SABIC’s LNP™ CRX Portfolio with Four New Grade
For the healthcare industry, the new LNP ELCRES™ CRX7412U copolymer and its bio-based version, LNP ELCRIN™ CRX7412UB copolymer, offer limited biocompatibility according to ISO 10993.
SABIC has expanded its portfolio of exceptionally chemically resistant LNP™ CRX polycarbonate (PC) copolymer resins with four new grades, featuring sustainability, thin-wall flame retardancy (FR), low-temperature ductility and ultraviolet (UV) stability, well-suited for healthcare and consumer electronics applications.
There are two product pairs, each with a bio-based version that can further reduce environmental impacts and help lower carbon footprint.
These high-performance materials can help meet customer demands for world-class resistance to chemicals ranging from the harsh disinfectants widely used in healthcare applications to sunscreen and hand creams that often come in contact with consumer electronics devices. The new LNP CRX grades also offer the potential to enhance regulatory compliance and design flexibility.
“SABIC is continuously improving our material families to deliver greater value to our customers, and our new LNP CRX products are excellent examples of this,” said Joshua Chiaw, director, Business Management, LNP & NORYL, Specialties, SABIC. “These advanced technologies provide sustainability enhancements, including the incorporation of non-brominated/non-chlorinated flame retardants. They also comply with thin-wall flame retardant ratings, offering the potential to reduce part thickness and raw material usage.”
New Solutions for Industry Challenges
For the healthcare industry, the new LNP ELCRES™ CRX7412U copolymer and its bio-based version, LNP ELCRIN™ CRX7412UB copolymer, offer limited biocompatibility according to ISO 10993. They are candidates for replacing incumbent PC, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polyester/co-polyester materials in thin-wall applications such as housings, diagnostic and monitoring devices, and durable medical equipment.
Not only do LNP ELCRES CRX products demonstrate compatibility with the most aggressive disinfectants on the market—alcohols, peroxides and quaternary ammonium compounds—they also deliver excellent mechanical performance, notably a good balance of impact and ductility.
The other two grades, LNP ELCRES CRX7416U copolymer and its bio-based version, LNP ELCRIN CRX7416UB copolymer, are well suited for demanding consumer electronics and mobility applications such as mobile device housings and battery covers. These products can potentially meet stringent requirements for chemical resistance and low-temperature ductility (-60°C) better than many competitive materials, including PC/ABS and polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) blends.
Signature Chemical Resistance
Frequent disinfection of hospital equipment can cause polymers to develop environmental stress cracking (ESC), which can lead to part degradation and failure. Similarly, repeated exposure to sunscreen, skin oils and lotions can cause ESC in smartphone cases and other consumer electronics applications. SABIC’s LNP CRX copolymer resins address this problem by delivering improvements in chemical resistance over traditional materials such as PC or impact-modified blends. Using these new materials can help customers extend device life and avoid costly, premature replacement.
The new LNP CRX grades maintain this signature high chemical resistance while adding value through improved thin-wall FR capability. Thin-wall molding is becoming increasingly important in the design of smaller and lighter-weight applications like portable and hand-held medical equipment, as well as tablets, smartphones and wearable electronics. The new grades meet the UL 94 V0 standard at very thin gauges: 1.2 mm for LNP CRX7412U/B copolymers and 1.0 mm for LNP CRX7416U/B copolymers.