Topas offers COC as alternatives for PAN resin in pharmaceutical packaging applications

TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) from Topas Advanced Polymers has been identified as a successful alternative to Barex polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in the wake of the announced closure of Ineos' lone Barex plant in Lima, the US.

"We're pleased to announce that our industry-leading COC is filling the needs of many healthcare suppliers who seek a replacement for Barex materials," said Timothy Kneale, President of Topas Advanced Polymers. "PAN and COC come from the opposite ends of the polymer spectrum but they offer similar properties when it comes to barrier/permeation performance and strong chemical resistance."

The company has specified COC in a wide range of pharmaceutical packages such as medicinal pouches and patches and other applications that require strong chemical resistance.

COC has been used in semi-rigid and container applications in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. While not a one-for-one replacement of PAN, COC delivers effective chemical resistance and low adsorption rates, exhibiting low reactivity with medical-grade chemical contents such as nicotine for patches, according to Kneale.

For example, COC's resistance to methyl salicylate is similar to PAN and better than glycol-polyethylene terephathalate (PETG). COC's adsorption of nicotine is less than that of PETG and ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH).

Unlike PAN, TOPAS COC can be melt processed by all common thermoplastic processing methods including mono and multi-layer film, sheet, and extrusion coating, along with injection and extrusion blow molding, added the company.