FAQ General | FAQ Medical | FAQ Zylar 631
NAS and ZYLAR - clear, tough acrylic copolymers that deliver excellent performance and lower total costs for molders. Easy to process and decorate, NAS and ZYLAR give designers worldwide an alternative for the most demanding medical device and component applications.
Q: What are NAS and ZYLAR?
A: NAS is a water-clear SMMA (Styrene Methylmethacrylate copolymer), and ZYLAR is the significantly tougher impact-modified version. NOVA Chemicals has consistently and reliably supplied both of these resins to the medical industry for over a decade.
Q: Which competing resins can NAS and ZYLAR replace? In which medical applications?
A: NAS and ZYLAR resins has successfully replaced polycarbonate, PMMA, impact acrylic, PETG, propionate, clear ABS, SAN and other copolymers. Some recent product applications include surgical suction wands, medical brush handles, blood filtration canisters, urine meters, chest evacuators and IV components.
Q: Do NAS & ZYLAR resins meet ISO 10993 requirements?
A: Many NAS and ZYLAR grades were tested opposite ISO 10993: Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices requirements. Typical testing includes in vitro cytotoxicity, irritation/ intracutaneous reactivity, acute systemic toxicity, short-term implantation and hemocompatibility. Test results are available upon request.
Q: Have the FDA and others approved these products?
A: Most NAS and ZYLAR grades are UL 94HB, FDA and USP class VI compliant.
Q: How do products made from NAS and ZYLAR acrylic copolymers react to Gamma radiation? E-beam? Ethylene Oxide?
A: Products made from NAS and ZYLAR acrylic copolymers resist yellowing significantly better than those made from polycarbonate or SAN when exposed to Gamma irradiation - even at the high end of the dose range. E-beam sterilization results are similar to or better than gamma sterilization results. A single dose of gamma irradiation plus ethylene oxide showed no significant color change.
Q: Can products made from ZYLAR resins bond to flexible PVC?
A: Yes, ZYLAR resins bond to flexible PVC. Adhesives such as Loctite 301UV and Loctite 4014 form a good bond with flexible PVC containing TOTM-type plasticizer and can be bonded with cyclohexanone solvent.
Q: Do products made from ZYLAR resins display alcohol resistance?
A: Products made from ZYLAR resins provide excellent alcohol resistance compared to those made from impact acrylic and clear ABS.
Q: How can using NAS and ZYLAR acrylic copolymers reduce total costs for injection molders?
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Q: Can I reduce my processing costs by using ZYLAR resins compared to clear ABS and polycarbonate?
A: Energy and labor costs associated with processing can be lowered by up to 40% by using ZYLAR resins. Competing materials have up to 50% slower cycle times. ZYLAR resins process at lower injection pressure and clamp force than polycarbonate and at lower mold and melt temperatures than either clear ABS or polycarbonate. Calculate your cost savings.
Q: Do NAS and ZYLAR resins require drying or special equipment to process?
A: NAS and ZYLAR resins usually require no drying prior to molding and can be processed on standard equipment. NAS and ZYLAR resins are easier to process than competing resins such as polycarbonate, impact PMMA, PETG and clear ABS.
Q: Do products made from ZYLAR resins exhibit practical toughness in real-world applications?
A: Yes, ZYLAR resins perform even better in many applications than some traditional material performance measures predict. For example, although the notched izod or charpy of ZYLAR ranges up to 3.0, the elongation of ZYLAR can be up to 80%, resulting in dramatically tougher end-product performance than izod or charpy alone would indicate.
Q: Can products made from NAS and ZYLAR resins be decorated and colored?
A: Yes, products made from both resins decorate and color easily. Products can be finished with a variety of techniques including print, hot stamping and metalizing. NAS and ZYLAR resins are also available pre-colored.
Q: Where can I purchase NAS and ZYLAR resins?
A: Both NAS and ZYLAR acrylic copolymers are available directly from NOVA Chemicals or from our distribution partners and agents around the world. Please contact us today for more information.