Anaheim, Calif. — Covestro LLC launched an ultradurable polycarbonate for health care and life sciences applications that offers strength over a wide temperature range.
Makrolon 3638 PC is engineered to function in the production of "anything from biopharmaceutical production or active pharmaceutical ingredients," Emily Shaffer, healthcare marketing manager for the Americas at Covestro, told Plastics News at MD&M West in Anaheim Feb. 8.
Containers used in those processes "could be frozen for up to two years … or transported under cold chain transportation," Shaffer said.
The material is impact-resistant and ductile from steam-sterilization temperatures down to -70° C, Shaffer said. "So, if someone were to drop that container, [it] would still be intact [with] no leakage of the contents."
The material is transparent and resistant to everyday chemicals in a household setting, like lotion, sunscreens or disinfectants, Shaffer added.
"It could be useful for things like wearables or a wellness device that you would be touching on a daily basis," she said.
Single-use containers for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, drug delivery devices and wearables all "must be tough and durable, able to withstand everyday use while maintaining their structural integrity," Covestro said in a new release.
The material is limited medical grade with biocompatibility testing according to USP Class I, ISO 10993-5 and ISO 10993-10, and meets the requirements for skin-contact applications, the release said.
It is also food-contact-approved and can be processed using both injection and blow molding.