PFAS replacement in medical technology: solutions for surfaces -- COMPAMED Trade Fair
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PFAS replacement in medical technology: solutions for safe surfaces

08.11.2024

The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM has developed alternatives to perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) that can also be used in medical technology. PFAS, known as the "poisons of the century", are difficult to break down and will be banned in the EU in the future. 

IFAM's solutions aim to replace the unique properties of PFAS while meeting the high standards of medical technology. 

Image: Fluorine-free coatings for medical technology applications; Copyright: Fraunhofer IFAM

Fraunhofer IFAM has developed fluorine-free hydrophobic coatings to prevent cell adhesion and optimize gliding and friction properties. These coatings replicate the properties of traditional fluoropolymers, as demonstrated by a hydrophobic coating on nonwoven synthetic fabric.

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PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) are widely used in medical technology. Due to their chemical properties, such as inertness and high stability, they are indispensable in many medical devices. With the planned ban on these substances in the European Union, the pressure on the industry to find alternatives that meet the strict safety and functionality requirements is increasing.

Fraunhofer IFAM develops safe alternatives

"We have now been using organosilicon chemistry for more than two decades to find effective substitutes for a broad spectrum of positive properties of PFAS," says Dr. Ralph Wilken, Head of Surface Technology. These alternatives are biocompatible and low-reactive, and therefore meet important criteria for medical applications. The coatings and materials developed are already being used successfully in the food industry and are increasingly being adapted for medical technology. 

Individual solutions for specific applications

Fraunhofer IFAM focuses on adapting solutions to the respective requirements of medical technology. Through a targeted analysis of the components to be replaced, specific properties can be precisely substituted and thus offered to partners in industry as a practical solution. With the help of proven processes and materials, companies can quickly access practice-ready alternatives. 

Diverse coating technologies and applications

The solutions presented include innovative coatings, the plasma-polymer functional release layer ReleasePLAS®, which enables the release agent-free production of plastic parts, and the non-stick coating PLASLON®. A special functionalization of silicone with vacuum ultraviolet radiation (VUV) will also be presented, which optimizes the surface properties of materials for medical applications. 

Presentation at the COMPAMED 2024

Visitors to COMPAMED 2024 can get to know the PFAS alternatives from Fraunhofer IFAM from November 11 to 14 at the joint Fraunhofer stand in Hall 8a, Stand G10. The experts will be on hand to present the advantages and applications of the new technologies. 

COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM 

More about the Fraunhofer IFAM at: www.ifam.fraunhofer.de/en

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