Teknor Apex has added vinyl and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) to its product offering for device manufacturers, at MD&M West.
Prospective Medical Applications for BioVinyl™ Compounds
The company is considered to be the most versatile provider of compounds for controlled applications, due to the strengthening of these advancements.
The company’s latest developments in the medical manufacturing industry have included biovinyl flexible vinyl compounds along with bio-based plasticizer, TPE tubing’s assembly technologies.
Teknor has commenced the manufacture of flexible vinyl compounds, which integrates the DOW ECOLIBRIUM Bio-Based Plasticizers that are free from phthalate. Dow Chemical manufactures these plasticizers using plant byproducts. The company has received the exclusive right to the North American market for flexible vinyl compounds that has these plasticizers in some applications, according to the recent joint collaboration contract. These compounds used in pouches and tubing may offer vinyl’s performance benefits and have lower carbon footprint than other alternative plastics.
Three new systems with tubing that is developed from Medalist medical elastomers have enabled TPE infusion tubing in order to safely bond with connectors. Light-cured adhesives, room temperature-cured adhesives and solvent bonding are included in the systems. The new systems attain bonds showing a retention force that is greater than the lowest amount needed by device manufacturers. A slow-setting option is included to allow precise assembly control.
A broad range of alloy, olefinic, styrenics and vulcanizates formulations with hardness have been included in the Medalist range of medical elastomers that was previously launched at MD&M. In addition, the company can widen the clients’ options by customizing the surface color, clarity, haptics and aesthetics.
Teknor has partnered with medical contract manufacturers to have real-world and practical potential, in the Medalist elastomer developing method. Pritikin stated that the latest advancements of Medalist bonding solutions and the company’s demonstrations of the precision of Medalist-based tubing can be fabricated using the post-extrusion technique. He added that thermoset elastomers such as polyisoprene, latex and silicone, and thermoplastic polyurethane can be replaced by the Medalist elastomers.
Medical-grade PVC offerings of the company have included Apex rigid molding compounds, calendered PVC film, Apex flexible vinyl molding and extrusion compounds, Flexalloy ultra high molecular weight PVC elastomers. The Apex range of compounds includes several non-DEHP, gamma-stable, and non-phthalate options.