GE Plastics has introduced an in-house co-injection method which will help developers of healthcare packaging to overcome the limitations of mono-material solutions.

The co-injection blow-moulding process enables crystal clear, virtually unbreakable Lexan HP polycarbonate resins to be integrated with traditional barrier materials, such as glass.

GE Plastics says the resulting sandwich of two Lexan HP resin exterior layers and an internal barrier layer solves the performance challenges of traditional glass and plastic materials in applications such as diagnostic and culture vials, and drug containers.

GE Plastics' healthcare technical manager John Davis says the pharmaceutical industry is demanding enhanced clarity and greater emphasis on patient and caregiver safety, which mono-material solutions struggle to deliver.

"To help our customers in the in vitro diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries address these limitations and meet changing market needs, we built on our extensive processing and materials technology resource to provide a broader approach to barrier packaging," Davis says.

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