French chemicals producer Arkema (Colombes; www.arkema.com) has said it will support its customers as it completes the change in naming its specialty PA medical grades to include “MED” in their nomenclature. At the end of the transition period, on 1 January 2014, only “MED” grades will be available for use in medical applications. Products that do not have “MED” in their name are not recommended by Arkema for use in medical applications.

The company said that “MED” grades of “Pebax”, “Rilsan” and “Rilsamid” PA offer several benefits for medical applications over standard grades – they are USP Class VI-tested and have individual qualifying specifications, including viscosity, gel rating and moisture content, and are produced to consistent standards. They also have a 12 month advance notification period for changes to specifications or manufacturing location.

Arkema has appointed specialty raw materials distributor Velox (Hamburg / Germany; www.velox.com) as distributor for its medical resins in Europe. The company has experience in the medical segment, with expertise to handle specific medical procedures, Arkema said.