Medical & Healthcare TPEs’ Adhesion & Processing Characteristic

The demand for high-performance engineering plastics such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) has expanded due to recent advances in healthcare and medical equipment. TPE compounds also satisfy the expectations of manufacturers in terms of production and cost-efficiency.

TPEs bond easily when processed either through overmolding or co-extrusion with most commonly used structural plastics, eliminating the need for additional adhesives and allowing for faster and more cost-effective processing.

One of the main areas of growth for TPEs is overmolding. Many product designers are utilizing TPEs to add a “soft touch” to a rigid material. KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a wide range of TPE products and custom solutions for multiple industries, offers the THERMOLAST H series HC/AP, developed specifically for healthcare and medical device applications in the Asia Pacific. The HC/AP series compounds have a hardness range of 30-90 Shore A and can be used in a variety of applications due to their wide range of hardness from soft to semi-rigid.

Especially for medical and healthcare applications, KRAIBURG TPE’s HC/AP series of TPE compounds can be over-molded to produce comfortable, non-slip, and abrasion-resistant handles, grips, and buttons. Through multi-component injection molding and extrusion, the THERMOLAST H HC/AP series has good bonding with polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) resins, allowing for flexibility in product designs. As such, the compounds can be over-molded to alter the surface feel, improve aesthetics, and cushion against vibrations.

All-round material solutions

Good haptics, soft-touch properties, and elasticity improve function and design, allowing medical device manufacturers to be more creative with their product applications. KRAIBURG TPE’s HC/AP compounds have a good compression set and are thus fitting for sealing and closure applications. Furthermore, the compounds can be sterilized in an autoclave at 121°C or with ETO (gas); and have good thermoplastics processing and flowability, stretching the possibility for more medical part designs.

The HC/AP series compounds are safe for use in medical applications and meet standards such as cytotoxicity ISO 10993-5, GB/T 16886.5, biocompatibility testing according to ISO 10993-5 and GB/T 16886.5, as well as a number of international food contact and medical standards.

Other properties such as good chemical resistance, good sealing, and no cytotoxic potential, as well as the ability to be colored into various chromatic effects, present KRAIBURG TPE’s HC/AP compounds as all-round material solutions for the medical and healthcare segments.

#TPes’ #thermoplastic elastomers #healthcare #medicalequipment 

www.kraiburg-tpe.com

SABIC collaborates with China’s Dongfeng to produce lightweight truck-mounted toolbox with novel plastic-composite hybrid solution

“This plastic composite solution is a great example of how SABIC helps automotive customers expand design options and simplify production so they can achieve their goals,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC.

“By combining two different materials, our solution improves both performance and processability. Now that this composite technology is validated and in mass production with Dongfeng, we see many other automotive applications that could benefit and we are excited to help manufacturers seize those opportunities.”

In addition to truck tool boxes, automotive applications for this hybrid solution with STAMAX resin can potentially include tailgates, seating, front-end modules, and battery housings for electric vehicles. The use of this plastic composite solution can enable manufacturers to not only reduce weight, but also lower carbon emissions, control costs through production efficiencies, and achieve higher performance.

Design and Performance Optimization

SABIC’s hybrid solution combines STAMAX resin with thermoformed composite inserts made of unidirectional (UD) glass fiber-reinforced PP tape from China-based Qiyi Tech, a company dedicated to the development and production of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials.

The laminate inserts are pre-heated before being placed in the tool and over-molded with STAMAX resin in a single operation. The inserts add stiffness and strength to critical areas of the part, enabling the use of thin-wall geometries that can reduce weight.

Compared to steel, the conventional material for truck toolbox applications, SABIC’s plastic composite hybrid solution expands design options, enables the consolidation of parts, and avoids secondary operations that can add costs and prevent high-volume production.

The plastic composite solution reduces the weight of the toolbox by approximately 30 percent (from 6 to 4 kg) without sacrificing the stiffness, toughness, or strength required for this utility application.

STAMAX resins feature 10-25 percent lower density than some competitive materials for weight-out. Their properties include high stiffness and impact strength, excellent structural performance, and easy flow for thin walls.

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  Covestro launches climate neutral MDI

Covestro is consistently pursuing its path to a circular economy and is now offering customers a climate-neutral MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). It is climate neutral¹ from the cradle to the factory gate of Covestro, thanks to the use of alternative raw materials – based on plant waste – that are allocated to the products with the help of certified mass balancing according to ISCC PLUS. The new MDI grades can be used in numerous applications in the construction, cold chain, and automotive sectors.

