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TEKNOR APEX INTRODUCES FAR-RANGING PROGRAM THAT WILL SERVE AS ‘A SINGLE SOURCE OF ELASTOMERS FOR MEDICAL MANUFACTURERS’

Medalist™ Program Has Wealth of New Elastomer Compounds Meeting Many Different Design, Processing, and End Use Needs, plus Comprehensive Resources for Designers

ROSEMONT, IL, U.S.A., September 23, 2008—An innovative and far-ranging medical-elastomers program named Medalist™ provides device manufacturers with a wealth of new high-purity thermoplastic elastomer compounds along with a comprehensive body of tools and information for designers and processors, it was announced today at MD&M Midwest by the Thermoplastic Elastomer Division of Teknor Apex Company (Booth 2670).

“The new Medalist initiative is a leap forward in our capability for serving medical manufacturers,” said Andy Claytor, sales director. “While Teknor Apex has long supplied medical-grade compounds, the comprehensiveness of the Medalist range and the technical resources that accompany it will enable customers to use our program as a single source of elastomers for an array of applications and to eliminate guesswork in making material selections.”

The initial range of 33 Medalist compounds is already extensive. Shore A hardness spans an unusually broad range, from 5 to 87. Clear, translucent, and opaque formulations are available. The compounds fall into three series: Versatile Series (MD-100), whose widely differing grades meet many requirements encountered in medical manufacturing; Resilient Series (MD-200), formulated for enhanced toughness, oil-resistance, or heat-resistance; and Bondable Series (MD-300), for over-molding onto a variety of thermoplastic substrates.

The three series are available worldwide. The accompanying table lists properties of four of the new Medalist compounds.

“All 33 Medalist compounds have been tested for compliance with ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity standards and are free of animal-derived materials, vinyl, phthalates, latex, and
additives not directly required for medical applications,” said Lisa Charno, medical market
manager. “The sheer breadth of Medalist product offerings is remarkable—from super-soft gels to elastomers that are semirigid like hard rubber. Grades are available for every major process in medical manufacturing, from injection molding to blow molding to extrusion of thin film.”

To aid designers in selecting the best compound for an application, and processors in optimizing production, Teknor Apex has prepared an expandable handbook and grade selector with complete information on every Medalist compound, including data on toxicology, sterilization, chemical resistance, and other properties, along with design considerations and processing guidelines. Teknor Apex has established a website at www.medalistmd.com that has data on all Medalist grades and will be expanded to include much other information.

“The Medalist program is unique because it addresses such a wide range of performance requirements, subjects every one of the available grades to the same comprehensive testing, and addresses as many as possible of the issues that affect users of medical elastomers, including pending regulations,” said Charno. “The whole point of the Medalist initiative is to provide—up front—all of the information designers need to make the best raw material choice.”

Thirty-Two Initial Compounds in Medalist™ Range Meet Many Medical Requirements

All Medalist elastomers meet ISO-10993-5 standards for non-toxicity and are compliant with U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), RoHS, U.S. Conference of Northeastern Governors (CONEG), and California Proposition 65 requirements relevant to medical applications. They provide the advantages of thermoplastics—outstanding processability, recyclability, colorability, and design freedom—with the elasticity and tensile strength of conventional rubber.

Medalist Versatile Series (MD-100). The 17 grades in this series are all clear or translucent and include a 5 Shore A ultra-soft clear gel; tubing grades optimized for softness, kink-resistance, alcohol resistance, or high clarity; high-flow injection molding elastomer for complex or thin-wall parts; compounds formulated for blow molding and for broad processing latitude; materials free of oil plasticizers; and elastomers with high levels of hardness, elasticity,
hot water resistance, dynamic wear resistance, resilience at high temperatures, and surface smoothness.

Medalist Resilient Series (MD-200).The ten initial offerings in this series are opaque
compounds ranging in Shore A hardness from an ultra-soft15 to a semirigid 80 and include grades optimized for oil resistance and toughness. One formulation is free of oil plasticizer.

Medalist Bondable Series (MD-300). There are six grades for over-molding, including opaque, clear, and translucent formulations. Depending on the grade, substrates include ABS, copolyester, high-impact polystyrene, nylon, and polycarbonate.

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The THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER DIVISION of Teknor Apex Company is a leading manufacturer of TPE compounds, including multiple generic types based on polyolefin, vulcanizate, and styrenic technologies. Headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.A., the Division is an international supplier to the appliance, automotive, construction, medical-device, wire and cable, and other industries. Other plastics businesses of TEKNOR APEX include the Vinyl Div., Chemical Div., Specialty Compounding Div., Teknor Color Company, Chem Polymer, Singapore Polymer Corp., and Teknor Apex Suzhou. Visit the web site: www.teknorapex.com.

READER INQUIRY INFORMATION: Americas: Teknor Apex, 505 Central Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02861 U.S.A. Tel:1-401-725-8000. Tel. from U.S. only: 1-866-GET-TPEs (1-866-438-8737). Fax: 1-401-728-5680. E-mail: tpe@teknorapex.com. Europe: Chem Polymer Ltd., Tat Bank Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, England B69 4NH. Tel: 44-121-665-2100. Email: eutpe@teknorapex.com. Asia: Singapore Polymer Corporation, 41 Shipyard Road, Singapore 628134. Tel: 65-6265-2544. Fax: 65-6265-1821. Email: apactpe@teknorapex.com.