MUNICH, Germany — September 5, 2011 — At COMPAMED 2011, the Munich-based chemical firm WACKER is
presenting a new biocompatible silicone adhesive it has recently developed for medical
applications. Marketed under the brand name SILPURAN® 4200, this condensation-curing silicone
rubber formulation is an easy-to-process, single-component adhesive with excellent adhesion
properties. Upon vulcanization, SILPURAN® 4200 forms a silicone elastomer with outstanding
mechanical strength, making it ideal for permanently bonding components of medical devices.
COMPAMED will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from November 16 to 18, 2011.
The new adhesive represents an expansion of the chemical company’s existing line of silicone
products designed for use in the medical industry. SILPURAN® 4200 is formulated with a new catalyst
that does not use organotin compounds. This makes this new silicone adhesive particularly safe to
use from a health standpoint. Like all products in the SILPURAN® series, the new adhesive has also
been certified as biocompatible in accordance with selected ISO 10993-1 and USP Class VI tests.
While SILPURAN® 4200 is particularly suitable for bonding vulcanized silicone parts, it can
also be used to bond textile surfaces onto silicone. Molded parts made from these materials can be
readily bonded without the need for advance priming. The vulcanized silicone adhesive layer can
also support substantial mechanical loads. The vulcanizate shows medium hardness and elongation, it
has good tensile strength and tear resistance. The elastic adhesive layer ensures a stable bond
even when the bonded components move against each other. SILPURAN® 4200 is therefore not only
suitable for permanently bonding device components, it is also an especially good choice for highly
elastic bonds between the molded silicone parts and textiles used in manufacturing prosthetic and
orthotic devices.
A pasty, self-leveling compound that shows shear thinning behavior, the new silicone adhesive
can be applied manually or automatically and cured by exposure to air moisture. A skin forms in
less than 10 minutes.
SILPURAN® – Silicone Products for Medical Applications
By taking special steps and implementing its new WACKER CLEAN OPERATIONS production standard,
WACKER ensures that SILPURAN® silicones will continue to meet the high standards and ever-rising
safety demands of the medical industry. All SILPURAN® silicone rubbers are dispensed or packaged in
cleanrooms to prevent contamination by airborne particulates. Visual inspections, 50 µm filtration
and antistatic, heat-sealed liners for solid silicone rubber grades ensure optimum purity.
SILPURAN® silicones contain no organic plasticizers, are resistant to radiation, can be
readily sterilized and are certified for biocompatibility in accordance with selected ISO 10993 and
USP (United States Pharmacopeia) Class VI tests. For ISO 10993 evaluation, materials are assessed
for cytotoxicity, pyrogenicity and sensitization. USP Class VI evaluation encompasses tests for
acute systemic and/or intracutaneous toxicity and short-term implantation.
Posted on September 13, 2011
Source: Wacker Chemie AG
