(Avon Lake, OH) has seen its recent emphasis on the medical market pay quick dividends with sector growth exceeding 100% over the last three years, according to Larry Johnson, marketing director, healthcare, at the company. PolyOne is looking to maintain that momentum with a series of announcements related to the market made at MD&M West (booth #1701), including the launch of new Versalloy thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV), new USP Class VI certified colorants, and a new ISO 13485:2003 certification at its McHenry, IL production site.
Johnson told PlasticsToday that he expected medical to continue to grow for PolyOne in 2011, forecasting a double-digit expansion for the sector that is part of its overall business-specialization strategy. The Versalloy HC alloy grades the company debuted are USP Class VI certified and based on TPVs that are engineered for high stress/harsh environment applications. The company says Versalloy's elastomeric properties and soft durometer result in a material with exceptional flow, lower shrink rate, and better aesthetics than typical TPVs. These grades contain no nitrosamines, phthalates, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and are well-suited for polypropylene overmolding applications.
The injection moldable Versalloy HC grades are offered in a Shore A hardness range of 45A to 70A, with natural or black colors. The alloy has a specific gravity of 0.89 and tensile strengths ranging from 170 to 810 psi, depending on the test method and specific material. PolyOne says the alloys display elongation retentions of 93%-99% in recent tests, exhibiting exceptional strength for high-wear applications.
PolyOne also introduced its OnColor HC Plus line of USP Class VI colorants. The globally available palette of standard and custom colors is pre-certified to meet or exceed ISO 10993 and USP Class VI requirements in seven different medical-grade resin carriers as well as liquid, with additional carriers pending. Colorants with this pre-certification will be available globally in both solid and liquid form by Q2 2011 for PP, PE, PC, TPU, TPE, ABS, and copolyesters.
PolyOne achieved ISO 13485:2003 certification for its McHenry, IL production facility, which joins two sites in Suzhou, China that were certified in 2009 and 2010. "[PolyOne] wants to make materials to the same standards our customers make devices to," Johnson said. The standard is typically harmonized with ISO 9001 certification, which PolyOne achieved in 2003 for its McHenry facility. Johnson said the company will be extending the certification to additional plants in the future. —Tony Deligio
