Whether you’re looking for faster processing time or something more environmentally friendly, e-beam can be a great choice for terminal sterilization. However, the thought of going through the conversion process from an existing sterilization method can have those of you in quality hiding under your desks.
The bad news? Yeah. Not gonna lie. It’s a daunting task.
The good news? We’re here to walk you through it!
If you’re interested in converting and want to know more about how we can help you specifically, email us at ebeam@ebeamservices.com to set up a free consultation call.
In the meantime, here is a quick rundown of the steps needed to convert from ETO or Gamma. Read More »
Whether you need terminal sterilization or crosslinking, your product either consists of or is packaged in at least one polymer. How those polymers react to e-beam is extremely important. In the E-BEAM Crash Course: The Polymer Dating Game, we take a look at three common polymers, and how they react to e-beam.
Polyethylene (PE)
The polyethylene molecule consists of a carbon backbone with two hydrogen atoms attached to each carbon. The electrons will break the C-H bonds, allowing the carbon backbone of one molecule to bond with the carbon backbone of an adjacent molecule. The final result is an increase in the molecular weight of the polymer, imparting beneficial properties like better abrasion resistance, less permeability, increased tensile strength, and higher operating temperatures. For more information, check out this Crash Course.
Summary: ✔️ Polyethylene (PE) is a great fit for e-beam processing, and will crosslink readily.
Polystyrene (PS)
Polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon in which alternating carbon centers are attached to phenyl groups. Due to the high aromatic content of the molecule, polystyrene is relatively radiation resistant. There is no significant change or shift in color.
Summary: ✔️ Polystyrene (PS) is a great fit for e-beam sterilization, but not a good fit for crosslinking or chain scissioning applications.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
The PTFE molecule consists of a carbon backbone (like PE), but instead of hydrogen atoms, it contains fluorine atoms. These C-F bonds are incredibly strong; when exposed to electrons, the electrons end up breaking the C-C bonds instead, resulting in chain scissioning and a decrease in molecular weight. PTFE can then be ground into a fine powder for use in applications such as coatings in the automotive industry and inks.
Summary: ✔️ Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a great fit for e-beam chain scissioning, but would not be a good fit for sterilization or crosslinking applications.
E-BEAM Services is sending their product enhancement expertise on the road this March for North America’s leading exhibition for the technical foam manufacturing supply chain: the Foam Expo North America Conference.
We are proud to add value to the world of foam with our high–speed innovative process (and thank the organizers of Foam Expo for the opportunity to showcase the technology). Electron beam processing is used to create crosslinked foam.
Crosslinked foam has increased heat stability, strength, and chemical resistance while retaining flexibility. These properties make it great for interior automotive applications and a variety of other industry sectors. All of these property improvements can be attributed to the fine-celled nature of e-beam crosslinked foam. With e-beam crosslinked foam, all the coveted properties of fine-celled foams are automatically created!
And this is just a few of the many benefits of e-beam crosslinked foam, so be sure to stop by booth number 330 or reach out to us at ebeam@ebeamservices.com to learn more!
With its high dose rate, we all know by now that e-beam is a great tool for sterilizing medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
(If you don’t know this yet, you should check out these videos!)
But what in the world do you do if you need to sterilize something that is heat or radiation sensitive?
Enter Dr. Gustavo Varca, worldwide radiation expert.
In this Crash Course, Dr. Varca walks us through 4 ways we can use e-beam technology to sterilize sensitive products, like human cell and tissue products and pharmaceuticals. Read More »
E-BEAM Services will be joining 19,000 of our close friends in sunny Anaheim, CA February 5-7 for a closer look at medical device innovations and e-beam applications at the MD&M West show.
Showcasing the latest solutions in contract manufacturing, contract sterilization (yours truly 😉), manufacturing equipment, automation, R&D, medical device components, materials, plastics, and much more – this show is a great kick-off to 2019 for the E-BEAM Services team.
As a collaborative contract sterilization partner in the MedTech sector, E-BEAM Services sees attendance at this show – billed as “Today’s Insights. Tomorrow’s Technology” – as key to working with our clients in the early stages of development for long term, cost effective solutions to sterilization needs. E-BEAM Services provides the most cost-effective radiation sterilization for low to medium density medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
We look forward to reconnecting with our existing customer base and making new friends at the MD&M West!
We always welcome the chance to further discuss how e-beam sterilization can help you EXCEED with your business, compliance, and profitability goals. Let us know if you will be there too – ebeam@ebeamservices.com!
As the new year begins, the employees here at E-BEAM have started to work towards their individual resolutions.
Alex would like to cut back on fast food… Olivia is going to get her yoga teacher’s certification… Alissa is definitely going to carve out more time for herself this year… Read More »
E-Beam Services was on the road again sharing the amazing Power of Electrons story with attendees at the Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) Minneapolis show from October 31 through November 1.
We always look forward to this show each year and being a part of the MD&M supplier showcase experience, as it is a great way to highlight our electron beam sterilization technology and capabilities. It also provides an opportunity as a critical partner in the evolving and growing med tech ecosystem. Read More »
Are you an organized traveler? Do you know how to pack your business pants to minimize creases? Or are you more likely to be throwing things in a bag at the last minute? And what in the world do these questions have to do with crosslinkable polymers? Read More »
Electron beam crosslinking can enhance different polymer properties such as tensile strength, impact strength, high-heat properties, abrasion and chemical resistance, and environmental stress crack resistance. But not all polymers crosslink.
So how can you tell if your polymer is a good fit for e-beam crosslinking? One of the factors that help us know if a polymer is likely to crosslink or not is its glass transition temperature (Tg). Read More »
This week, E-BEAM Services is once again heading to New York City for the MD&M East trade show. We’re looking forward to meeting new people, and exploring new applications for e-beam sterilization. Read More »
E-Beam Services was on the road again sharing the amazing Power of Electrons story with attendees at the Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) Minneapolis show from October 31 through November 1.
This week, E-BEAM Services is once again heading to New York City for the