According to a common calculation model, on balance, no CO₂ emissions are generated in the aforementioned part of the value-added cycle. The climate-neutral MDI and its precursors are manufactured at the ISCC PLUS-certified Covestro sites in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Antwerp, and Shanghai.

“With the launch of our climate-neutral MDI, we are now further expanding our portfolio of climate-neutral products,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. “I am pleased that this will enable us to even better support our customers in large parts of the world in meeting their own sustainability goals and transitioning to a circular economy.” Only last December, the company announced the launch of its climate-neutral polycarbonate.

Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Global Head of the Performance Materials Business Entity, adds: “Climate-neutral products are an important factor in achieving our sustainability goals. Our climate neutral MDI has another major advantage: it is a drop-in solution – so our customers can use it immediately in their production without any changeover and without compromising on quality.”

Even more sustainable building insulation

 This is the case, for example, in building insulation. MDI is an indispensable raw material for the production of polyurethane (PU) insulation boards and sandwich panels, among other products. These have proven their value for many years as highly efficient elements in the thermal insulation of buildings. The heating or cooling requirements of buildings can be reduced by up to 70 percent through the use of PU insulation. This saves CO2 emissions and is good for residents’ wallets. Because PU insulation elements can therefore be designed thinner to achieve good insulation performance already, they save resources and make more usable space accessible than other insulation materials.

In addition to the good thermal insulation properties of PU insulating materials, Covestro’s climate-neutral MDI now provides a further sustainability benefit: By practically avoiding emissions during its production, it even helps to reduce embodied carbon over the life cycle of a building. The use of PU insulating materials made from it in new buildings as well as in the renovation of older real estate can thus make an important contribution to the responsible use of primary resources and to significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

#launch #newmdi #covestro

Clariant at ACS 2022 Discover Beyond Color innovation for high-performance coatings products

“The coatings industry is evolving. As specialists in collaborative problem solving, we’re excited to bring multifunctional solutions that elevate performance and inspire innovation to address industry-wide challenges and the toughest, application-specific unmet needs, “explains Ray Gonzales, Head of Additives Sales – North America, Clariant.

Clariant will feature its wide-ranging formulation tools and additives for formulators and manufacturers that meet emerging trends, regulatory changes, and higher performance requirements as the industry transitions to creating more sustainable consumer and industrial products.

“Clariant presents a new VITA range of surfactants & polyethylene glycols (PEGs), a 100% bio-based portfolio that sets a new standard in green surfactants by raising the renewable carbon content of the end product. Simplifying the formulation process and handling of water-based paints is key to help address new regulations while boosting protection and aesthetics,” comments Jeff McManus, Head of Industrial & Consumer Specialties, Industrial Applications, Clariant.

Explore Clariant’s latest innovative developments with its experts at booth 2846 and discover extensive support found beyond color in a series of on-show presentations featured below.

Sustainability Beyond Color

• Maximize the renewable carbon content of paints, coatings, and inks with Clariant’s new range of surfactants, polyglycerols, and other processing aids to support formulators and brands with their sustainability efforts. This VITA range is fully segregated, 100% based on plant-based carbon via bio-ethanol. The products contribute to removing fossil carbon from the value chain while offering the same performance and efficiency as fossil-based versions. Solutions for Carbon Negativity with Green Ethoxylated Derivatives.

(Wednesday, April 6, 2:40 – 2:55 pm | Speaker: Sebastian Prock, Global Marketing Segment Leader Industrial   Applications)

• Ceridust 1041 VITA and Ceridust 1060 VITA are sustainable waxes offering very effective matting and scratch resistance properties while providing a soft touch feel in wood coatings and brighter colors in powder coatings. Improve wood coatings and powder coatings using modified natural waxes.

