MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sabic, Saudi Arabia's petrochemical major, has introduced two new pharmaceutical grades of polypropylene (PP) intended for syringes, other medical dosing application devices and also for packaging for healthcare applications, according to the company's press release.
The two grades, SABIC PP PCGR40 and a lubricated variant, SABIC PP PCGR40L, are high-flow random copolymers typically used for producing thin-walled products with high levels of clarity. These PP grades support the production of healthcare products that are highly reliable, very safe to use, and economic to produce.
SABIC PP PCGR40 is - amongst others - well suited to the production of three-piece syringes, in which an elastomeric seal on the plunger provides the required lubrication.
For two-piece syringes the second grade, SABIC PP PCGR40L, can be considered, since the lubrication is supplied by the plunger itself, providing a high level of dosing accuracy. The high levels of transparency of both grades are achieved by the inherent clarity of random PP copolymers plus the use of state-of-the-art clarifying technology.
Together, they provide an extra level of patient safety, since it is very easy to see the levels of liquid in the syringe, and to ensure there are no bubbles. Both new grades are reactor grades, which results in significantly pure materials.
Both new grades have a melt flow rate (MFR) of 40 g/min. This not only enables production of thin-walled medical devices and packaging, it also supports processors to reduce cycle times compared to grades with MFRs of between 30 and 35 g/min that are commonly used within the healthcare industry. This provides advantages for processors in terms of energy consumption, total conversion costs, and overall sustainability - an issue that is increasingly important for healthcare companies.
As MRC informed previously, in May 2013, started producing its new PP impact copolymer (ICP) grade PP77MK40T in China for the local market. PP77MK40T is suitable for production of garden furniture, household items, battery casings, containers, toys, crates and boxes, and enriches the polymers portfolio in Sabic.
Sabic is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest company in the Middle East.
Sabic is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer and is expected to become number one after the introduction of these new projects. SABIC is the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer. It is also the world's largest producer of mono-ethylene glycol, MTBE, granular urea, polyphenylene and polyether imide.
MRC