In 2020, the first batch of baby boomers born after the founding of New China in the 1960s will officially enter the elderly population phase. As a group that possesses both purchasing power and internet awareness, as well as discerning consumption tastes and quality, they will be officially included in the medical insurance coverage system next year. This holds significant implications for the domestic medical system and the healthcare industry. Currently, with the continuous advancement of technologies such as new materials, 3D printing, and biomimetic materials, the demand for plastics in the medical device industry is also continually increasing.

As early as the last century, most domestic medical devices used plastic materials that were primarily concentrated on disposable plastic medical products made of PVC and PS. Since 2010, with the continuous improvement of the domestic medical system and the internationalization of medical standards, medical plastic products made from PVC have gradually revealed performance deficiencies and have been increasingly replaced by new high-performance plastic materials made from PP.

According to predictions by the China Medical Industry Information Center, the market size of medical devices in China will exceed 600 billion yuan in 2019, with an expected annual compound growth rate of 16.8%. This has been interpreted by the market as a signal that China's medical device industry is about to enter a golden decade. In terms of capital, investments in the medical device industry have already begun to take shape. At the beginning of the year, the three major internet companies, BAT, announced their formal entry into the medical device market, while Huawei Group also started competition in areas such as smart devices and medical internet technology. Driven by capital and technology, it is expected that the medical device market will experience a leap in 2020, and high-end medical devices will gain significant growth potential in this process.

Currently, domestic refining and chemical enterprises mainly focus on increasing the investment and production scale of specialized materials while reducing the proportion of general materials. Leading companies have even exceeded 60% in the production ratio of specialized materials. The production of high value-added specialized materials leads to an optimized production structure and an improvement in the company's sales profit level.

In the next decade, as the proportion of the aging population continues to rise, the era of consumption upgrading for medical-grade polyolefin materials will arrive. Compared to the low profits and low demand of low-end general-purpose materials, the demand for high-end, high-performance polyolefins is likely to continue to grow.

At present, the initial products of medical-grade PE, PC, ABS, and other plastics in our country still mainly rely on imports. However, in the areas of medical-grade PP and PE, some domestic enterprises have made breakthroughs in technology. Companies such as Lanzhou Petrochemical, Beifang JinHua, Maoming Petrochemical, Changling Refining and Chemical, Sino-Korean Petrochemical, and Yanshan Petrochemical have all mastered the key technologies for producing specialized medical materials and high-value-added polyolefin products.

Foreign medical polyethylene products have a complete range of models, reliable supply capabilities, good product technical stability, and a high level of industry maturity. Advanced foreign manufacturers capable of supplying both medical LDPE and medical HDPE materials include Borealis, LyondellBasell, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, INEOS, and Dow.

Table 1: Advanced Manufacturers of Medical LDPE Abroad

Table 2 Advanced Foreign Manufacturers of Medical-grade HDPE

From the packaging of pharmaceuticals and drugs to the application of disposable medical devices (such as drip bottles, syringes, etc.) and non-disposable medical equipment (such as measuring instruments, surgical instruments, etc.), there are traces of modified plastics.

With the development of technology, the performance requirements for medical plastics used in medical devices and equipment are becoming increasingly stringent, especially in terms of their physicochemical properties and biocompatibility, which must meet relevant international standards (such as those set by the FDA).

Chemical Properties and Radiation Resistance Technical Specifications of Medical Polypropylene

The current evaluation of the hygiene performance of medical polypropylene in China is mainly conducted according to YY/T 0242-2007 "Polypropylene Special Material for Medical Infusion, Blood Transfusion, and Injection Devices." This standard not only specifies the physical and mechanical properties of medical polypropylene but also its chemical properties and radiation resistance technical indicators.

Medical polypropylene products are mostly sterilized using high temperature or radiation methods, and they also need to have a certain degree of aging resistance. Therefore, stabilizers must be added before processing into products. In the industrial development of resin specifically for medical infusion bottles, the selection and dosage of additives must take into account the requirements of medical hygiene standards.

In addition, according to the requirements for the leachables testing of medical resins, the phosphate content should be below 0.15 μg, and the addition of phosphite ester auxiliary antioxidants is prohibited during production.

In summary, to meet medical hygiene standards, special consideration must be given to catalysts and additives, as well as other factors that may adversely affect hygiene performance. For example, the final stage of the drying unit should use high-purity nitrogen rather than recirculating air as the drying medium; the feeding system for additives must be thoroughly cleaned before and after production; and the filtration cloth in the blending pneumatic conveying system should be regularly replaced.

Medical modified plastics, due to their excellent properties, can replace metals in the manufacturing of large medical diagnostic equipment. For many Chinese manufacturers and exporters of disposable medical plastic products, the importance of the international market is self-evident.