WALDKRAIBURG, Germany—Kraiburg TPE has developed adhesion-optimized thermoplastic elastomer compounds for medical applications, through a collaboration with polymer and chemicals company Eastman Corp.
The Thermolast M-branded materials are tailored to adhere directly to Eastman copolyesters for medical packaging, seals and soft-tip applications. Polypropylene, ABS, ABS/PC, and PET are among the other polymers suitable for use with the new compounds, Kraiburg TPE said in a recent news release.
In tests, Kraiburg said, the materials showed "excellent peel strength" on various Eastman Tritan copolyesters.
The TPE compounds allowed "the optimal combining of hard and soft components," Ludovic Gardet, of Eastman's application development and technical service unit, said in a statement. Combination through injection molding, he said, "leverages the benefits" of Tritan and the added functionality of the TPEs.
The cooperation with Eastman is part of a Kraiburg TPE strategy to focus on medical applications and pharmaceutical packaging.
"We are expanding our portfolio for (these) markets… focusing on developing new materials for innovative products," said Oliver Kluge, business unit manager of medical applications at Kraiburg TPE.
Kraiburg TPE will unveil the Thermolast M compounds at Pharmapack 2019 in Paris, Feb. 5-7.