SABIC Launches Portfolio of Antimicrobial Compounds at MD&M West to Help Customers Enhance Safety of Healthcare Applications

According to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization, in 2002 in the United States alone approximately 99,000 deaths were linked to healthcare associated infections (HCAIs).1 Here at MD&M West (booth #1701), SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today introduced powerful new tools to help medical device manufacturers reduce HCAIs among patients and clinicians. SABIC’s nine new antimicrobial compounds featuring silver technology have been tested for log reduction values – the level of microbes eliminated from a surface – according to the ISO 22196-2007 protocol. They comprise one of the broadest antimicrobial portfolios in the industry and offer distinct advantages over off-the-shelf antimicrobial concentrates combined with third-party resins.

Because SABIC scientists possess compounding expertise and a deep understanding of base resin and antimicrobial additive chemistries, they can optimize properties and performance to meet specific requirements. This new portfolio demonstrates SABIC’s expertise and continued investment in developing healthcare materials that can empower customers globally to meet the ongoing challenges of infection prevention.

“We are proud of our vertically integrated approach, which delivers turnkey antimicrobial compounds containing low or high concentrations of silver and based on the four SABIC resins most commonly used in medical devices,” said David Wildgoose, general manager, Engineering Resins, Innovative Plastics. “Our solutions are backed by a robust healthcare product policy that provides a ‘formula lock’ and management of change provision to help OEMs avoid requalification delays of up to 24 months. Our comprehensive solution delivers multiple benefits to customers – consistency, cost-out, choice and proven performance according to ISO methodology. We are confident these materials will make it easier for customers to create next-generation healthcare products while staying ahead of regulatory requirements.”

Wide Selection of Antimicrobial Compounds

SABIC’s portfolio comprises nine different antimicrobial grades across four product families: LEXAN™ EXL copolymer, LEXAN polycarbonate (PC) resin, XENOY™ PC/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin and polypropylene (PP) resins with and without fiberglass reinforcement. Five grades have a high antimicrobial effect (log reduction value above 4, representing a 99.99+ percent reduction in pathogens) and four grades have a low antimicrobial effect (log reduction value below 4, representing a 99.0-99.99 percent reduction in pathogens).
These options allow customers to select the appropriate formulation depending on whether the end product is a high or low-touch application.

These compounds leverage silver-based antimicrobial technology because silver is a proven performer, well suited to diverse applications and widely accepted as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, with activity against many pathogens including gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, mold and fungus. Because they are formulated to be effective at the lowest concentration of silver, SABIC resins may also be more cost-effective than competitive products.

Healthcare Product Policy for Added Confidence

SABIC’s antimicrobial compounds are supported by its healthcare product policy, which gives customers confidence that these materials meet global standards for safety, are available in a consistently formulated supply and have been pre-assessed for biocompatibility.

The SABIC Healthcare Product Policy provides:

• Easily identifiable product nomenclature (“H” or “PCG” series resins)
• Biocompatibility assessment according to ISO 10993 or USP Class VI
• Food contact compliance for most healthcare products
• FDA Drug Master File and/or Device Master File listing (letter of authorization provided as needed)
• A formula lock and stringent management of change process

Compounding Surpasses Concentrates

Instead of mixing a third-party base resin with off-the-shelf concentrates, which can lead to inconsistent performance, SABIC performs its own compounding using proven, high-performance resins and additive chemistries. The benefits of SABIC compounding over concentrates include uniform distribution of the additive for better performance and less manufacturing waste.

By leveraging multiple material characteristics – such as impact resistance, chemical resistance, custom colors and processability – and their interactions with the additive while controlling the compounding process, SABIC can deliver highly specialized performance properties, such as the duration and strength of the antimicrobial. Of particular importance is SABIC’s expertise in color and effects, which allows precise control over clarity, a property that can be impacted by antimicrobials.

Potential applications include fluid and drug delivery applications, surgical instruments, monitoring and imaging devices and durable medical equipment such as hospital beds and operating tables. Other potential applications outside of healthcare include consumer electronics, automobile interiors, business equipment such as copiers or ATMs, or any other surface where there is a desire to reduce the potential transference of pathogens.

SABIC’s new antimicrobial compounds are manufactured in the United States.

For additional information on SABIC’s antimicrobial compounds, please go to www.sabic-ip.com. For technical product inquiries, please contact us at www.sabic-ip.com/prtechinquiry.

About SABIC

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.

SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 24.72 billion (US$ 6.59 billion) in 2012. Sales revenues for 2012 totaled SR 189 billion (US$ 50.40 billion). Total assets stood at SR 338 billion (US$ 90.13 billion) at the end of 2012.

SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 16 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.

SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

About Innovative Plastics

SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with an 80-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

Kevin Noels
Marketing Solutions
Box 6
2950 Kapellen
Belgium
Tel: +31 164 317 011
E-Mail: info@marketingsolutions.be

This release was published on openPR.