Medical-grade Eastman Tritan™ Copolyester Offers Durability and Sterilization Solutions for Rigid Medical Packaging
Kingsport, Tenn. — Feb. 10, 2010 — Eastman Chemical Company announced it will expand its portfolio of Eastman Medical Polymers with the launch of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 at the Medical Design & Manufacturing West (MD&M West) trade show Feb. 9 to 11, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif.
Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100, an enhanced-performance polymer for rigid medical packaging, maintains all the same properties that have made Eastar™ copolyester 6763 the industry standard for rigid medical packaging, including chemical resistance, clarity and toughness. In addition, it provides a balance of design, processing and performance advantages through higher heat resistance, greater inherent toughness and exceptional post-sterilization clarity compared with other polymers.
“Eastman Chemical Company is well-known for the benefits Eastar™ copolyester 6763 has offered to the marketplace for the past 20 years,” said Scott Hanson, global industry leader, medical market segment, Specialty Plastics Business, Eastman. “Now, with the addition of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100, we are able to strengthen our offering for customers in the rigid medical packaging market and satisfy unmet needs in certain segments.”
The high heat resistance of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 provides sterilization and durability advantages. Tritan allows higher sterilization chamber temperatures, allowing faster ethylene oxide (EtO) cycle times and a reduced risk of warping and sticking. The material’s heat resistance permits more rapid accelerated-aging protocols that result in faster validation and more reliable shelf-life qualifications, reducing time and labor. Plus, the higher heat resistance of Tritan reduces the impact of aging and increases a package’s shelf life compared with other materials.
The toughness and design flexibility of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 ensures the protection of sterilized contents against damage and breach of sterile barrier. Tritan offers the potential for package redesign for lightweighting and downgauging to reduce thickness — requiring less source material that can result in reduced energy usage and shipping costs, as well as less secondary packaging.
Compared with other competitive materials, Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 provides outstanding post-sterilization clarity and color. It quickly returns to glasslike transparency and original color after gamma sterilization to provide a high-quality appearance throughout a package’s life cycle.
Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 offers extruding and processing properties that are similar to Eastar™ . It also can be thermoformed with less wasted material and time because the material does not stress-whiten, or increase particulate or angel hair compared to sheet made from acrylic, acrilonitrile or polyvinyl chloride polymers.
“By leveraging our industry understanding, along with extensive design, engineering and manufacturing expertise, Eastman is helping customers shape what’s next in rigid medical packaging,” Hanson said. “With the addition of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 to our offerings, we continue to provide solutions to meet increasing rigid medical packaging standards.”
The launch of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester MP100 follows the 2009 introduction of medical-grade Tritan for molded medical devices and blends for housings. Eastman has been committed to the long-term needs of the medical industry for more than 65 years and is a reliable supplier of medical-grade polymers for functional rigid medical packaging and medical-device applications.
- The durability and sterilization benefits of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester for rigid medical packaging, the newest addition to the Eastman Medical Polymer portfolio. For a related photo, click here.
For more information on Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, visit www.eastman.com/tritan.
