Styron Introduces Chemical Resistance Blends for Medical Housings

BERWYN, Pa., Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Styron, the global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, announced an addition to its EMERGE™ Advanced Resins family in North America. The EMERGE™ PC/PET 9100CR Advanced Resin is a polycarbonate blend with superior chemical resistance properties, designed specifically for medical equipment housing applications.

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"With an increased emphasis on managing the risk of hospital acquired infections (HAIs), medical professionals have enhanced their standard operating procedures for infection control," said Martin Lindway, Styron's global marketing manager. "One of the controls in place is the selection of newer chemicals and cleaning procedures for durable medical equipment.

"The challenge is that the chemicals used in this process are harsh and can attack plastic surfaces leading to crazing, cracking, and even initiating product failure.  To combat this, Styron has developed a novel polycarbonate blend – the first in a series – with advanced chemical resistance properties to resist potential antagonists."

Feedback from trials of EMERGE™ PC/PET 9100CR Advanced Resin indicates that it provides a unique aesthetically-pleasing appearance and enhanced environmental stress-crack resistance, while maintaining the toughness needed for housings. EMERGE™ PC/PET 9100CR is available in Natural and custom color options to help produce opaque housings with aesthetically-pleasing appearances.

EMERGE™ PC/PET 9100CR augments a portfolio, including EMERGE™ PC/ABS 7600 Advanced Resins. Introduced earlier this year, this biocompatible product is a non-chlorinated, non-brominated, ignition-resistant blend combining the physical properties of polycarbonate with the processability, toughness and flow of ABS.

Besides offering products for housings under EMERGE™ Advanced Resins, Styron provides resins for single- and multiple-use medical devices under CALIBRE™ Polycarbonate Resins. Styron's flagship product, CALIBRE™ MEGARAD™ Polycarbonate Resins, uses color compensation technology to ensure color stability following gamma- and electron-beam radiation.  

Because of Styron's focus on polycarbonate and high-end compounds and blends, the company can work intimately with its medical customers and channel partners – something critical in this highly-regulated industry, where understanding regulatory and compliancy issues is critically important.

About Styron

Styron is a leading global materials company, dedicated to innovate and deliver for its customers.  Styron's unique product portfolio brings together plastics, rubber and latex businesses that share feedstocks, operations, customers and end users.  Styron has approximately $5 billion in revenue (2010), with 20 manufacturing sites around the world. Styron's 2100 employees are committed to listen to customers' needs and provide innovative and sustainable solutions in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, commercial transportation, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires.  

The company has announced plans to change its company name to Trinseo, effective in late 2011. More information can be found at www.styron.com.

SOURCE Styron