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Polymers come into the equation for safety in healthcare

China Plastic & Rubber Journal (CPRJ) - Dec 2016 Issue Source:China Plastic & Rubber Journal By Victor Cheng An aging global population leads tostronger demand for healthcare solutions that are both safe and easy to use.The industry is turning to the plastics industry that can help manage costswhile meeting the performance and safety requirements. ▲ The housing of the VAX-ID vaccination device is made of SABIC's PP. By 2050, it is anticipated that approximately 2 billion of the world's population will be elderly (60 years and older), according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and 1 billion people will be waiting to be integrated into the healthcare system.In mature economies, disease prevention and self-medication in aging populations will drive the need for low-cost, easy-to-use devices. Meanwhile, developing economies will present great opportunities for medical device manufacturers – but equipment must combine high performance with affordability.Vaccination becomes more efficient For example, Novosanis, a Belgium-based device developer and producer active in the prevention, detection and treatment of infectious diseases and oncology, turned to SABIC when it created the VAX-ID vaccination device. SABIC’s PCGR40, a polypropylene (PP) resin, is used for the housing material for a short, thin, almost invisible needle that can be used to administer vaccinations that penetrate only 1mm under the skin, lessening the stress of receiving a shot. As explained, this ultra-clear material with enhanced flow provides an extra level of patient safety due to its transparency and is compliant with EU and US medical regulations. The easy-to-use device is dose-sparing, with only 10% of the dose needing to be injected compared to regular flu shots in the muscle, which means more people can be vaccinated using the same amount of antigen. It doesn’t matter what kind of polymers are used, the materials chosen for medical applications must be biocompatible, impact resistant, easy-to-clean, as well as resistant to chemicals, aesthetically pleasing, lightweight and sustainable."Unbreakable" alternativet to glass syringe Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) is a relatively new class of polymers as compared to commodity plastics such as PP and polyethylene (PE). This newer material is an interesting plastic alternative to time-tested glass syringes due to the growing demands of novel agents on their primary packaging. Syringes made of this material are resistant to breaking, as transparent as glass and hardly interact with the packaged medications at all. Thanks to the use of injection molding, the design boasts especially tight tolerances. Its precise geometry also reduces dead volume, leaving behind less of the expensive medication in the syringe. Plastikos Inc, a custom injection molder, and its sister mold making company Micro Mold, both based in the US, have successfully commercialized disposable cartridge components made of COC for wearable drug delivery devices for medications such as insulin and pain medicines. The precision disposable cartridges, which consist of several parts molded of TOPAS COC from TOPAS Advanced Polymers, are manufactured under strict performance qualifications including highly challenging tolerance levels and multi-cavity tooling.“In these highly demanding applications, we are able to push the limits in terms of precision molding because of the broad material and process know-how we bring to the table,” said Rob Cooney, Manufacturing Manager for Plastikos.The project included the design and construction of multi-cavity molds that range up to 32 cavities with fully interchangeable inserts among all cavities. To further mitigate the risk of shipping a single defective part, every cavity on each mold was designed and built with a cavity pressure sensor. This mold sensor technology is used to monitor every cycle in production and provides 100% traceability. Plastikos worked with TOPAS Advanced Polymers to produce complex geometries and tight tolerances down to less than 0.025mm. “TOPAS COC fills a vital role in the disposable cartridge because of its repeatable performance in an industry where precision means everything. It’s a well-respected material because of its drug compatibility and other high-performance attributes,” said Dan Snyder, Technical Sales Manager for Plastikos. TOPAS COC provides purity, drug compatibility, biocompatibility, and dimensional stability. Unlike other engineering thermoplastics or glass, it offers a non-ionic, minimally reactive surface. This non-polar substrate does not promote adsorption, denaturation, aggregation, or precipitation.Gerresheimer uses COP for production of its new Gx RTF ClearJect syringe. In comparison to the similar