Reflecting its commitment to providing medical device manufacturers with multiple polymer alternatives, Teknor Apex Company has developed the industry's broadest range of compounds for tubing, and it will feature these products at MD&M West 2016.Teknor Apex now offers a comprehensive portfolio of medical-grade tubing compounds, including Apex flexible PVC, Flexalloy PVC elastomers, and Medalist thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). In addition, the company has developed Apex SCR stress crack resistant rigid PVC compounds for tubing connectors.
"Because its portfolio of medical tubing products is so diversified, Teknor Apex can take a 'polymer-neutral' approach to the support it offers customers, helping them to select exactly the right compound to meet a particular performance or regulatory requirement," said William J. Murray, president of Teknor Apex. "And regardless of which compounds they select, our customers benefit from the decades of medical-market experience that we draw on to assist them in solving problems or addressing new opportunities."
PVC: Leading the Way in Alternative Plasticizers
In addition to the DEHP-containing compounds that have long been the industry workhorse for tubing, the Apex line of PVC tubing compounds now also includes multiple non-DEHP- and non-phthalate-plasticized formulations, including high heat-stable products."As a producer of both plasticizers and PVC compounds, Teknor Apex has developed comprehensive data on plasticizer alternatives as a way to help our customers make informed decisions in addressing marketplace issues concerning phthalates," said Peter M. Galland, Vinyl Division industry manager for regulated compounds. "We are prepared to work with tubing manufacturers no matter which alternatives they select."
The Apex line of tubing compounds also includes gamma-stable formulations. For especially demanding applications such as tubing requiring high tensile strength, abrasion resistance, or kink-resistance at low durometers, Teknor Apex also offers Flexalloy compounds, which are based on high molecular weight PVC polymer.
Apex rigid PVC products are available for molded tubing connectors. The newest of these are Apex SCR compounds, which provide strength comparable to polycarbonate (PC) or ABS and excellent clarity while reducing or eliminating the stress cracking that often occurs in PC or ABS at the interface with flexible PVC tubing. Gamma-resistant grades are also available.
"Stress cracking is a problem that the medical device industry has had to deal with for decades," said Mr. Galland. "Apex SCR compounds provide a cost-effective way for the industry to address this problem without having to compromise end-use performance."
