Apr 8 2015
Foster Polymer Distribution, a business unit of Foster Corporation specializing in the distribution of medical polymers and additives, announces their official partnership with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to distribute MX-Nylon to the North American medical market.
Foster Polymer Distribution has been appointed the distributor of Mitsubishi Gas Chemical’s MX-Nylon to the North American medical market.
Mitsubishi’s MX-Nylon, a meta-xylene diamine polyamide, offers excellent mechanical and barrier properties for molded components and devices, and medical packaging applications.
Polymer components are frequently preferred over metal in medical equipment since they do not interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized axial tomography (CAT), fluoroscopy and x-ray imaging. Mitsubishi’s MX-Nylon is a high strength metal replacement material with a flexural modulus 50% greater than traditional polyamide 6/6 and 15% greater than polyetheretherketone (PEEK). At less than 25% the price of PEEK, MX-Nylon is an economical option for components that must be radiolucent and high strength.
MX-Nylon also offers superior gas barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide compared to all commercially available polyamides, as well as ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers, acrylonitrile (PAN) copolymers, and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymers. Excellent heat stability and a wide processing window, allows this unique polyamide to be co-extruded or co-injection molded with other polymers, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) for multi-layer medical packaging or containment systems that require low oxygen permeation. MX-Nylon is also suitable for applications that must withstand sterilization by gamma, e-beam, ethylene oxide and retort methods.
“MX-Nylon has been very successful in a wide variety of applications and industries. We are excited to partner with Mitsubishi to promote the benefits of this unique material in medical devices and equipment” said Brittany Palmer, Foster Distribution Business Manager. “MX-Nylon grades are currently available for injection molding and extrusion.”
Foster Polymer Distribution offers a wide range of performance polymers and additives for medical applications, including polyamides 11 and 12, polyether block amides (PEBA), polyvinyl chlorides (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP).