跳转至主目录
奖牌获得者 TPE 白皮书英雄

Medalist TPEs for Medical Tubing – Product Selector Guide

Choosing the right medical tubing material is critical for product performance and patient safety. Medalist® thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) offer a flexible, PVC-free alternative to silicone rubber tubing. This selector guide helps engineers and designers compare grades, understand key properties, and select the best TPE tubing material for their medical applications.

医疗保健行业的最新趋势需要聚合物技术的新创新。Medalist 热塑性弹性体 （TPE） 将热固性橡胶的性能特征与热塑性塑料的易加工性相结合;因此，它们是当今使用的各种医用级材料（如柔性 PVC、TPU 和硅胶）的合适替代品。对于医用级管材，Medalist TPE 是首选，因为它们具有高纯度（低可萃取物含量）、生物相容性以及经济和性能的最佳平衡。Medalist TPE 是导管、静脉注射、药物输送、供气和胸腔引流中使用的单腔和多腔管的良好候选者。

What Is Medical TPE and Why Use It?

Medical thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are soft, flexible materials that combine the performance of rubber with the processing efficiency and recyclability of thermoplastics. They can be injection molded, extruded, or overmolded without the need for curing—reducing cycle times, waste, and cost in medical device manufacturing.

Healthcare OEMs are moving toward medical-grade thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) as alternatives to PVC and silicone because they deliver the same softness, flexibility, and clarity—with added processing and sustainability advantages.

Unlike PVC, TPEs are plasticizer-free, eliminating concerns about DEHP and other additives while maintaining kink resistance and weldability. Compared to silicone, TPEs offer lower permeability, tighter dimensional control, and faster extrusion throughput—reducing manufacturing cost and complexity.

Teknor Apex’s Medalist® TPEs combine biocompatibility, sterilization compatibility, and elastic recovery with thermoplastic processing efficiency, making them an ideal choice for IV, peristaltic pump, biopharma, and medical gas tubing applications. Download the Medalist TPE Product Selector Guide to compare grades and access full technical data. 

联系我们

Thermoplastic Elastomer Tubing vs Silicone & PVC

The table below compares the key performance and processing characteristics of PVC, silicone, and Medalist® medical-grade TPE materials commonly used in medical tubing.

Property / Attribute

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

Medical-Grade TPE (e.g., Medalist®)

Silicone (Platinum-Cured)

Flexibility & Elasticity

Good, but dependent on plasticizers

Excellent, tunable hardness and recovery

Excellent, inherently elastic

Clarity

High

High

Moderate to high

Sterilization Compatibility

EtO, limited gamma

EtO, gamma, some autoclave grades

EtO, gamma, autoclave

耐化学性

Moderate

Excellent—resists many fluids and drugs

Excellent

Kink / Clamp Resistance

Moderate

Excellent

Excellent

Processing

Easy extrusion; requires plasticizers

Easy extrusion or molding; no curing

Requires curing; slower cycle times

Additives / Formulation

May contain DEHP or other plasticizers

Not formulated to contain Phthalates, BPA, and latex

Additive-free but thermoset

Recyclability

Limited

Fully recyclable

Not recyclable (thermoset)

Cost

Low

Moderate

High

Teknor Apex’s Medalist® TPEs combine the clarity, weldability, and kink resistance of PVC with the elasticity and biocompatibility of silicone—without their respective drawbacks. Medalist® materials are plasticizer-free, recyclable, and easier to process, reducing energy use and manufacturing time. Produced in ISO 13485-certified facilities, these compounds meet the growing demand for sustainable, compliant, and high-performance medical tubing that supports next-generation healthcare innovation.

Biocompatibility, Extractables & Regulatory Basics

Engineered to meet international medical standards, Medalist® TPEs ensure safety, purity, and regulatory confidence for healthcare device manufacturers.

