The successful progress of PVC in the medical sector continues unabated
A NEW VINYL CHLORIDE COPOLYMER PREVENTS THROMBOSES AND POTENTIALLY SAVES LIVES
Marl, Germany (ots) - A major health risk for patients undergoing heart bypass surgery or blood dialysis is blood clotting (thrombose) occurring in all kind of tubings through which blood is circulated. This difficulty can be at present avoided only by treating the patient with high doses of heparin, a procedure in itself not exempt of dangers.
VESTOLIT GmbH & Co. KG, a well-known European PVC producer located in Marl, Germany, has after intensive research succeeded in developing a vinyl chloride copolymer which in laboratory tests exhibits remarkable anti-coagulant properties. "We are confident that this invention will further consolidate the pre-eminent position of PVC in medical applications," said Robert Bornhofen, CEO of VESTOLIT, on signing a licence agreement assigning to Teknor Apex, a US company of Pawtucket, RI, exclusive world-wide rights for processing and marketing the new product.
According to the American company, medical devices based on this material will be available on the market in less than two years. "We are proud to have found in Teknor Apex a partner which enjoys an excellent reputation in the field of medical compounding," Bornhofen added.
VESTOLIT has always been an innovative company, with a preference for more specialized PVC products and constantly on the quest for new, unconventional vinyl chloride-based materials. An epitome ot this endeavour is the cooperation with Prof. Marcel Jozefowicz, then of the University Paris-Nord, on blood-compatible copolymers with antithrombic properties. Jozefowicz has discovered that certain random copolymers show heparin-like properties. The development by VESTOLIT of the new resin relies on this principle.
VESTOLIT GmbH & Co. KG is an important European producer of PVC. Located in Marl, northwestern Germany, within the framework of a large industrial complex (Chemiepark Marl), the company has an annual capacity of 350,000 metric tons. Although it may not belong to the largest PVC manufacturers world-wide, VESTOLIT has been highly successful due to a combination of two factors:
- VESTOLIT operates Europe's largest, fully integrated PVC manufacturing facility. From chlorine through monomer synthesis to vinyl chloride polymerization, all of the steps of PVC production are performed in Marl. This integration is one of the key factors of the company's profitability.
- VESTOLIT has always been an innovative company with a preference for more specialized products. Thus, VESTOLIT is market leader in the field of PVC materials for window frame profiles, selling a proprietary high-impact graft copolymer rather than general purpose suspension PVC. For plastisol application the company also manufactures a wide range of tailor-made PVC types for floor-coverings, wallpapers, tarpaulins, etc.
Teknor Apex is a privately held firm, operating ten manufacturing locations across the United States. The company has eight divisions and 2,400 employees. In addition to being a leading international compounder of plastics and rubber materials, Teknor Apex produces plasticizers and consumer goods. Its operation in Singapore (Singapore Polymer Corp.) is one of the largest compounders in Asia. The company's headquarters are in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA.
The Vinyl Division of Teknor Apex is a leading manufacturer of compounds based on PVC. The Division is an international supplier to automotive, construction, wire and cable, and medical applications.
Volker Hilbt
PR & Communications
+ 49 23 65/49-52 16