New PP pharmaceutical grades for syringes, medical dosing application devices, packaging for healthcare applications

13-Feb-14

Two new pharmaceutical grades of polypropylene intended for syringes, other medical dosing application devices and also for packaging for healthcare applications is being introduced by SABIC at Pharmapack Europe 2014. The two grades, SABIC® PP PCGR40 and a lubricated variant, SABIC® PP PCGR40L, are high-flow random copolymers typically used for producing thin-walled products with high levels of clarity. These PP grades support the production of healthcare products that are highly reliable, very safe to use, and economic to produce. SABIC® PP PCGR40 is – amongst others - well suited to the production of three-piece syringes, in which an elastomeric seal on the plunger provides the required lubrication. For two-piece syringes the second grade, SABIC® PP PCGR40L, can be considered, since the lubrication is supplied by the plunger itself, providing a high level of dosing accuracy. The high levels of transparency of both grades are achieved by the inherent clarity of random PP copolymers plus the use of state-of-the-art clarifying technology. Together, they provide an extra level of patient safety, since it is very easy to see the levels of liquid in the syringe, and to ensure there are no bubbles. Both new grades are reactor grades, which results in significantly pure materials. Both new grades have a melt flow rate (MFR) of 40 g/min. This not only enables production of thin-walled medical devices and packaging, it also supports processors to reduce cycle times compared to grades with MFRs of between 30 and 35 g/min that are commonly used within the healthcare industry. This provides advantages for processors in terms of energy consumption, total conversion costs, and overall sustainability - an issue that is increasingly important for healthcare companies.