TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
In Brief...
Biesterfeld takes over distribution of
high-performance polymers
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12 » JULY 2020 » WWW.MADEIN.IE
New technology disinfects PPE in seconds
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Biesterfeld and advanced materials manufacturer
Solvay are expanding their long-term partnership.
With immediate eff ect, Biesterfeld will take over
distribution of the products Ixef HC, Omnix and Kalix
(all of which are polyarylamide-based). The new
agreement applies to large parts of Europe including
the Nordic region and the UK, as well as some
neighbouring countries in Africa and the Middle East.
The polyarylamide (PARA) Ixef HC for medical
applications is characterised in particular by its
exceptional strength and rigidity combined with an
outstandingly smooth surface. The product also off ers
outstanding fl ow properties and chemical resistance.
Thanks to these properties, Ixef® is extremely suitable
for use in, for example, medical applications, such as
single-use surgical instruments, equipment housings
and structural components. It can also be used in food
supply equipment and has many other applications in
the medical and food industries.
Omnix and Kalix are two high-performance
polymers that are also polyarylamide-based. Omnix
off ers exceptional fl ow properties and low fl ash
combined with outstanding rigidity and excellent
dimensional stability. In addition to its high
impact strength and minimal warpage, Kalix is also
characterised by its exceptional fl ow properties
and low fl ash. As a result, both products are used
in structural components and, thanks to their good
surface properties, in visible parts for smart devices
and housings in medical, consumer and mobility
applications. Omnix is also suitable for food and
drinking-water applications.
“Solvay is pleased to expand our partnership
with Biesterfeld, and we look forward to their
support to help us meet the rising demand for our
specialty polymers,” said Matthias Eck, Global Product
Manager Ixef PARA/ Kalix & Omnix HPPA. “This further
strengthens our ability to support the design goals and
competitive growth of our customers in countries that
are strategic to our business.”
Most personal protection equipment, e.g. medical
gowns and masks, are designed to be disposable, often
because the cost to dispose is less than the cost to
clean. However, during a pandemic, this disposable
system fails to deliver a workable solution without
a proper system in place. Many public hospitals are
not able to perform scheduled surgeries, too much
contaminated waste results from disposable PPE and
there are simply not enough PPE stocks/supply to
adequately protect our medical workers.
Now new Aquila technology combines the
eff ectiveness of UV with the cleaning power of plasma to
disinfect masks and gowns in a matter of minutes without
the need to send them off site. PPE equipment can be
disinfected more regularly than with central disinfecting
systems and so helps to prevent cross-contamination. The
Aquila disinfecting system is highly cost eff ective, easy to
operate, requires littlex maintenance and does not require
further logistic overheads of storing and transporting
re-used PPE equipment.
The system is uniquely friendly to the environment
with no chemicals being used – it has no extra costs and
is very low maintenance.
The Aquila system protects medical workers by
disinfecting his/her mask every time they take a break
without degradation to the mask material - so the masks
can be disinfected in less than a minute. This means
that medical workers can eff ectively “refresh” their
masks between shifts giving them greater comfort and
protection. This unique solution allows medical workers
to safely extend the use of their PPE rather than a
collecting disposed PPE to be centrally disinfected.
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