material COC, cyclic olefin polymer (COP) features even greater tensile strength, fracture strain, flexural strength and impact resistance. Such material using a single type of monomer is chosen by German medical device producer Gerresheimer for its new Gx RTF ClearJect syringe. Since the entire syringe including the insert-molded cannula is produced in a single step, the product is free of tungsten and adhesives in addition to its metal ion-free nature. Medications for cancer therapy, for example, can be extremely aggressive to the point where the break resistance of a syringe is a decisive criterion for selection. Innovative biotech medications, on the other hand, are often effective in the smallest of doses and are frequently very expensive. Any interaction with the syringe material must be ruled out here. COP has a high pH tolerance and, unlike glass, does not change the pH value while in storage. The oxygen permeation rate is low in comparison to other plastics, and the values for extractables and leachables are low. The syringes are siliconized with a precisely controlled amount of high-viscosity, and thus low-particle, Dow Corning 360 MD (12,500 cSt) silicone oil to ensure optimum functioning. Precise dimensions and siliconizing ensure reliable syringe functioning with low breakaway and gliding forces and minimal force required to pull-off the needle shield. The syringes are suitable not just for packaging aggressive or toxic materials, but also for use in autoinjectors thanks to their ruggedness and precise geometry.Making life easy for elderly It is common for adults to consume nutritional supplements such as vitamins or minerals, often sold as effervescent tablets. These consumers are usually 60 years or older, the so-called elderly. However, it could be a difficult task to open conventional effervescent packaging as they lose their strength.Sanner’s new FOG 27 closure is easier to open than conventional effervescent packaging. According to the German Federal Association of Senior Citizens’ Organizations (BAGSO), more than 90% of senior citizens struggle with opening consumer packaging in general; three quarters criticize the handling properties of opening mechanisms in particular.“For producers of food supplements this is a decisive factor,” said Ursula Hahn, Product Manager at Sanner. “In case of bad experiences with the packaging, repurchase rates decline considerably.” To find a remedy, the German company has developed the new FOG 27 closure.A comparative study conducted by the market research institutes Quo Vadis and Packaging Intelligence surveyed 120 people in charge of their respective housholds, 60% women and 40% men, who purchase and consume vitamin, mineral or painkiller tablets two to three times per month. 87% of the participants confirmed the intuitive opening of the user-friendly FOG 27 closure. Apart from the easy removal of the warranty band, testers appreciated the painless, single-handed opening. They neither complained about pressure marks on their thumb, nor about aching fingers. As far as opening time is concerned, participants required approximately a third of the time to open the FOG 27: 9.2s instead of 25.8s for conventional closures. Moreover, the amount of physical effort needed for the first opening is significantly lower: 12 newton instead of 36 newton. Sanner's FOG 27 closures can be incorporated with its Brilliance Tubes, which are decorated using In-mold Labeling (IML) technology.A safer approach concerning desiccants Drop-in style desiccants, such as canisters and packets, are the most widely used method of controlling moisture in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical bottle packaging applications.Desccant canister with bright red labeling to avoid mistaking. Switzerland specialty chemicals company Clariant, through its Healthcare Packaging business unit, has introduced desiccant canisters with bright red labeling to better differentiate them from drug products. Displaying an easy-to-understand pictogram and the words “Do Not Eat” in multiple languages, they offer another layer of safety for consumers.“All desiccant canisters are marked with warnings to help avoid accidental ingestion,” explained Philippe Depois, Head of Sales, Clariant Healthcare Packaging. “However, depending on the color of the drug there may not be a sharp contrast. The distinctive and vibrant color of the red canister label can help patients more easily recognize the desiccant.”The new labels are made with materials compliant with EU and US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and include an outer varnish coating, so ink is not in direct contact with the drug. The canister labels can also be customized for specific color-differentiation or specific branding.https://www.adsalecprj.com/Publicity/ePub/lang-eng/article-67025087/asid-26/tc-en_CPRJ_EN_20170329/EbookArticle.aspx

