Silicone Rubber-The Set Standard for the Medical Industry

With rubber having great versatility as a material, it has come to become a set standard for medical supplies. Many diverse applications to the life-saving and health improving work done by medics of all kinds has enhanced the medical industry as a whole. The uses for rubber span across other industries. The medical industry is one such industry where the use of rubber is both popular and profitable.

What makes rubber such a perfect match for medical based medical supplies and the industry as a whole is the fact that this material can be modified for a number of different situations. Manufacturers and distributors are aware of how rubber can be used as a base to fill a need for so many different areas in the medical industry.

Be it gloves, injection parts, tubes, caps or stoppers, wheels and casters fixed on hospital beds and trolleys- there is a wide range of categories of products made of rubber, which are used in the medical and health care industry. Latex rubber or natural rubber products comprise the largest sub-sector within the rubber industry used in the medical sector. Medical supplies made of latex like medical gloves, catheters, diaphragms have registered increases in demand.

The following are the 5 benefits that rubber brings to the medical industry:

1) Biocompatibility

As compared to other elastomers, silicone rubbers are known to exhibit superior compatibility with human tissue and body fluids and an extremely low tissue response when implanted. Since silicones are odourless and tasteless, they do not support bacteria growth and stain or corrode other materials. Also, they are often formulated keeping in mind biocompatibility guidelines for medical products that comply with FDA, ISO.

2) Temperature Resistance

Silicones have excellent temperature resistance and are known to withstand a wider range of temperature extremes than nearly all other elastomers. With the capacity to remain stable through temperature variations from 75° to 500°F. They have amazing heat resistance and ability to be sterilized by multiple methods used for medical devices, including dry heat, steam autoclaving, ethylene oxide, gamma radiation and electron beams.

3) Mechanical Properties

Silicone is known to have high tear resistance, superior tensile strength, good elongation, flexibility, low compression set. The softer forms of silicone available have the ability to retain their softness indefinitely.

4) Electrical Properties

When it comes to impressive insulating properties and versatility for electrical applications, silicones exceed all comparable materials. With non-conductive properties and the ability to maintain dielectric strength in temperature extremes, silicone rubber outperforms most conventional insulating materials.

5) Chemical Resistance

Silicone rubber has considerable resistance powers that give it special advantages. Silicones have the ability to resist water and many chemicals, including some acids, oxidizing chemicals, ammonia, and isopropyl alcohol. Concentrated acids, alkaline, and solvents should not be used with silicones.

The medical industry has a number of devices that have become synonymous with rubber. In today’s times it is impossible to imagine modern science without such tools. Specific assets to surgery and medical care heavily depend on the unique properties of rubber to accomplish the task at hand. For example, used on a widespread level in both latex and silicone, rubber tubing and cord has proved to be a both a sanitary and effective way to transfer bodily fluids, including urine and blood.

With unique performance properties, this strong silicon-oxygen chemical structure of silicone boasts of biocompatibility, superior temperature, good mechanical and electrical properties, and natural clarity or translucence. Harkesh Rubber has experience in designing and a broad range of medical rubber components for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostic and surgical instruments and other non-implantable medical devices. Our team of application engineers have extensive experience in engineering custom solutions for many different medical/life science technologies. Whether you are creating a new design or are re-engineering existing technologies, Harkesh Rubber can work with you from idea to prototype to production with a very short lead time.