With over 20 million liters of plasma collected each year, the demand for blood and plasma supplies in the medical industry is a daily necessity. Although commonly transfused to trauma or surgical patients, plasma is more often used as a raw material by pharmaceutical companies to manufacture drugs for patients with immune deficiencies or bleeding disorders.

K-Resin^® styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC) is working hard to keep up with the plasma industry’s steady growth. Around the world K-Resin^® SBC is molded into disposable “blood bowls” used in centrifugal machines which separate whole blood components from plasma in donation centers around the world.

The clarity of K-Resin^® SBC is paramount to the application. “The automated machines in plasma donation centers are designed to independently shut-off when the blood bowls reach a certain level,” said Nancy Rohrbach, K-Resin^® SBC Sales Account Manager. “If the entire bowl, including the lip of the bowl, isn’t crystal clear, then the machine cannot operate properly.”

In addition to its clarity, K-Resin^® SBC also contains a wax release element which helps prevent scuffing on the final product during manufacturing and shipping. While this is purely a cosmetic issue that doesn’t impact the function of the bowl, many customers equate the non-scuffed blood bowls made with K-Resin^® SBC to a more sterile and higher quality product.

Blood bowls are just one of the applications where K-Resin^® SBC is making a difference in the medical market.

“We are committed to providing the medical market with K-Resin® SBC for use in certain medical applications,” said Kyle Mathis, Global Commercial Manager of K-Resin^® SBC. “Many grades of K-Resin^® SBC are suitable for blood contact service and offer excellent clarity and toughness. These grades also have the ability to be sterilized using common sterilization processes, making K-Resin^® SBC a great value choice for many medical device and medical packaging applications.”