Belgian chemicals and plastics producer Solvay (Brussels; www.solvay.com) has launched some high-performance polymers for dental and medical implants. Using its expertise in speciality polymers, the company has entered the medical device market with its new dental care business line, Solvay Dental 360.

The material, "Ultaire” aryl ketone polymer (AKP), can replace metal in removable partial denture frames, with a digital process meaning faster and more efficient manufacturing. Dental lab technicians employ software that is tailored to Solvay’s “Dentivera” milling disc to design and mill removable partial denture (RPD) frames. The Dentivera disc is approved by both EU and US regulators. The frames, which replace missing teeth, are biocompatible, more comfortable and natural-looking, as well as more than 60% lighter than a metal frame, noted Solvay.

Solvay has also added two lubricated grades of “Zeniva” PEEK to its range of biocompatible polymers for use in implantable devices. Zeniva "ZA-500L" and "ZA-600L" both offer melt indices that are specifically tailored to injection moulding, giving customers broader design capabilities and enabling them to introduce new concepts faster to the market.

“These new additions to our 'Zeniva' PEEK portfolio offer new possibilities for designing and moulding unique, new implants that incorporate smaller, thinner and lighter components, and to deliver them consistently within a validated medical production process compatible with long-term implant applications,” said Jim Hicks, technical development engineer for healthcare at Solvay Specialty Polymers.

Zeniva PEEK is said to offer numerous benefits versus implantable metals, such as maintaining normal stress levels on surrounding bone tissue, eliminating the risk of allergic reactions and not interfering with X-ray and scanning procedures.