TAGS: PVC, Plasticizers and Sustainability
Embreis, a company that offers orthopedic solutions for Northern Europe, has now turned to Perstorp's phthalate alternative PVC plasticizer Pevalen™ to ensure top performance and softness for their prosthetic covers.
Improving Overall Quality of Prosthetic Covers
‘’
Such covers are commonly a part of a full prosthesis and are meant to imitate skin - in this case for arms and legs’’, explains Marcus von Warnstedt, sales & product manager for Protheses. Prior to working with Pevalen™, Embreis used a premixed
PVC paste to manufacture prosthetic covers. In order to achieve softness and flexibility for the naturally rigid
PVC, these finished mixes contained traditional phthalate
plasticizers such as DOTP or DOP.
Not wanting to be dependent on a premix, Embreis decided to improve the overall quality of their products and do the compounding themselves. Carefully selecting each component would ensure a higher quality of the end product, and so the search for a new
plasticizer began.
Being in a business of close-to-consumer products Embreis wanted to stay away from
phthalates, whilst not compromising on the end product quality. They drew up three main criteria for a new
plasticizer:
- Phthalate alternative
- Kinder to the environment
- Similar performance to what they were used to
Soft PVC Covers with Improved Durability
After having tested samples from several manufacturers, Pevalen™ came out on top. “
Pevalen™ met all our criteria regarding durability and the environment, without sacrificing performance compared to the product we previously worked with‘’, says von Warnstedt.
"
In our industry people usually work with either PVC or silicone for prosthetic covers. Both materials have their benefits and their challenges. Now, partly thanks to Pevalen™, we have gotten close to a product that combines the beneficial characteristics of both these materials. This could be a bit of a revolution in the sector’’, he explains.
Pevalen™ has made the
PVC covers much more dirt resistant and easier to keep clean, a feature usually more associated with their silicone counterparts. Also, Pevalen™ is easier to work with. For example, the extraction of the products from the moulds takes less effort than before.
Apart from their outstanding softness and flexibility, the new covers also have better shape-memory. This has to do with durability. Covers need to be taken on and off the prosthesis regularly, meaning stretching the material from time to time. We notice that with Pevalen™ the covers keep their shape and strength much better than with the previous products.
Source: Perstorp