Colorant line now compatible with leading medical-grade resins

PolyOne's USP Class VI-certified OnColor HC Plus colorants have been formulated for compatibility with specialty medical grades from Dow Chemical and Eastman Chemical. The colorants, which are pre-certified to meet USP Class VI and ISO 10993 requirements for healthcare, medical device, and pharmaceutical applications, are now compatible with Dow's HEALTH+ high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Eastman's Tritan MX co-polyester.

Larry Johnson, global marketing director for healthcare at PolyOne, told PlasticsToday the compatibility will help accelerate device introduction. "[Dow's and Eastman's] customers, who will be our customers as well in this situation, are looking for ways to lower risks in product development and qualification," Johnson said.

Johnson added that PolyOne can do any color "our customer wants and needs." There are certain colors that the company has done which are already certified USP Class VI, but Johnson said the company can use pigments that meet the specifications to create custom colors.

PolyOne noted that manufacturers and designers of certain healthcare and medical device products that utilize HEALTH+ and Tritan MX can incorporate "brand-enhancing colors and special effects" into their products, without impacting time to market. The company describes OnColor HC Plus colorants as global formulations with biocompatibility approvals (USP Class VI, ISO 10993) that give manufacturers brand and regulatory consistency across their entire global footprint.

Healthcare-focused website

PolyOne customers can learn about all of the company's HC products at its new healthcare-focused website. Called PolyOne Healthcare Solutions, the site features information on regulations, applications, and trends, as well as advanced materials and physical property searches associated with PolyOne's portfolio of healthcare-related materials.

Michelle Maniscalco, PolyOne's marketing communications manager for global trade media relations, told PlasticsToday that the site will also feature information on sterilization, including what processes are compatible with its offerings, as well as providing chemical resistance data showing how its materials interact with certain cleaning agents. The site also has a section where users can up load material recommendations, or research physical properties, applications areas, and trends in the market place.