At this year’s COMPAMED medical technology trade show, WACKER is showcasing a range of silicone products for medical applications.  The highlights include the highly adhesive silicone gel SILPURAN^® 2124, a selection of ELASTOSIL^® eco solid and liquid silicone rubber grades, and ELASTOSIL^® LR 3078 liquid silicone rubber, which is self-adhesive to polycarbonate and other high-performance plastics.

With SILPURAN 2124, WACKER is expanding its line of silicone adhesives to include a silicone gel that adheres strongly to the skin yet allows gentle and pain-free removal. SILPURAN 2124 achieves an adhesive force of 6.0 newtons per 2.5 centimeters, determined in the 90° pull-off test on steel in accordance with EN 1639. This makes the adhesion so strong that the new gel can not only be used in wound care but is also suitable for other skin fixation applications. 

The new product is a transparent, two-component, low-viscosity silicone gel. At 3000 millipascal seconds, it has a viscosity that is optimally matched to the coating process and enables simple and fast dosing. SILPURAN 2124 crosslinks by a platinum-catalyzed addition reaction to form a soft, highly flexible, and elastic silicone with a gel-like consistency. The cured rubber is water repellent, but breathable and gentle to the skin. 

SILPURAN 2124 leaves no residue on the skin when removed. Fixation aids and wound dressings can be freely peeled off and reapplied. The adhesive layer combines well with certain polyethylene release films, which protect the adhesive layer in the final ready-to-use product. These release films can be removed without leaving any residue before application, and the release force remains unchanged even after several months of storage.

WACKER will also be featuring a number of biomethanol-based solid and liquid silicone rubber grades. WACKER markets these products under the brand name ELASTOSL eco. The use of biomethanol in upstream silicone manufacturing processes helps conserve fossil resources.

Since methanol from fossil sources and biomethanol are chemically identical, ELASTOSIL eco products have the same processing and end properties as their conventional counterparts. Processors purchasing such eco products receive a certificate verifying that the silicone they have purchased conserves fossil resources.

Among the ELASTOSIL eco products currently available are several silicone rubber grades that are important for medical technology applications. These include the non post-cure and tear-resistant liquid silicone rubber ELASTOSIL eco LR 5040 (hardness grades 20 to 70 Shore A), the peroxide-curing solid silicone rubber ELASTOSIL eco R 401, and the addition-curing solid silicones

Another feature at the WACKER booth is ELASTOSIL LR 3078. This self-adhesive liquid silicone rubber cures rapidly and establishes a firm bond with polycarbonate thermoplastics. The adhesion system developed by WACKER is free of bisphenol A structures. The cured rubber products have been tested for biocompatibility.

All grades of the ELASTOSIL LR 3078 product range can be easily processed together with polycarbonate in a two-component injection molding process to produce hard-soft combinations. They pave the way to cost-effective large-scale production of respiratory and anesthesia masks, drug delivery systems or devices for minimally invasive examinations and operations.

ELASTOSIL LR 3078 is available from 20 to 70 Shore A. According to recent studies, the product shows good adhesion properties not only to polycarbonate, but also to many other high-performance plastics that were previously difficult to process using 2K methods. 

Visit WACKER at COMPAMED in Hall 8A, Booth D28.

To learn more about COMPAMED, visit www.compamed-tradefair.com. 

To learn more about other WACKER products, visit www.wacker.com.