Bayer Introduces New Grade of Medical Polycarbonate

As demand for smaller, less intrusive medical devices continues to grow, designers and OEMs are increasingly seeking materials with properties that can make these new devices possible. Bayer MaterialScience LLC has launching a new grade of medical polycarbonate to address this need.

“Bayer MaterialScience has been a trusted material supplier to the medical market for more than 50 years,” said Bruce Fine, market segment leader, Medical and Consumer Products, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “Introducing this new material is indicative of our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the medical market.”

Specifically engineered for molding devices with extremely thin walls (as low as 0.014 inches) and long flow lengths (150 millimeters), Makrolon 2258 polycarbonate is a high-flow grade with an internal mold release additive that allows it to be more easily released from the mold. These properties translate into a number of benefits. Among them, it enables designers/OEMs to use less material, offers greater processing efficiency, and reduces the invasiveness of procedures for patients, according to the company. This material is expected to be used for such applications as trocars, needle safety guards and other medical devices requiring thin walls and complex components.

This material allows for ethylene oxide and steam sterilization at 121°C and meets many ISO 10993-1 biocompatibility test requirements. It is currently available in the United States and Europe.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is a provider of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,700 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2010 sales of 10.2 billion euros.