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Thermoplastics 101

Thermoplastics are polymeric solids which can be repeatedly melted, shaped or formed, and then cooled back to a solid. Processes such as extrusion, injection molding, and thermoforming are utilized to produce thermoplastic articles for a variety of applications ranging from food packaging to automotive body panels to biomedical devices.

There is a broad selection of thermoplastic materials available for use. They vary in terms of cost and performance. Thermoplastics can be categorized by cost as:

Commodity thermoplastics : include materials such as polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes, and polyvinylchloride (PVC).

Engineering thermoplastics : include polyamides (PA, nylons), polyesters (PBT, PET), polyacetal, and polycarbonate. This category includes thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic materials that that have mechanical properties similar to thermoset rubbers. TPEs include block copolymers such as thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), thermoplastic polyamides (PEBA), styrene block copolymers (SBC), thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO), and polymer blends such as thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV).

High performance thermoplastics :include polysulfones (PSU), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), and polyetherimides (PEI).

Commodity thermoplastics are lowest cost, engineering thermoplastics are moderate cost, high performance thermoplastic materials are the highest cost category. Generally speaking, there is a trade-off between cost and performance attributes such as strength and temperature resistance.

  • Thermoplastics can be melted and re-formed multiple times making them easier to recycle.
  • Thermoplastics can be amorphous or semi-crystalline. Material properties between these groups will differ. Amorphous materials offer clarity and are more likely to be solvent bondable. Semi-crystalline materials, such as most polyolefins, are often more chemically inert.
  • Thermoplastics can be easily made into most any form. Due to their ease of manufacturing and extraordinary strength to density ratios, these materials can be used for a number of applications.

About Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions which are key ingredients in the wellbeing of each of us and the future of all. They can be found everywhere in our living places and our daily life: in buildings, transportation, infrastructure and in so many industrial applications.

 

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics' group of businesses gather solutions to save energy, provide protection, improve comfort and sustain the environment for a variety of markets.

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Saint-Gobain’s medical products are distributed exclusively to medical device manufacturers for use in the manufacture, assembly or distribution of their medical devices. Saint-Gobain cannot authorize the sale of its medical products directly to device user facilities (e.g. hospitals, surgery centers, nursing home, clinics, etc.), nor directly to end users (e.g. patients, patients’ caregiver, prescribing physician, nurse, pharmacist, etc.), including distributors serving device user facilities and end users directly. In accordance with every jurisdiction globally, Saint-Gobain’s customers are responsible for determining that any medical device they manufacture and market that incorporates a Saint-Gobain’s medical product, is compliant with each country-specific medical device regulations and has received proper country-specific clearance, certification or registration authorizing the sale of this medical device.


Saint-Gobain’s medical products offer covers:
- Medical Components [21 CFR 820.3(c)], intended for processing or use in the manufacture or assembly of medical devices before the finished medical device is packaged/labeled; Medical Components are intended to be included as part of the finished, packaged, and labeled device [21CFR820.3(c)].
- Finished Devices [21CFR820.3(l)] made on behalf of medical device manufacturers [21 CFR 807.20(a)(2)] under contract-manufacturing agreement. In accordance with the United States’ jurisdiction, Saint-Gobain complies with the FDA’s requirements for contract manufacturers of finished devices.

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