Polyplastics USA has reported a rise in demand for its Topas Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Topas COC has been a longtime material solution for medical syringes and containers, a market which has been dominated by borosilicate glass, as well as disposable diagnostic containers.
Due to several non-disclosure agreements with its customers, the company is unable to discuss current applications. However, Timothy Kneale, president - Topas Americas, Polyplastics, said that COC is being used in Covid-19 testing applications, and developments are ongoing for its use in new vaccines and therapies.
He commented: “With a range of new tests and therapies under development, many companies find it important to use the purest, most inert products for their developments.
“We are pleased to be helpful in bringing as rapid an end to the pandemic as possible.”
According to Kneale, Topas COC offers many benefits such as:
- Helping to alleviate a potential shortage of borosilicate glass used to make vaccine vials.
- Extremely low leachables and extractables.
- A non-polar and low reactivity surface.
- Broad global regulatory compliance making it ideal for diagnostic disposables, and for packaging of vaccines and therapeutic agents.
- Ultra-high purity and an inert nature to prevent interference with reactions and analyses.
- Superior optical performance (91% clarity).
- Excellent UV transparency and low birefringence.
- Design freedom with injection mouldable COC enabling lightweight wearable drug delivery solutions, portable diagnostic devices, and more.