Sourcing Hotline
A family of biomaterials for use in implantable medical devices was recently introduced by Solvay Advanced Polymers (Brussels; www.solvayadvanced polymers.com), which has been a supplier to the healthcare industry for more than three decades. The Solviva line includes PEEK for applications requiring strength and stiffness as well as toughness and fatigue resistance, and self-reinforced polyphenylene, which provides chemical resistance and hardness. A polyphenylsulfphone and polysulphone, both of which combine toughness with transparency, round out the quartet of materials. The line includes products for short- and long-term exposure, and the materials withstand all conventional forms of sterilization. They are available in resin for injection moulding or extrusion, or in stock shapes for machining.
