News:Toray's transparent ABS resin for medical applications available in North America

Japan's Toray Industries Inc. (Tokyo) has announced North American availability of its Toyolac transparent ABS resin for medical applications.

Toyolac is a popular thermoplastic in many countries because of its processability in molding applications and its hardness, toughness and resistance properties compared with traditional thermoplastics, according to Toray. The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in New York, recently expanded production capabilities and customer support, including distribution throughout the United States.

FDA-registered Toyolac is a cost-effective replacement for polycarbonate in many medical applications requiring clear plastic, said Toray. These include housings, infusion sets and other drug- and blood-contact devices where superior injection molding, processability and high strength are desirable.

Additional properties of the material include biocompatibility per ISO 10993; sterilizability (except by autoclave); chemical resistance to lipids, alcohol and cleaning agents; and high and low temperature performance.

The material’s processability presents significant cost advantages compared with polycarbonate because of the lower operating temperatures and reduced pressure requirements, according to Toray. Processors can achieve faster cycle times with more mold cavitation when using Toyolac because of the resin’s flowability at lower temperatures. Moreover, lower operating temperatures reduce energy costs and decrease tooling wear and downtime associated with mold repair, resulting in overall increased mold life, said the company.