Plastic plugs molded using Teknor Apex's Medalist® TPE are easy to slide on glass or plastic syringes; overmolding on push rods eliminates assembly steps.
United States, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, April 4, 2018: New medical-grade thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for injection molding plungers are more versatile than natural and isoprene rubbers. High injection performance, lower cost and easier molding; it also offers processing advantages over thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers. Teknor Apex will introduce the compound at NPE 2018 International Plastics Show (stand S22045).
Rubber plugs molded using the new Medalist® TPE perform well in both glass and plastic syringes. Due to the low coefficient of friction, consistent pusher release and injection forces can be achieved. The compound can be overmolded on a push rod, This eliminates the assembly step. In addition to the various grades of compounds that are overmolded on polypropylene, the company also offers special grades of compounds, unlike TPV, these compounds can be used in engineering resins (eg polycarbonate, ABS, PC Overmolding on /ABS, acrylate, acetal, PBT and COPE. Moreover, unlike most TPVs, Medalist TPE does not require pre-drying.
Compared to competitor TPEs, Medalist TPE offers better compression set rates and safer seals. The compound can be injection moulded using high cavity molds. All grades of compounds are sterilizable and have primary colors Or black to choose from.
Medalist compounds have significant advantages over rubber, which has been the main material for syringe stoppers. TPE avoids the curing steps required for rubber processing and eliminates concerns related to extractables and leachables; and Unlike rubber, TPE waste can be recycled. As a thermoplastic, TPE can be processed in much shorter molding cycles, and can achieve more complex designs and tighter dimensional tolerances.
Ross van Royen, Senior Marketing Manager for Controlled Products, said: “The rubber stopper must move smoothly against the wall of the syringe barrel to provide excellent sealing properties to keep the drug intact; and it is chemically inert to prevent syringe contents. Reacting with each other. Teknor Apex has developed a series of Medalist TPE product portfolios that meet these performance requirements while providing considerable economic advantages due to its ease of processing.
Teknor Apex produces Medalist compounds through its ISO-13485 certified facilities in the United States and Singapore.
All Medalist materials are manufactured from ingredients listed by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration), are certified to the ISO 10993-5 biocompatibility standards, and meet REACH SVHC requirements. They do not contain DEHP (phthalates) Dioctyl) and other phthalates, BPA (bisphenol A) and latex. Standard grades do not contain ADM (animal-derived materials).
About Teknor Apex: Teknor Apex, a private company founded in 1924, has become one of the world's leading manufacturers of custom thermoplastic compounds. Teknor Apex manufactures flexible and rigid vinyl products, thermoplastic elastomers, nylon, color masterbatches,
Special chemicals and hoses. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA. There are 13 manufacturing plants around the world, located in the United States, Belgium, Germany, China and Singapore. For more information , please visit: www.teknorapex.com.
Teknor Apex's Thermoplastic Elastomers Division is a supplier of TPE compounds that independently deliver the broadest portfolio of TPE compounds. The division has eight TPE compound factories in the United States, Europe and Asia, and the product brands include: Elexar® ( Electrical and Electronic Applications), Medalist® (Medical Devices), Monprene® (Consumer and Industrial Products) and Sarlink® (Traffic).