Ms. Kang 2017-04-07

Next generation LLDPE packaging based on WESTON 705 antioxidant hits consumer market

Source: CPRJ Editorial Team ▲ A new generation of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) packaging based on Addivant's nonylphenol-free stabilizer WESTON 705 has successfully hit the consumer shelves. A new generation of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) packaging based on Addivant's nonylphenol-free stabilizer WESTON 705 has successfully hit the consumer market."Due to its high phosphorous content, WESTON 705 reduces the use of antioxidants by up to 20%, allowing for more flexibility in formulations and recycling," said Dr. Jonathan Hill, Chief Technology Officer for Addivant. "Polyethylene (PE) resins based on WESTON 705 are easier to process, more versatile, and create less plateout or gels than resins based on conventional solid phosphite antioxidant."WESTON 705 has been approved globally by more than 20 major polymer manufacturers. It is, as the company said, the only liquid antioxidant for PE producers offering a broadly tested single-additive solution for global converters and packaging manufacturers.The growth of WESTON 705 in food packaging is being fueled by consumers and regulators increasing their focus on substances that unintentionally migrate from packaging into food, according to Addivant.Non-governmental organizations and authorities worldwide are pushing new food packaging regulations with a key focus on these Non-Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS). An example is the new Chinese food-contact law GB9685-2016 which, effective October 2017, will not allow greater than 10ppb of nonylphenol to migrate into food.WESTON 705 is the industry's only liquid phosphite antioxidant with a full, clean NIAS human safety assessment and is approved for food contact by more than 50 countries, including the US Food & Drug Administartion (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).By the end of 2017, Addivant will have expanded its WESTON 705 capacity five-fold compared to early 2016 at its Morgantown, West Virginia, the US plant and in China."This is another important milestone for Addivant's more than $30 million investments in technology and capacity for WESTON 705," said John Steitz, Addivant's CEO. "We are establishing a new standard in our industry and it is crucial that we stay ahead of demand and provide full security of supply for our global customers."The company anticipates an additional expansion in 2018. https://www.adsalecprj.com/Publicity/MarketNews/lang-eng/article-67025993/tc-en_CPRJ_EN_20170329/NewsArticle.aspx

Ms. Kang 2017-04-07

PE films consumption rose to 7.4 million tons in 2016, says AMI

The demand for polyethylene (PE) film has continued to rise in Europe, reaching over 7.4 million tons of PE for film extrusion in 2016, a 1% rise over previous year, according to Applied Market Information (AMI)'s latest update. Germany is the leading country for PE film extrusion in Europe, which has seen its film extrusion industry pretty much maintain its status throuhgout the financial crisis and the subsequent Eurozone crisis with demand in 2016 finally surpassing pre-crisis levels.Chart Above Enlarged

강민정 2017-02-02

Metal and Ceramic Injection Molding Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2020

Ms.Kang 2016-11-09

Study: Plastics reduce environmental impact

Russell said the study was admittedly “risky,” but it provides a new lens into the industry’s ongoing sustainability discussion. “Even though the plastics industry is probably a little bit uncomfortable with a dollar value being assigned to the environmental consequences of production, the more we can make better decisions to improve our business, the better,” he said. “As more and more companies … start looking at the consequences of their decisions, they need good information on which to base those decisions.” In addition, the report recommends steps to help further reduce plastics' overall environmental costs by as much as $41 billion industry-wide, including suggestions such as:• A potential $7.6 billion in overall cost savings from increasing the use of wind, solar and hydro-electric power sources in plastics production.• A possible $7.3 billion in environmental costs savings from a 30 percent reduction in materials used in the food, soft drink and ice packaging sectors alone.• A potential $10.6 billion savings if the industry committed to a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency for the fleets of vehicles used to transport plastic and plastic products.While consumers are accustomed to only looking at their piece of the puzzle — the end of a piece of plastic’s life, usually as they hold it in their hand — manufacturers and policy makers must see things more broadly, and the study puts more data into perspective for them than ever before, say Trucost and ACC.“Plastics makers are used to hearing about the downsides of our products. And this study is disruptive of conventional wisdom that says plastics are bad for the environment or that we should use other materials,” Russell said. “But all of the pieces weighed together need to be considered if we want to make the best decision for the planet and the environment. That’s why this study is important…. Not just the end-of-life piece, the full lifecycle.” By Gayle S. Putrich http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20160726/NEWS/160729849/study-plastics-reduce-environmental-impact

Brandy 2016-08-31