Innovative plastic for the medical equipment

There are lots of trends in the world at present. The major ones include the changes in the world temperature and environmentally-friendly products. Another trend that s close to us and being experienced by many countries including Thailand is the trend of an aging society, due to the progress in medical technology and health care for people of all ages.

It is expected that Thailand will become the fastest aging society in Southeast Asia. It is thus necessary to place importance on health. In particular, as the Thai government aims for the country to be a medical hub of the region when the AEC is in operation in 2015, both the government and the private sectors are trying to achieve innovations and develop the capability in manufacturing medical plastics to prepare to support increasing needs.

SCG Chemicals, the leader in the business of manufacturing and supplying chemicals of Thailand, and a leading manufacturer in the Asia-Pacific region, manufactures and exports high quality polypropylene (PP) plastic pellets of various grades for the manufacture of medical equipment of certified FDA, USP Class VI and EP international standards. The plastic has also been the first in Asean to be subject to sterilization using gamma radiation.

This is particularly for the innovative PP Copolymer P859JMR plastic pellets for medical equipment including syringes, syringe caps, specimen cups, and test tubes. The medical plastic items are strong, highly transparent and can pass sterilization standards using gamma radiation. This is the highest level of sterilization without making the plastic become brittle or broken and experience changes in color. The sterilization of medical plastics aims to prevent infection when used with patients. It is thus a strict and complicated process, with many requirements and various stages of examination by several agencies. In sterilizing medical plastics, a higher dose of radiation is required. This affects the physical properties and the quality of medical plastics. The plastic may turn yellow, lose its transparency, or become brittle.

Considering these limitations, SCG Chemicals has researched and come up with plastic pellets that can pass the sterilization process using gamma radiation.The problem is thus solved. PP Copolymer P859JMR plastic pellets can be processed, formed as medical equipment and then exposed to gamma radiation. The plastic of this type has been tested and approved by leading manufacturing companies of medical plastics of recognized quality and efficiency.

In general, there are three ways of sterilizing medical equipment:

1. Autoclave or sterilization by steam and high pressure.
2. Ethylene Oxide Sterilization (EO), which is cleaner than the first method but takes longer and may leave some residues.
3. Gamma ray sterilization using gamma radiation, considered the best method, safest and most sterile.

SCG Chemicals produce plastic pellets for the manufacturing of medical plastics suitable for all the three methods of sterilization. The pellets are produced from the same factories awarded the ISO 13485, the standard for manufacturers of medical plastics. SCG Chemicals is the first and only manufacturer of plastic pellets in Asean to have been awarded the standards. Manufacturers of medical plastics can therefore be confident of the quality control right from the stage of raw materials.

PP Copolymer P859JMR plastic pellets are another innovation SCG Chemicals is proud of especially with the positive responses and the approval of leading manufacturing companies of medical plastics. One of their common major reasons for the choosing this type of plastic pellets in manufacturing medical equipment is that PP Copolymer P859JMR plastic pellets are subject to sterilization using gamma radiation with no change in colour. This is an important property in addition to the transparency and the strength. The prices are also acceptable and delivery is extremely efficient and timely. In addition, all the teams at SCG Chemicals work and respond quickly. They help solve problems, follow up and keep customers informed regularly, reflecting their care for customers.

With the important capability of maintaining their physical properties and quality even after sterilization using gamma radiation, PP Copolymer P859JMR plastic pellets provide advantages for manufacturers in producing safe medical equipment and medical plastics of the highest levels of safety. Also, Thailand can also reduce the imports of these plastic pellets as they are of comparable quality to those imported. With the lower cost of production, the Thai medical field development can be promoted. In particular, medical plastics at lower prices mean that the public can access more medical treatment or services. People thus have a better quality of life in terms of health. This is true not only in Thailand as SCG Chemicals also exports high quality plastic pellets for use as raw materials in manufacturing medical equipment to Asean countries. This way, patients and the public in general in all the Asean countries can also have greater access to the health equipment of accepted standards.

SCG Chemicals is determined to innovate and develop technology to produce high value added plastic pellets for medical plastics that are sterilized, considering the quality of life of the consumers of much importance. This is, thus, an alternative innovation for better health standards.