Trinseo debuts biocompatible polystyrene for medical device applications

Global materials company Trinseo (Berwyn, PA) has introduced a general-purpose polystyrene (GPPS) specifically for the medical device market. Styron 2678 MED polystyrene resin allows medical device OEMs to benefit from the versatility of polystyrene with a material that complies with ISO 10993, the international standard for evaluating biocompatibility, and that comes with an extended notification of change. All Trinseo medical-grade resins are subject to a change management policy and “formula lock,” which ensures that customers are informed of any upcoming changes and that the formula is locked for an extended period of time. 

The medical-grade GPPS is suitable for use in the manufacture of clear packaging, diagnostic components, petri dishes and housings for test kits, among other applications, according to Trinseo.

Material properties include transparency (with an approximate 90% transmission rate), stiffness, rigidity and heat resistance. It withstands most forms of sterilization and is chemically resistant. The material is also compatible with secondary operations such as solvent bonding, welding and laser marking.

“There’s a growing need—especially within medical packaging—for a medical-grade polymer that performs well, protects the product and provides an added degree of safety,” said Ben Porter, Technical Service and Development Engineer at Trinseo’s Netherlands operations. “Styron 2678 MED provides customers with an ideal and economical solution and an alternative to general-purpose food-grade polystyrene,” he added.

Trinseo has served the global medical devices market with high performance plastics for single- and multiple-use devices and equipment housings for nearly three decades. The company previously operated under the name of Styron, which it officially changed to Trinseo in February 2015 to reflect its position “as a materials company that goes beyond styrene and polystyrene," the company writes on its website. The word Trinseo is derived from intrinsic.

The company was originally founded in 2010 through a combination of four Dow Chemical business units: Polycarbonate and compounds & blends; paper and carpet latex; synthetic rubber; and styrenics.

Today, the company offers worldwide production and fulfillment. It recently announced its medical compounding capability in Asia Pacific to complement existing compounding in Europe and North America.