[Plastic] The largest amount of PVC and PE used to check the application of polymer materials in the fight against the "epidemic"

Recently, the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic has affected the heartstrings of more than one billion people.

When the epidemic is raging, the majority of chemical companies have stepped forward to fight on the battlefield without gunpowder smoke, working overtime to ensure the production of urgently needed materials such as anti-epidemic disinfectant, protective clothing and mask materials, once again showing the pillar role of the chemical industry.

Due to the contact with liquid medicine or human body, the basic requirements of medical plastics are chemical stability and biological safety.

The user usually chooses the appropriate plastic type and the appropriate brand according to the structure and strength requirements of the device product, and determines the processing technology of the material.

There are about a dozen commonly used medical plastic materials, polyethylene ( PE ), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride ( PVC ), polyurethane (PU), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polycarbonate (PC) , Polystyrene (PS), etc.

Several commonly used medical plastics are:

● PVC:

According to market estimates, approximately 25% of medical plastic products are PVC.

● PE:

Usually can be used for needle caps, syringe plungers, infusion set flow regulators, infusion sets and syringe packaging bags, etc.

● PP:

Medical PP has higher transparency, better barrier properties and radiation resistance, making it widely used in medical equipment and packaging industries.

● PS:

The texture is hard and brittle, and has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, which limits its application in engineering.

● ABS:

The medical application of ABS is mainly used as surgical tools, roller clamps, plastic needles, tool boxes, diagnostic devices and hearing aid housings, especially the housings of some large-scale medical equipment.

● PC:

The typical characteristics of PC are toughness, strength, rigidity and heat-resistant steam sterilization.

● PTFE:

The coefficient of friction is the lowest among plastics and has good biocompatibility.

Large replacement import space

The global medical device market is about US$500 billion; disposable consumables account for 40% of the devices.

From the perspective of material, compared with metal or glass materials used in traditional medical devices, plastics have good chemical inertness and biological safety, and are inexpensive, easy to form, relatively tough, suitable for one-time use, and are hygienic and safe.

In the future, my country's medical plastics will show the trend of functionalization, precision, integration, chipization, and individualization.

(Keywords: PVC PE epidemic)