Products and Services: Materials 16396Products and Services: Materials

Tantalum Components
Tubular and stamped medical device components from A. T. Wall Co. are manufactured from a variety of metals compatible with medical procedures. Materials supplied include tantalum, niobium, and tantalum composites in plate, sheet, foil, bead, wire, and tube form. Tantalum tubing, for example, features a high boiling point, a melting point of 2997°C, resistance to corrosive attack by acids and liquid metals, ductility, superconductivity, high-temperature strength, low thermal expansion, and high capacitance. It is suitable for use in radiographic markers, permanent bone implants, vascular clips, flexible stents, and fracture and cranial-defect repair applications. Tough, durable, ductile tantalum also offers good workability and weldability. In addition, it possesses the ability to grow uniform and stable oxides with good dielectric properties.
A. T. Wall Co.
Warwick, RI
 

Ceramics for Orthopedic Implants
C5 Medical Werks, a manufacturer of advanced ceramic components for medical device applications, offers high-strength, biocompatible Cerasurf material for use in both existing and next-generation orthopedic implants. Particular application focuses are femoral head and acetabular cup devices and femoral knee devices. The material exhibits high fracture resistance and low wear, which, in conjunction with its strength, expands implant design flexibility. An alumina-matrix composite ceramic developed and produced in-house using proprietary technology, the material has performed well in industry-standard femoral-head burst tests, exceeding FDA guidance figures, according to the company.
C5 Medical Werks
Grand Junction, CO
 

Precious-Metal-Clad Composite Wire
Used in medical device applications, composite wire clad in precious metal is custom-manufactured by Anomet Products Inc. as an alternative to wire made entirely of pure precious metal. The wire features precious metal metallurgically bonded to a wire core of copper, Kovar, nickel iron, molybdenum, stainless steel, tantalum, or titanium at a cladding thickness of 2% or more. It is offered in sizes ranging from 0.002 to 0.125 in. OD and can provide performance equaling or exceeding that of pure-precious-metal wire, the company states. Claddings can be made of platinum for oxidation, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility; gold for contact resistance; silver; or palladium. Manufactured to precise OEM specifications and supplied on spools, the clad wire has a smooth surface finish and is more ductile and formable than filled or plated wires. Typical applications include microswitches, connectors, and other device components.
Anomet Products Inc.
Shrewsbury, MA
 

Molding Resins
Sabic Innovative Plastics offers Valox V3900WX resin, a high-impact polyester-polycarbonate blend, and Xylex X7519HP resin, a transparent blend of polycarbonate and amorphous polyester. Suitable for use in the housings and structural components of portable bedside medical devices, the high-performance materials are lightweight yet durable, and their chemical resistance allows strong disinfectants to be used to clean the equipment and combat hospital-borne infectious agents. Flame-retardant to UL 94V-0, the UV-stabilized Valox resin, a UL global grade, offers good aesthetics. Because it can be processed into large precision parts, the material provides greater design freedom than metal, according to its manufacturer. Featuring high impact resistance and glasslike transparency, the Xylex resin can be molded into storage containers. Both materials can be blended with color additives.
Sabic Innovative Plastics
Pittsfield, MA
 

Silicone Additive
Supplying cleaners, carrier fluids, coatings, and lubricants for medical device manufacturing applications, MicroCare Medical offers a silicone swelling agent that can join or assemble molded silicone components to rigid parts and barbed fittings. The agent is absorbed into the silicone, expanding it to a desired dimension to facilitate the assembly of the component to the fitting or rigid part. Then, it quickly evaporates, returning the silicone component to its original size to create a secure connection without adhesives. It is a proprietary solvent technology that swells silicones more effectively than hexane solvents; the swelling agent works faster than oils or alcohol to secure a join, according to the company. Featuring an ozone depletion potential of zero, the additive has been given an exempt status by EPA with respect to volatile organic compounds.
MicroCare Medical
New Britain, CT