Q&A: BART KLAVER
Demand Swells for PET in Device Packaging Applications
While overall demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is approximately 17 million tonnes per year, only 40% of the material currently ends up in packaging. According to Maak Business Service (Zürich, Switzerland), that percentage will climb steeply in the years ahead. The consultancy predicts an annual growth rate of 16–18% for PET as a raw packaging material, with world demand reaching 15 million tonnes by 2005. While much of this growth can be attributed to the increased use of PET as a replacement for glass in bottling applications, the material is also suited for device packaging. The amorphous PET films produced by Kalle Pentaplast under the name HostaPET MD are one example. EMDM asked HostaPET business line manager Bart Klaver to explain the benefits of this material in medical device packaging applications.
Q: I understand that your company recently installed a new medical-grade PET film production line.
A: The overall rigid PET film market generates 1015% annual growth for the company, so we are constantly expanding capacity to keep up with demand. We did recently install a new production line that fully meets US FDA CGMP and ISO 9001 requirements. The market continues to grow, however, and we are already discussing further expansion strategies.
Q: To what do you attribute the growing market share of your PET film in medical packaging applications?
A: Industry demands flexibility in its packaging materials, particularly because it operates in a global market, and PET is a very flexible material. It has good converting and thermoforming properties, and it can withstand all sterilization methods. Furthermore, the film possesses excellent sealing properties. . . it can be easily sealed against Tyvek, for example. Because of new processing methods within our company, we can also develop custom packaging solutions.
Q: What are some of these methods?
A: The use of coextrusion technology, for instance, enables us to achieve more consistent quality in our products. As a result of this method, we are able to employ modified resins instead of external silicone coatings and we can use improved sealing resins without modifying the film's characteristics.
Q: It is my understanding that manufacturers may derive some environmental benefits from using PET.
A: Absolutely. It is a very "green" material that does not leave behind undesirable residue during processing or recycling. That is why the packaging industry as a whole is selecting this polymer. And because PET is primarily used in textiles, there is great demand for clean recyclable material that can be used in fibre production.
Q: Has there been much reluctance among device manufacturers to make the shift to PET?
A: The shift to PET films has been driven as much by manufacturers
as it has been by us. The material's clarity—it is as transparent as glass—impact strength, and sterilization flexibility have been strong selling points. Of course, there will always be resistance to change within a heavily regulated industry such as this one. A validation programme can take years to finalize and the process is labour intensive and costly. You also have to bear in mind that packaging is only one element in the device manufacturing process. Attempting to introduce improvements to an existing packaging system can be difficult. But PET is quite popular with companies launching new products, who will often specify PET packaging film from the start.
Q: I learned at the K98 trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, that Kalle Pentaplast is developing an application with materials supplier Ticona. Could you provide any details on this project?
A: We are working on a film based on cycloolefin copolymer resins formulated by Hoechst in Germany. Kalle Pentaplast is collaborating with Ticona, a daughter company of Hoechst, to develop a high-barrier film for pharmaceutical packaging applications. We hope to have large-scale quantities of the film on the market by 2000.
