticizer. It is specially developed for applications with close human contact. Thus, it is perfectly positioned to replace the Di-2-EthylHexyl Phthalate (DEHP) plasticizer.

The European Commission will end DEHP's use by edict in 2025 due to toxicological concerns. The European DEHP application date request for current use in medical products expired in November 2023. Hexamoll® DINCH-ccycled™'s excellent toxicological profile and low migration rate are approved and certified by many authorities and institutions worldwide, like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

BASF also offers a biomass product called Hexamoll® DINCH BMB (BioMaterial Based). Here, 100% of fossil fuel-based raw material is replaced by certified biomass, as allocated by the biomass balance approach.

Hexamoll® DINCH-ccycled™ Plasticized PVC Medical Tubing
(Source: BASF)

Let's continue with our single medical plastic processing innovation.

Davis-Standard with Conair and Zumbach Electronics have extruded polycarbonate medical pipettes. The extrusion machine is a Davis-Standard HPE (High-Performance Extruder) with:

• a new DS-XEL process control,
• a downstream planetary equipment cutter from the Conair Group, and
• an Outside Diameter/Inside Diameter (OD/ID) wall thickness ultrasonic ODAC gauge by Zumbach Electronics

Pipette Extrusion (L); Pipette Cutter (C); Ultrasonic Gauge (R)
(Source: Davis-Standard; Conair; Zumbach)

The pipettes are made by extruding a medical-grade, 0.25-inch polycarbonate tube. It is then cut into 5-inch pipettes that need no secondary cleaning or finishing operations. The MedLine M-TPC-1 planetary cutter from the Conair Group is designed for cleanroom use. It makes precise, continuous cuts in medical-grade rigid or flexible tubes up to 1 inch (25.4 millimeters) in diameter.

Polycarbonate Pipettes (T) Feeding Test Tube Array (B)
(Source: Roche Diagnostics)

Delving further, let's review our two medical plastic applications.

Syensqo develops a circular economy approach with France-based surgical equipment supplier Ostium Group. They mechanically recycle their high-temperature PolyARylAmide (PARA) resin used in:

• stainless-steel replacing,
• lighter weight, and
• medical applications like stent crimpers, scalpels, scissors, needle holders, clamps, and forceps

This allows medical facilities to reduce sterilization time, cost, disposal, and carbon footprint. Ostium supplies hospitals with new custom-designed PARA surgical kits and collects them after use.

Syensqo's reycled Ixef® PARA compounds maintain 85% of their flexural stiffness with no loss in surface appearance. This is in comparison with virgin grades. Syensqo redirects recycled PARA surgical materials to automotive and recreation markets. This is due to stringent healthcare regulations precluding reuse. Thus, end-of-life surgical instruments become part of a circular ecosystem.

Polyarylamide Metal Replacement in Ostium Group Surgical Instruments
(Source: Syensqo)

Let's conclude with our second and final medical plastic application.

Eastman and Exolon collaborate to extrude and thermoform solid sheet materials for medical packaging. Exolon's Vivak® Med solid sheets for rigid medical packaging are extruded using Eastman's Eastar™ 6763 medical copolyester resin. The sheet is available in thicknesses from 0.6 to 8 millimeters. Eastar™ 6763 is the standard for rigid medical packaging applications.

Exolon's Vivak® Med meets the following requirements:

• International Standards Organization (ISO) 10993
• US Pharmacopeia (USP) Class VI biocompatibility

Exolon offers thicker and wider sheet options across the medical packaging industry. Eastman's medical-grade materials offer advantages like reduced material usage and freedom from substances of concern. This is compared to other materials like High Impact PolyStyrene (HIPS).

All sheet products consist of 100% virgin material. They meet the requirements of International Standards Organization (ISO) 10993 for medical device biological evaluation. They are produced in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Vivak® Med Solid Sheet Uses Eastman's Eastar™ 6763 Medical Copolyester Resin
(Source: Exolon)

Select from 9,100+ commercial grades of polymers suitable for medical/healthcare applications available in our database. Analyze the technical data of each product, get technical assistance, or request samples.