Teknor Apex's medical-grade TPE material provides good adhesion to Eastman's Trintan copolyester

Two major plastic suppliers to the medical device industry have demonstrated strong chemical-resistant bonds between thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and transparent copolyester substrates known for their toughness and chemical resistance known for sex
.

Three Medalist medical-grade TPEs from Teknor Apex formed durable bonds to four of Eastman's Tritan copolyesters in a 90-degree peel test on test samples produced in two molding processes
.
Medalist compounds are specifically designed to adhere to copolymers and other engineering thermoplastics, exhibiting high levels of peel strength
.
The peel test showed high peel strengths, along with adhesive failures, demonstrating the very good coating properties of the Tritan TPE
.
The combination of high peel strength and adhesive failure is considered ideal for overmolding applications
.

The bond strength between Medalist TPE and Tritan showed little loss even after 48 hours of immersion in disinfecting chemicals including 70% isopropyl alcohol, Clorox bleach, and 20% intralipids solution, the latter being a A fat emulsion used as an intravenous nutritional supplement
.

The Medalist compounds tested included three grades
.
MD-34940, MD-34950 and MD-34959 have Shore A hardnesses of 42, 50 and 59, respectively
.
The Tritan brand MX711, MX811, MXF321 and MXF421 offer a good range of physical properties
.
All three Medalist compounds in combination with all four Tritan resins showed minimal loss of adhesive strength after chemical exposure
.

Coating thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) on copolymers provides medical device designers with a combination of soft and hard materials that is advantageous in medical components
.
Soft TPEs are suitable for grippers, gaskets, seals and soft touch elements on rigid medical housings and other components
.

"By combining Medalist TPE and Tritan copolymer, manufacturers can improve the ergonomics, aesthetics or function of medical devices," said Yubiao Liu, Ph.
D.
, head of Eastman's Global Medical Technology Platform
.
Bonding can enhance grip, add texture or comfort, create a tight seal, or provide damping properties
.
"

Ross van Royen, senior marketing manager at Teknor Apex, points out that Medalist TPE combines the properties of thermoset rubber with the ease of processing of thermoplastics, making it an excellent alternative to silicone, PVC and TPU
.
"We developed Medalist TPE to meet the most stringent requirements of the healthcare industry and are manufactured in multiple ISO-13485 certified facilities using only FDA-listed food-grade ingredients
.
All grades are ISO-10993-5 compliant Biocompatible, RoHS and REACH SVHC compliant, and free of phthalates, latex proteins or bisphenol A.

”

Peel strength is a 90-degree pull test at a pull speed of 100 mm/min according to DIN EN 1464 on a Zwick Tensile Gauge
.