Eastman expands rigid medical packaging portfolio

EASTMAN Chemical Company is enhancing its medical packaging portfolio with Eastalite? copolyester, the company’s first opaque offering. Eastalite is a sustainable alternative to high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) for opaque rigid medical packaging. It meets the demand for cost-effective, styrene-free material that is easier to process.
The material complements the Eastman’s other medical packaging copolyester offerings: Eastar? 6763 and Tritan? MP100
Eastalite is best suited for applications in which lightweighting and other sustainable attributes are part of their fitness for use requirements, including work-in-progress trays, thermoformed pharmaceutical packaging and packaging for economical medical devices or kits.

The medical packaging alternative provides brand owners and medical device manufacturers with a material at a price comparable to HIPS, but one that is free of styrene and easier to process.
“This new opaque material is another demonstration of Eastman’s commitment to providing innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of the medical packaging industry,” said Aneta Clark, market development representative for medical packaging, Advanced Materials-Specialty Plastics, Eastman Chemical Company.
Processing and performance advantages
Thermoforming Eastalite copolyester into rigid trays can reduce processing and inspection time, waste and cleaning, as well as processing costs. It also has the potential to reduce cycle times as compared with HIPS, due to minimal particulate or angel hair generation and reduced risk of black specks. Extruded Eastalite contains a foam core with a contact surface skin of Eastman Eastar? copolyester 6763.
The material also can provide greater tear strength, as alternative materials are brittle and
crack-susceptible. Packaging can be designed with deep undercuts, resulting in better hinge life and less stress whitening than packaging moulded from HIPS. In addition, irradiation can discolour packaging made with HIPS and cause physical property deterioration. Eastalite retains colour stability and functional integrity following sterilization by EtO, gamma, e-beam or gas plasma.
A sustainable alternative material

From a safety and sustainability standpoint, styrene packaging has been identified as a concern under many health care enterprise Environmentally Preferable Purchasing guidelines. The Eastman copolyester offering helps fill an unmet need in the medical industry for sustainable and lightweight rigid medical packaging made from environmentally responsible materials.

Although sheet extruded from Eastalite can be processed with the same thermoforming, trimming and sealing equipment as HIPS, its lower process temperatures offer greater opportunities for sustainable packaging.
“Eastman Eastalite copolyester can create new market opportunities by providing brand owners and medical device manufacturers with a material to produce differentiated products that satisfy the unmet market need,” Ms Clark said.

In addition to being a styrene-free alternative to HIPS and other competitive products, Eastalite is made without materials of concern, including butadiene, bisphenol A, bisphenol S, ortho-phthalates, polyvinyl chloride or halogens such as chlorine or bromine. The material is compliant with select ISO 10993 requirements for medical device biocompatibility.