Teknor Apex will introduce new medical-grade thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) at NPE2018, later this year.
The new TPEs are designed for injection moulded plunger stoppers and provide improved syringe performance.
Teknor Apex states that stoppers moulded from the Medalist TPEs perform well in both glass and plastic syringe barrels and achieve a consistent piston release and travel force due to a low coefficient of friction.
The Medalist compounds provide advantages over rubber, which has been the predominant material for use in syringe stoppers. TPEs process in shorter moulding cycles and can lead to more intricate designs and tighter dimensional tolerances.
The compounds can be over-moulded onto plungers, eliminating an assembly step. Medalist TPEs can also be over-moulded onto engineering resins such as polycarbonates, acrylic and acetal.
Compared with competing TPEs, the Medalist TPEs exhibit improved compression making a more secure seal possible.
Ross van Royen, senior market manager of regulated products, said: “Stoppers must move smoothly against the wall of the syringe barrel, provide an exceptional seal to preserve the integrity of the drug, and be chemically inert to prevent interaction with the syringe contents. Teknor Apex has developed a portfolio of Medalist TPEs that meet these performance requirements while providing substantial economic advantages because of their ease of processing.”
