Covestro announced that it recently teamed with disinfectant manufacturer Metrex to test five different Covestro polycarbonate materials against three of Metrex’s products, which are widely used throughout the healthcare industry.

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

Covestro materials developed to withstand the use of strong disinfectants performed well and retained their tensile properties in testing, the company said. Makrolon M6011 FR polycarbonate, Makroblend M4000 FR and Makroblend M5005 FR (both PC+PBT blends) are all flame-retardant housing materials with skin-contact biocompatibility.

Makrolon M6011 FR polycarbonate and Makroblend M5005 FR PC+PBT will launch in 2021 and are now available for sampling, according to Pittsburgh-based Covestro.

“As a leading supplier of polycarbonates to the healthcare industry, it’s in our DNA to continually innovate to meet the most pressing challenges,” said Paul Nowatzki, senior product expert – Healthcare at Covestro. “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.”

“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,” added Yatao Liu, general manager of Metrex.

A summary of the complete test results is available from Covestro upon request.