Investigating the influence of disinfectants on Makrolon®, Bayblend®, and Makroblend® polycarbonate-based materials

Frequent cleaning and surface disinfection of the materials used in healthcare settings — already proven to help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) — is more critical than ever.

Several types of chemical agents are available for surface disinfection, and their antimicrobial effects work through different mechanisms. Healthcare professionals must choose products offering compatibility to the disinfectants they are using. A common cause of premature failure of plastic surfaces found in medical equipment is a phenomenon called environmental stress cracking (ESC). Some important factors affecting this failure mode include the plastic type, chemical agent, and amount and type of stress in the part. Polycarbonate and polycarbonate blends are popular choices among medical professionals to minimize these risks.

Covestro materials are used to form numerous life-saving and life-enhancing medical devices, while disinfectants from Metrex are widely used throughout the healthcare industry. The two companies jointly tested a variety of materials and disinfectants to demonstrate the compatibility of Covestro polycarbonates with common disinfectants, including Metrex’s CaviWipes™ 2.0. According to Metrex, this new product fully qualifies for the EPA’s rigorous Emerging Viral Pathogen Claim.

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

Covestro materials developed to withstand the use of strong disinfectants performed well and retained their tensile properties in testing — Makrolon® M6011 FR polycarbonate and Makroblend® M5005 FR PC+polyester blend) are all flame-retardant housing materials with skin contact biocompatibility.