Teknor Apex partnered with General Motors to find a solution to an issue they encountered with a new vehicle design. The result is a compound that is quickly becoming the new industry standard. This self-texturing PVC compound is co-extrudable, bonds well to metal and can be color and gloss matched to surrounding materials.

Teknor Apex has developed the Medalist MD-50100 Series of medical-grade TPEs as alternatives to PVC and silicone for face masks used in respiratory therapy and other applications.  The Medalist MD-10100 Series are gel-like TPEs that bond to polypropylene using insert or 2-shot molding.

For medical device components requiring superior sealing performance, Medalist medical TPVs (Thermoplastic Vulcanizates) are the premier choice. The Medalist MD-23100 Series of TPVs are designed to replace thermoset rubber, with excellent sealing properties including low long-term compression set, high fatigue resistance, stability at high temperatures, and chemical resistance.

Synthetic esters are produced through the chemical reaction of an alcohol with a carboxylic acid. The potential combinations of alcohols and acids allow for a wide range of products with tailor made properties to be produced. See how the unique polarity of the ester function allows for highly polar additives to be easily and completely solubilized in non-polar PAO based fluids.

Synthetic esters, with their polarity and uniform structure, provide multiple high performance functions in lubricants.  As a base stock or as an additive, esters improve lubricity, improve the solubility of additives, have an affinity for metal surface, and improve cleanliness and sludge control.

Download this ebook and learn the best techniques to optimize product design for strong margins.  From component substitution, to manufacturing location to de-featuring products and more; learn what really has an impact on overall profitability.

Download this ebook and learn how to select the right partner for your Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) supply needs.  Teknor Apex outlines the 5 things you should consider (beyond price) when choosing the right TPE supplier.

Ultra-soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) gel compounds are used in medical devices to provide padding or cushioning, or an tight seal.  Teknor Apex presents the next generation of ultra-soft TPE gels, addressing two of the major limitations faced by current TPE gel materials.

Sarlink thermoplastic vulcanizates, or TPVs, are used extensively in sealing applications for the industrial and building and construction industries, replacing EPDM rubber due to increased design flexibility, lower density, and recyclability. In order to produce lower cost, lighter weight seals, TPVs can be foamed a variety of ways.

Medical tubing manufacturers have a variety of compound options, ranging from flexible plastics to TPEs to natural and synthetic rubbers. The most widely used material by far is PVC, which for decades has been employed in numerous types of tubing. More recently, TPEs have emerged as promising candidates and are in successful use by tubing manufacturers. 

For high precision molded medical parts requiring excellent elastic performance, Medalist® thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are the premier choice. The Medalist series of products are suitable for injection molding, insert, and 2-shot molding for a diverse range of parts in medical devices and equipment, diagnostic equipment and instruments, and devices for home use. 

Medalist® Thermoplastic Elastomers are the premier material choice for medical films and bags due to their biocompatibility, processability, and optimal balance of economics and performance. Further, there are several specialty solutions developed specifically for improved properties at low temperatures, outperforming flexible PVC in films and bags with cold storage requirements.

While there is increasing demand for low-smoke, halogen-free, flame-retardant (LS HFFR) compounds in many cable applications, fiber optics present special requirements for these types of materials. Tight buffer compounds must be tough yet elastic to protect the optical fiber from mechanical damage and the signal losses caused by micro-bends.  

Medalist Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) compounds are used exclusively in medical and healthcare applications due to their high degree of purity (low level of extractables), biocompatibility, and optimal balance of economics and performance. Medalist TPEs present a major cost savings when used to replace latex rubber in the production of elastic films.

Designers of white goods with elastomeric components – like seals, gaskets,
hoses, O-rings, motor mounts, drain tubes, shock absorbers, and feet – no longer have to rely on a few general-purpose TPV compounds. Continuous innovation in material development has led to new specialty TPEs that are formulated for the particular rigors of specific appliances.

Teknor Apex partnered with Revolutionary Medical Devices, Inc. (RMD) who is focused on developing innovative technologies to improve patient outcomes and increase efficiency with regards to airway management.

Automotive cable ducts are used to organize cables and protect them from exposure to weather or damage. Cable ducts are complex parts that can be molded from EPDM rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers like TPVs and styrenic-based TPEs. There are several limitations with these current material technologies.

Teknor Apex partnered with FGH Systems Inc., a global medical device OEM and blow molding specialist, who was seeking to replace latex, use a more efficient process, and reduce costs. Breather bags pose a design and processing challenge since they must be pleated to lie flat when not in use, yet form a round “balloon” when inflated.  

Medalist medical grade TPEs are used in the production of PVC-free medical film and bags, in single and multi-layer constructions, which can be heat sealed and sterilized.  Choose the right material with this product selector guide.

A new nylon 612 extrusion compound for automotive cable jackets provides excellent chemical resistance, withstands high service temperatures, and exhibits good dimensional stability as a result of low moisture absorption.

Rigid amorphous polymers (think polycarbonate) are commonly used in medical applications for their clarity, impact strength, thermal stability and flexural modulus. In many devices, the rigid polymer is in direct contact with flexible PVC and this can lead to stress cracking of the rigid part. Teknor Apex has advanced rigid PVC technology

Elexar thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are well suited for wire and cable and other electrical products due to their outstanding electrical properties, excellent flexibility over a wide temperature range, and resistance to UV and weathering. Elexar TPEs are also resistant to a variety of solvents and chemicals, but it is necessary to pre-test the product in the actual end use environment prior to use.

Teknor Apex's Medalist line of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are formulated to meet the most stringent requirements of medical devices. Combining the performance of thermoset rubber with the processing ease of a thermoplastic, Medalist TPEs are suitable alternatives to a wide variety of medical-grade materials used today.  Medalist TPEs are DEHP- and phthalate-free, and unlike rubber, do not require the use of curing agents, thus eliminating concerns of high levels of extractables or leachables.

When designing medical devices, equipment, and electrosurgical instruments, selecting the right wire and cable solution is paramount. The cable must be constructed of a clean, biocompatible material that complies with UL standards, exhibits excellent electrical properties, and is able to withstand multiple cycles of sterilization. Until now, medical device designers have had limited options available.

Medalist® Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) combine the performance characteristics of thermoset rubber with the processing ease of a thermoplastic; therefore they are suitable alternatives to a wide variety of medical-grade materials used today, like flexible PVC, TPU, and silicone. For medical-grade tubing, Medalist TPEs are the premier choice due to their high degree of purity (low level of extractables), biocompatibility, and optimal balance of economics and performance. Medalist TPEs are good candidates for single and multi-lumen tubing used in catheters, IV, drug delivery, gas supply, and chest drainage.