Regulatory Compliance:

  • 采用符合 FDA 标准的成分制成
  • 生物相容性，符合 ISO 10993-5 标准
  • 符合 REACH SVHC 标准
  • 不含 DEHP、邻苯二甲酸盐、BPA 和乳胶
  • 不含动物源性材料 （ADM）
  • 在 ISO-13485 认证的设施中制造

TPE Tubing Performance Properties & Key Considerations

Proven Performance and Processing Efficiency:

  • OEM 和加工商的成熟技术
  • 出色的挤出速率和产量
  • Low level of extractables
  • 工作温度范围广

Sterilization Compatibility & Chemical Resistance:

  • Sterilization by e-beam, gamma, ethylene oxide, and steam (autoclave)
  • Connector bonding achieved with light-cured adhesives and cyanoacrylates

These properties make Medalist® TPEs dependable and consistent, ensuring uniform quality and performance in high-volume production environments.

Medalist TPE Series Comparison (Medical Grades)

Medalist MD-53200 Series (PVC Alternatives)

Medalist MD-53200 系列提供 65 至 93 邵氏 A 级，反映了 PVC 的清晰度、触觉和性能特征，同时在更宽的温度范围内表现出增强的伽马稳定性和柔韧性。由 Medalist 制成的医用导管具有出色的抗扭结性和夹紧弹性。此外，使用 MD-53200 系列，可以在挤出过程中轻松操纵管材的美观性，使其呈现出晶莹剔透、半透明或磨砂的光芒。

MD-53200 系列还可用于替代透明管中的 TPU，与 TPU 相比，它还具有许多关键优势。Medalist 不吸湿，与 TPU 不同，挤出前不需要预干燥。此外，Medalist 的硬度范围更广，表面粘性比 TPU 低。最后，与 TPU 相比，Medalist 的密度较低，因此每磅材料可产生更多的管材英尺。

MD-12300 Series (Silicone Alternatives)

For translucent medical tubing, the Medalist MD-12300 Series offers a tremendous cost savings over silicone rubber. Medalist tubing exhibits similar characteristics to silicone tubing, however silicone can have absorption issues with certain proteins and anti-oxidants and is extremely permeable to gases. These concerns are eliminated when using Medalist medical TPEs. Also, since Medalist materials are thermoplastic and not thermoset like silicone, they are heat sealable and sterile weldable.

For more information about Medalist TPEs for medical applications, including extruded tubing and film, go to our Medalist product page.

常见问题解答：

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) combine the softness and flexibility of rubber or silicone with the processing and recyclability benefits of thermoplastics. Unlike PVC, TPEs contain no plasticizers or DEHP, eliminating extractables concerns while maintaining clarity and kink resistance. Compared to silicone, TPEs provide similar elasticity and biocompatibility but are easier to process, faster to extrude, and more dimensionally consistent. Teknor Apex’s Medalist® medical TPEs deliver a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable alternative for modern medical tubing.

Yes. Medalist® medical-grade TPEs are compatible with common sterilization methods, including ethylene oxide (EtO) and gamma irradiation. Certain formulations also withstand autoclave sterilization, depending on durometer and design requirements. Teknor Apex provides technical data and validation support to help OEMs match each Medalist® compound to the appropriate sterilization method while maintaining mechanical properties, clarity, and biocompatibility.

Medalist® TPEs provide silicone-like performance—softness, clarity, and elastic recovery—at a lower material and processing cost. As thermoplastics, they don’t require curing, enabling faster extrusion and injection molding with reduced energy consumption. They also support in-line welding and heat sealing, simplifying downstream assembly. Combined with recyclability and consistent lot-to-lot quality, Medalist® compounds help medical manufacturers achieve higher throughput and lower total production cost compared to silicone.

ISO 10993 defines a series of biocompatibility tests used to evaluate the safety of materials intended for medical use. Compliance with relevant parts of ISO 10993 ensures that a material is non-cytotoxic, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for its intended contact type (e.g., external, mucosal, or blood-contact). Teknor Apex’s Medalist® TPEs are tested per ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity, and many grades also meet USP Class VI requirements. These results demonstrate that Medalist® materials are designed for medical safety, purity, and patient compatibility.

需要推荐？

我们可助您一臂之力。告诉我们您的需求，专业的技术人员将与您联系，为您介绍个性化推荐。

了解更多信息

请求 SDS

轻松获取您需要的安全信息。我们为所有产品提供安全数据表（SDS）。只需填写我们的快速申请表，即可获得任何产品的SDS。

申请SDS