Covestro and Metrex collaboration doubles down on powerful disinfectants in healthcare settings

Frequent cleaning and surface disinfection has become even more critical due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Covestro and Metrex are harnessing their complementary areas of healthcare industry expertise to investigate the influence of powerful disinfectants on polycarbonate-based materials.

Covestro materials are used to form numerous medical devices, while Metrex’s disinfectants are used throughout the healthcare industry. The two companies tested a variety of materials and disinfectants to demonstrate the compatibility of Covestro polycarbonates with common disinfectants, including Metrex’s CaviWipes 2.0. According to Metrex, this new product fully qualifies for the EPA’s rigorous Emerging Viral Pathogen Claim.

Six different polycarbonate materials were tested against three Metrex products: Wipe saturated with CaviCide, CaviWipes Bleach and CaviWipes 2.0. Two new  materials (Makrolon M6011 FR polycarbonate and Makroblend M5005 FR PC+PBT) were developed specifically by Covestro to withstand powerful chemical disinfectants. These materials will launch in 2021 and are now available for sampling. 

Paul Nowatzki, Senior Product Expert – Healthcare at Covestro LLC, said: “As a leading supplier of polycarbonates to the healthcare industry, it’s in our DNA to continually innovate to meet the most pressing challenges. We formulated these new plastics specifically to address the need for materials that are able to withstand strong disinfectants used to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens.”

As is customary for rapidly assessing compatibility of plastics to disinfectants, test specimens were pre-strained and followed several wipe and dry cycles with Metrex disinfectants to simulate actual usage. They were then evaluated by how well they retained their tensile strength.  

Covestro materials developed to withstand the use of strong disinfectants performed well and retained their tensile properties in testing.

Lauren Zetts, Americas Market Manager, Healthcare – Polycarbonates, Covestro LLC, said: “This collaboration exemplifies how we work alongside other organizations that share our passion for solving tough challenges.” Dr. Yatao Liu, General Manager, Metrex, added: “By leveraging our respective strengths and bringing together our collective expertise, everyone benefits: our companies, our customers, and most importantly, healthcare professionals and those they care for.”