Solvay announce positive results from polymer tests with disinfectants

Solvay has announced the results from PDI Healthcare’s compatibility study of Solvay’s polymers with healthcare disinfectants.

In collaboration with Solvay, PDI Healthcare – infection prevention products specialists – conducted performance and cosmetic tests on multiple Solvay high-performance specialty polymers. Several PDI disinfectants, including Sani-24, Sani-HyPerCide, Sani-Prime, and Super Sani-Cloth, were used to test Solvay’s Specialty Polymers.

These materials are employed extensively in medical devices and equipment that are exposed to the repeated application of aggressive disinfectants used to help prevent the risk of hospital acquired infections (HAI). Detailed test results can be found on PDI Healthcare’s website.

At the time of this announcement, 93% of the Solvay polymers showed a high retention of tensile strength and 100% of Solvay polymers showed high retention of impact properties, which are key indicators of their resistance to environmental stress cracking (ESC), potentially resulting from chemical exposure. The cosmetic testing revealed no apparent surface damage or degradation to any of the Solvay materials tested. 

Sean Gallimore, senior vice president and general manager, PDI Healthcare, said: “It is a delicate balance to provide disinfectants strong enough to eliminate harmful bacteria, yet gentle enough to preserve the integrity of the medical devices being disinfected. Our collaboration with Solvay is a proactive step toward ensuring compatibility of disinfectants with polymers during the medical device development process, ultimately helping medical facilities reduce overall cost of ownership and the risk of HAIs.”

PDI Healthcare’s performance testing was conducted on Solvay’s Amode polyphthalamide (PPA), Radel polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), Veradel polyethersulfone (PESU), and Udel polysulfone (PSU), with plans to test Ixef polyarylamide (PARA), and Kalix high-performance polyamide (HPPA) in the near future. The cosmetic testing was done on all six Solvay polymers. 

During each test, the Solvay materials were exposed to PDI Healthcare disinfectants, ranging across different types of antimicrobial actives. Testing for tensile strength and notched Izod impact properties was conducted per ASTM D543: Standard Test Method for Evaluating the Resistance of Plastics to Chemical Reagents and ASTM D638: Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics. For cosmetic testing, sample materials that had been wiped with the disinfectants twelve times a day for two weeks were evaluated for changes to the surface by three PDI reviewers not involved with the testing. 

Jeff Hrivnak, global business manager for healthcare at Solvay Specialty Polymers global business unit, said: “Solvay is committed to helping customers keep pace with healthcare industry trends by providing a wide range of support, including supplying technical data on our materials to engineers and designers. The data from third-party testing, such as the testing completed on our materials by PDI Healthcare, can help accelerate the design process, optimise device service life, and control costs by enabling more informed decisions about material selection.”