Putnam, CT (November 2004) - Effective January 1, 2004 Foster Corporation will be ARKEMA Inc.'s exclusive North American sales and distribution partner for the medical market for Pebax® block copolyamides, and Rilsan® 11 and 12 polyamides. Foster Corporation will have sole and complete sales and distribution responsibility for these high performance materials in applications such as catheters and other medical applications.
Pebax® block copolyamides are plasticizer-free thermoplastic elastomers that can be easily processed by injection molding and extrusion. Due to their intrinsic flexibility, superior torque transference, and resistance to softening in the body, Pebax® polymers are an excellent choice for medical instrument components, particularly catheter systems. Pebax® grades are sterilizable, RF weldable and have a USP class VI clearance.
Pebax® films are highly flexible and suitable for certain types of medical bandages, including transdermal patches for the delivery of medicine. Pebax® polymers have also been used in surgical garments, sheeting, and mattress covers due to the high breathability of the material without any porosity.
Rilsan® polyamides 11 and 12 are high-performance technical polymers that have earned a preferred material status in the most demanding applications due largely to their unique combination of thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical properties, as well as processing ease. Rilsan® nylon 12 is a material of choice in medical catheter technologies.
"Foster Corporation has broad and unique capabilities to service the needs of companies in the medical industry, said Ken Rittenhouse, market manager for ARKEMA Inc. "They have an experienced management team, sales staff and technical support with 15 years of related expertise that can assist in the engineering and development of performance medical new products."
"Medical product manufacturers require highly specialized material handling, specifications and lot traceability. Foster is unique in our dedication serving these requirements with a comprehensive range of material solutions," said Larry Johnson, Foster Corporation's Director of Sales and Marketing. "This agreement adds two outstanding performance polymer families to our comprehensive range of thermoplastic and fluoropolymer compounds for the biomedical markets."
About Foster Corporation
Foster is a full-service material solutions company serving medical device, pharmaceutical delivery, and biotechnology companies with extremely precise polymer technologies. Solutions include a comprehensive range of biomedical materials, material development support, and supply chain management. For more information, please call 860-928-4102.
For more Foster Corporation information, press only:
Dan Lazas, Lazas Marketing Group, (610) 458-2038