Originally Published MPMN September 2005

Spotlight

Adhesives

Protective masking film

A clean, optically clear protective masking film has a very high coefficient of friction on its surface. This gives it light-tack, static cling–like properties when used with various materials, including aluminum-metallized PET, polycarbonate, polyester, and acetate. Employing silicone chemistry and coated in a cleanroom environment to avoid contamination, MF5 leaves no adhesive residue and contains less than 0.4 mg/cm2 of extractable silicone. It is easy to remove, yet adheres strongly to other substrates during processing at temperatures up to 325°F. Applications include specialty adhesive tapes for use with medical devices. CPFilms, Martinsville, VA
www.cpfilms.com

Adhesive laminates

A company offers a wide variety of custom-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive laminates such as foams, polyesters, polyurethanes, and nonwovens. Performance characteristics are tailored to user’s needs. Specialty laminates are toll or contract manufactured under pharmaceutical GMP conditions.
LTS Corp., West Caldwell, NJ
www.ltslohmann.com

Medical adhesives

Medical adhesives are suitable for wound-care and disposable devices that adhere to delicate skin, such as that of pediatric and geriatric patients. Available adhesives include hydrogels, hydrocolloids, medical acrylic, and new synthetic blends to bond to low-surface-energy materials. A thin-film dressing featuring 3M’s polyurethane medical tape and a reinforced wound-closure strip are offered as private-label generic-brand equivalents for use with kits and drapes. PCI, Dallas, TX
www.pcitechnology.com

Pressure-sensitive labels

A company continues to test a variety of high-performance label products for communication and security applications. Current initiatives involve color-shifting, luminescent effects, holographic layering, enhanced conductive and magnetic printing, and RFID technologies. Adding combinations of materials and conversion designs, the company is developing solutions for anticounterfeiting, product differentiation, and supply-chain simplification. Topflight Corp., Glen Rock, PA
www.topflight.com

Foam tape

A soft and highly conformable medical-grade pressure-sensitive polyurethane foam tape is available for direct skin applications, such as dressings, wound care, and medical device attachment. Medifix 9538 consists of flesh-colored 0.4-mm polyurethane foam, single-coated with a high-tack medical-grade rubber adhesive. The adhesive is easily removed from both skin and hair, is moisture-vapor permeable, and can be repositioned. It is supplied with a 76-lb white polycoated kraft release liner and has passed skin irritation, cytotoxicity, and sensitization product safety testing. Scapa Medical, Windsor, CT
www.scapamedical.com

Hydrocolloid adhesives

Integrated adhesives are designed to minimize the breakdown caused by the heavy fluid absorption that can occur in wound-care and ostomy applications. The products provide long wear times even in wet applications, and the level of adhesion to human skin can be precisely controlled. Alginates incorporated directly into the adhesive stabilize the fluid-handling properties and provide sodium/calcium ion exchange at the wound bed. GriggSmith Industries LLC, Richmond, IN
home.earthlink.net/~davdoc/

Epoxy

A self-leveling adhesive is suitable for bonding and potting in a variety of OEM applications. Available in clear and black formulations, the 10-Minute epoxy attains functional cure in 90 minutes, after a 10-minute working time. Once cured, it provides tensile shear strength of 2400 psi and peel strength of 20–25 pli. Bonds withstand dry service temperatures from –67° to 200°F. Both formulations are 100% solids, with very low VOC emissions, and both are mixed as dispensed using handheld manual or pneumatic dispensers with static mixing nozzles. Devcon, Danvers, MA
www.devcon.com

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