BASF Introduces Transparent Medical-Grade Copolymer at Fakuma

Good news may be a rare commodity in these times of global financial crises, but here’s something you can take to the bank: Materials suppliers at this year’s Fakuma agree that the market for medical plastics continues to grow. And that is despite rising energy costs, which has had a knock-on effect on the cost of raw materials. The international trade show for plastics processing opened its doors today in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and it was evident on the show floor that materials suppliers are committed to meeting demand from the medical sector in terms of quantity and quality.

On the first day of the show, Karen Kling from BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) announced that the chemicals giant has added a new polymer to its line of medical technology plastics. According to Kling, the transparent plastic Luran HD has better chemical resistance than other transparent plastics. The Luran HD (the HD stands for healthcare and diagnostics) styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer is also stiffer and easier to process than competing materials, she noted.

“Another great thing about Luran HD is that it comes with a service package,” Kling added. “The service package includes a guarantee of the formulation, meaning that BASF doesn’t intend to change any of the components. And Luran HD is crystal clear. This is a particularly important characteristic for a medical plastic when colours have to be clearly visible,” said Kling.

Luran HD has now joined BASF’s existing product line of plastics for medical technology. The chemicals company offers all its HD brands in combination with the comprehensive service package, which includes technical support and encompasses compatibility tests with specific chemicals

The material can be sterilized by means of beta or gamma radiation, is microwave-stable, and is less expensive than other transparent plastics such as PMMA or PC, according to BASF. The thermally stable material can be used for urine containers or specimen trays, among other products.

Fakuma runs through 18 October at the fairgrounds in Friedrichshafen.

Tags: Fakuma, Materials, Medical plastics, trade show