Plastics and Elastomers 15556

Originally Published MPMN July/August 2007

SPOTLIGHT

Plastics and Elastomers

Tungsten-filled compounds

A series of medical-grade resins has features and benefits not found in currently used radiopaque polymers. The grades include thermoplastic urethanes, nylons, olefins, and other resins. Applications include products that require smooth surfaces along with markers within the body such as diagnostic catheters. The grades produce smooth surfaces, are easy to process with injection molding or extrusion, exhibit solvent resistance, soften at body temperature, and have a high specific gravity. The materials are available in Shore hardness from 75A to 75D, and can be ordered in quantities ranging from 25 to 500,000 lb.
New England Urethane Inc., New Haven, CT
www.neuinc.com

Thermoplastic vulcanizate elastomers

Medical-grade thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers range from Shore A to semirigid 50 Shore D. Formulated in standard Uniprene 7010 and customized grades, the compounds are available globally in identical formulations. Applications include syringe plunger tips and seals, vial and pipette stoppers, gaskets, filter elements, tubing, bulbs, diaphragms, and other soft-touch uses. The TPVs exhibit lower compression sets and greater room-temperature and low-temperature elasticity than widely used non-TPV thermoplastic elastomers, according to the company. The 7010 series and several of the customized grades have approval under the ISO 10993 standard on biocompatibility.
Teknor Apex Co., Pawtucket, RI
www.teknorapex.com

Castable urethane compounds

Castable liquid-urethane compounds cure to form rubber parts for a variety of OEM applications. The Flexane room-temperature-curing materials will not change shape while curing and also can be used to make precision molds that faithfully reproduce fine detail. Flexane 80 liquid cures to a semirigid rubber material that returns to its original shape after elongation of 650%. It is suitable for making rugged molds and parts, nonscratching holding fixtures, and abrasion- and noise-resistant linings. Flexane 94 liquid is faster curing than Flexane 80 and produces more-rigid parts and molds. With a demolding time of 5 hours, it is designed for applications requiring quick cure times, such as emergency replacement parts or repairs.
Devcon, Danvers, MA
www.devcon.com

High-purity PTFE

A product line is suitable for applications in which material cleanliness is essential, including imaging, laboratory, therapy, and surgical. The THP material is molded, packaged, and labeled in a strictly controlled environment, ensuring high purity. Typical uses include medical components such as bellows, diaphragms, valves, fittings, and other parts. The PTFE products are offered in cylinder and rod form in sizes from 1 to 55 in. in diameter, as well as skived and molded sheet ranging from 0.001 to 8 in. thick. The company also offers machining and fabrication of high-purity materials.
Texolon, a div. of Plastomer Technologies, Houston, TX
www.texolon.com

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