Acrylic Properties Match Polycarbonate as Potential ReplacementAcrylic Properties Match Polycarbonate as Potential Replacement

Originally Published MPMNMay 2004

INDUSTRY NEWS

Acrylic Properties Match Polycarbonate as Potential Replacement

MelodyLee

It looks and feels like polycarbonate (PC), maybe even tastes or smells like it; but at about half the cost it definitely isn't priced like PC. A modified acrylic material produced by Resirene S.A. (Bosques de las Lomas, Mexico; www.resirene.com.mx)may have the potential to be used as a replacement for the material. According to Len Czuba, president of CzubaEnterprises, the styrene methylmethacrylate copolymer CET-116 has engineering and visual properties that match those of PC.

Czuba's company, which takes medical products from concept to market, is currently working with a client to apply the resins to medical devices. Until now, the product has only been seen in houseware and automotive industries. Ice cube trays and refrigerator shelving are common household applications.

It can be an option "where high-cost material is used, with the exception of aggressive environments where only PC is needed," says Czuba. "[The resin] could be used for high-volume trays, diagnostic disposables, and multiweld applications, or as connectors joining PVC tubing into sets."

The USP Class VI material features clarity, heat and scratch resistance, and mechanical strength. It can be injection molded and extruded.

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