(Tuesday, April 5, 11:20 – 11:35 am | Speaker: Michael Watson, Technical Segment Manager, Coatings and Inks, North America)

Performance Beyond Color

• Adding Dispersogen  PLF 100 to pigment pastes boosts several key aspects when formulating color concentrates. As well as achieving high color strength and significantly improved pigment loading, it extends storage stability, reduces viscosities, reduces process foaming, reduces color blocking, and minimizes leaching. Redefine Color and Performance with a Novel Waterborne Polymeric Dispersant

(Thursday, April 7, 10:00 – 10:15 am | Speaker: Mark Coward, New Business Development Manager, and North America)

Innovation Beyond Color

• Improve the weathering performance of 2K epoxy coatings while addressing the current regulatory changes for light stabilizers. We are excited for our technical expert, Dr. Mouhcine Kanouni to present Clariant’s new additive solution to support paint formulators in overcoming durability and classification challenges.

American Coatings Conference – April 6 2022, Session 7, 09:30 – 10:00.

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OE-A at LOPEC: Printed electronics competition bigger than ever

How can printed electronics be useful for monitoring sleeping babies or to support people who lost their legs? And what role can printed electronics components play in the gaming world? The answers to these exciting questions will be given at LOPEC 2022, the international platform for printed electronics, from 22-24 March live at ICM, Messe München.

This year 23 international companies, research institutions, and universities take part in the “OE-A Competition 2022” to present their new products, prototypes, and concepts. The submitted projects are judged by a jury of representatives from well-known international companies and institutes in three categories: “Prototypes & New Products”; “Freestyle Demonstrator”; and “Publicly Funded Project Demonstrator”. As every year, all submitted products and demonstrators will be presented to the international community at the OE-A booth at LOPEC and online at oe-a.org.

Promising ideas for printed electronics

“We are happy that the competition is growing every year since its start. We received more than 20 submissions from 11 countries. It is a great pleasure to see the number of products for automotive and healthcare which are close to a market growing year by year.” Says Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the OE-A, an international working group within VDMA.

Printed electronics for babies and gamers

This year, the expert jury will have to discuss and rate more contributions than ever at the jury meeting in Munich. For a first insight, three examples briefly explained:

A sensing artificial leg, submitted by IEE, helps people feel every step and tackles the problem of phantom pain. Market standard prostheses often lack the capability to recreate sensing of the missing body parts. This prosthesis has a sensing surface facilitated by a sensor foil integrated into a sock that is imposed to the artificial foot. It comes with a readout electronic with a wireless transmitter and an actuator for human feedback. It creates a better control of movements and provides feedback that helps those affected to feel the ground and the sense of touch reduces phantom pains.

The Holst Centre has developed an ultrathin, conformable smart sensor mat that can detect a baby’s breathing rate, heart rate, and posture. The multi-modal sensing mat consists of a combination of printed piezo-resistive and piezoelectric sensors and can be placed under a bedsheet, enabling long-term monitoring of babies in a hospital bed or at home. The non-intrusive device simply disappears into the object in which it is integrated and a variety of applications not only in healthcare is possible: e.g., when used in a car seat, the mat can monitor posture and driver alertness.

The 3 D gaming device handed in by Nuremberg Tech is portable and the user can play “Tic-Tac-Toe” alone or in pairs. The three-dimensional game is designed on an attractive free-form surface and is fully operated through touch functionality. The demonstrator combines the functionality of printed electronics with standard surface-mount technology components on an initially flat flexible dielectric substrate. The direct integration of touch functionality inside the assembly opens up wide fields of application, for example, in automotive applications, for white goods, or for consumer electronics with maximum freedom of design.

Every project is a winner at LOPEC

All visitors are invited to make their choice for the “Public Choice Award” at the OE-A booth at LOPEC (Hall B0, 306), on March 23rd and 24th. “Have a closer look at the broad range of submissions to the OE-A Competition, from concept to product, which illustrates the potential printed electronics offers. And cast your vote to choose which demonstrator deserves the “Public Choice Award”, asks Klaus Hecker.

The winners of all categories will be announced on the evening of Wednesday, March 23^rd during the LOPEC Get-together & Award Show. Additionally, the winner of the “Public Choice Award” as well as the price winners of the other categories will present their demonstrators at a web seminar in April 2022.

Meeting point OE-A booth at LOPEC

LOPEC visitors will get a comprehensive insight into printed electronics applications at the OE-A booth at LOPEC 2022. A visit to the OE-A booth is also worthwhile to learn about the latest edition of the OE-A Roadmap, the results of the new business climate survey, and the activities of the numerous international working groups. “We invite you to visit our booth to look at the demonstrators but also to get an update on OE-A’s latest activities and future events,” says Klaus Hecker.

www.oe-a.org