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What is the Difference between Medical Plastic Extruders and Industrial Plastic Extruders?
Brief Answer:
Medical plastic extruders and industrial plastic extruders differ in design, application and material selection. The former focuses more on product precision and hygiene standards, while the latter focuses more on production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Medical extruders may require a higher degree of automation and precise control to ensure that the produced plastic particles are uniform, dense and beautiful.
Industrial single screw & twin screw extruders focus more on production efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and are suitable for continuous production of long lengths of plastic products.
In addition, medical extruders may be more stringent in material selection, and usually use materials such as medical-grade PVC to meet the special requirements of medical devices. Industrial extruders can handle a variety of plastics, including thermoplastics, rubber, etc., and are suitable for a wider range of industrial applications.
Thermofisher Process 16 Twin Screw Extruder helps fast and reliable materials development in the polymer, food or pharmaceutical industries. (For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.)
For more detailed information about medical plastic extruders and industrial plastic twin screw extruders, please read the content below.
What is Medical Plastic?
Medical plastics usually refer to medical-grade plastics, that must have properties such as biocompatibility, chemical stability, and heat resistance to ensure that it does not cause adverse reactions or infections when in contact with the human body. Medical plastics are usually made from synthetic polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., and undergo rigorous biocompatibility testing to comply with international standards such as ISO 10993.
Medical plastics serve as raw materials that are used to make medical devices and medical equipment, such as syringes, infusion bags, dentures, artificial joints, and so on.
Medical Grade Plastic Granules Image Source: Depositphotos
How are Medical Plastics Made?
The entire medical grade production process must comply with regulations such as:
ISO 10993: For biocompatibility testing.
FDA 21 CFR: For materials intended for medical use.
ISO 13485: For quality management in medical device manufacturing.
Raw Material Selection
Base Polymer: High-purity plastics like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are often used.
Aditivos: Only FDA-approved additives like stabilizers, plasticizers, and colorants are allowed to be used in the production of medical grade plastic granules.
Material Purification
The base polymer must be purified to remove contaminants in order to meet medical-grade standards.
This step may include other purification techniques like filtration, distillation, extraction, etc.
Compounding (Using Medical Extruder)
The purified polymer is mixed with additives in a medical extruder to achieve the desired mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. In this step, strict controls are executed to prevent contamination during compounding.
Thermofisher Process 16 Twin Screw Extruder helps fast and reliable materials development in the polymer, food or pharmaceutical industries. (For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.)
For more information about this twin screw extrusion machine, please visit Thermofisher’s website.
Compounded Material Testing
The compounded material must undergo rigorous testing to achieve the required Biocompatibility and Sterilization Compatibility.
(Biocompatibility: To ensure no adverse reactions with human tissues.
Sterilization Compatibility: Materials must withstand common sterilization methods like autoclaving, ethylene oxide (EO) gas, or gamma irradiation.)
Molding and Shaping
The medical plastic is formed into the required shapes using techniques like Extrusion, Injection Molding, Blow Molding, etc.
Sterilization and Packaging
The finished medical use plastic products are sterilized to eliminate microbial contamination, and then packaged in a cleanroom environment to maintain sterility.
What is Industrial-Use Plastic?
Industrial plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials specifically designed for use in industrial applications. To fit demanding environments and specialized purposes, industrial plastic also need to be compounded and modified to achieve certain characteristics such as Durability, Heat Resistance, Chemical Resistance, Versatility, Lightweight and so on.
Industrial plastics are mainly used for general industrial fields
Construction: PVC pipes, roofing sheets, and insulation materials.
Automotive: Dashboards, bumpers, and under-the-hood components.
Packaging: Industrial films, containers, and protective wraps.
Electronics: Cables, housings, and insulating materials.
Agriculture: Greenhouse films and irrigation pipes.
How are Industrial Plastics Made?
Raw Material Selection
Base Polymers: Commonly used polymers include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Additives: Depending on the application, additives such as stabilizers, plasticizers, colorants, and fillers may be added to enhance specific properties like strength, flexibility, or heat resistance.
Polymerization
The base polymer is created through chemical processes like:
Addition Polymerization: For plastics like PE and PP.
Condensation Polymerization: For engineering plastics like polyamides (nylons).
Monomers are chemically bonded to form long polymer chains, creating the desired plastic type.
Compounding (Using Plastic Compounding Machines)
The base polymer is combined with additives in a compounding extruder to achieve the desired characteristics.
Ingredients are melted, mixed, and homogenized to ensure consistent distribution of additives.
The resulting product is cooled and pelletized into granules or masterbatch for further processing.
Shaping and Molding
Industrial plastics are shaped into usable forms using various techniques:
Injection Molding: Ideal for complex parts like automotive components or machine housings.
Extrusion: Used for continuous products such as pipes, tubes, and sheets.
Blow Molding: Suitable for hollow products like tanks and industrial containers.
Compression Molding: Often used for high-strength thermosetting plastics.
Thermoforming: For shaping plastic sheets into large, lightweight components.
Granuwel is a professional industrial plastic twin screw extruder manufacturer in China. our extrusion machines can be used to produce some plastic products for polymer masterbatches for the production of some medical device frames, protect barriers, etc. With our decades years of experience in twin screw extruders development and manufacturing, Granuwel is confident to provide you with high quality extrusion machines and solutions that best suits your needs! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions on our extrusion machines!