Multilayer co-extruded films refer to films made from three or more types of plastic pellets or powders. These materials are melted and plasticized by multiple extruders and simultaneously extruded through a shared die head to produce the film. Multilayer co-extruded films belong to a category of functional composite plastic films, capable of fully leveraging the advantageous properties of different plastic materials. They feature good barrier properties, excellent heat sealing, strong adhesion, anti-fog properties, high strength, and excellent puncture resistance. They are primarily used in the fields of pharmaceuticals and food packaging. Among them, multilayer co-extruded films used in medical applications are called medical multilayer co-extruded films, which mainly include two categories: multilayer co-extruded infusion films and multilayer co-extruded biofilms.

The application of co-extruded films in the medical field mainly focuses on the following directions:

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-based hydrophilic syringe is the predominant form due to its good chemical stability and biocompatibility.

Medical packaging: such as infusion films (multi-layer co-extruded films), biological films (for bioreactors), and pharmaceutical packaging (high barrier films/bags), etc. These materials need to have high barrier properties (to block oxygen and moisture), puncture resistance, heat sealability, and compatibility with pharmaceuticals.

Upstream raw material supply

The main raw materials for medical co-extruded films include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and biodegradable materials. Among them, PE and PP dominate the market share due to their low cost and good processing performance. In recent years, with the increasing environmental requirements, the application of biodegradable materials (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polycaprolactone (PCL)) in the medical field has gradually increased.

Midstream manufacturing

Major manufacturers include global market participants such as Baxter, Renolit, Sealed Air, Otsuka Techbond, among international companies, and Huiren Pharmaceutical, Weihai Group, and Shijiazhuang Four Pharmaceutical Group, among domestic companies.

Technical Trend: Multi-layer co-extrusion technology (such as three-layer co-extruded infusion film) holds an important position in medical packaging, such as infusion bags and medical equipment packaging, due to its excellent barrier properties, transparency, and safety.

Energy distribution: China's main mechanical manufacturing concentrates mainly in the provinces of Eastern China, South China, and Northeast China, which have developed industrial chains and abundant raw material resources.

Green chemistry: the development and application of bio-based materials (such as PHA and PCL) will accelerate.

Smartization: Intelligent materials like shape-memory polymers (SMPs) could revolutionize the design of medical consumables.

Globalization: Chinese enterprises are boosting their international competitiveness through technological upgrades (such as precision plastic injection, sterilization technology).