TOPAS Newsletter - Fall 2009

The Fall 2009 TOPAS eNewsletter

Welcome to the latest edition of the TOPAS Advanced Polymers Newsletter. The TOPAS Team has been very busy since our last newsletter was issued. This edition features several of the latest TOPAS® COC-related news items. See how TOPAS resin makes it possible to mold sub-micron features for advanced analytical equipment; learn how to take advantage of the high purity of TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer in films and containers; improve the performance and productivity of your high-tensile blown films; and find the missing ingredient for better thermoformed films.

On the business front, TOPAS Advanced Polymers has weathered the economic storm that started late in 2008 without too much difficulty. Our largest markets, packaging and healthcare, were fortunately not among the leading victims of the recession, and we are seeing business strength returning in the second half of 2009. We sincerely hope you are seeing improvement as well, and look forward to helping you break through the design limitations of ordinary polymers. Thank you for your interest in TOPAS COC!

- Timothy Kneale, President, TOPAS Advanced Polymers, Inc.

Purity of TOPAS^® COC Recognized by PlastiPure

From its inception, TOPAS® COC has been recognized as an exceptionally pure polymer. Many pharmaceutical applications for TOPAS polymers are based on the high purity of this unique resin. Today, consumers demand high purity polymers, due to recent research into the health effects of conventional polymer ingredients. The lack of controversial ingredients in TOPAS COC makes it a great fit for health-conscious markets.

The scientists at PlastiPure (Austin, TX) have developed a comprehensive testing and certification protocol for polymers that have no estrogenic activity. In this press release, PlastiPure announces that the grades of TOPAS resin tested in their labs can now be certified as EA-Free™. Both film and bottle grades are available.

microPEP Molds Microwell Array with TOPAS^® COC

A leader in the field of micro molding, microPEP has driven this technology closer to near-nanoscale replication by successfully injection molding a "Microwell Array" as seen in the adjacent image and in this press release. This microscope slide-sized array comprises 42 million wells, each 3 microns wide and 3 microns deep, molded entirely from TOPAS® COC. TOPAS resins deliver exceptionally high flow and precise detail molding for microPEP. Such arrays are used in a variety of genomics, life science and biomedical assay applications that utilize microspheres or beads.

Prior to the arrival of microPEP's thermoplastic Microwell Array, the industry relied primarily on etched silicon or glass parts. microPEP's molding technology promises to expand the range of possibilities for these types of parts.
In addition to its molding capabilities, TOPAS COC brings a number of other advantages to this highly technical application. TOPAS COC grades are ultrapure and biocompatible, have a very high moisture barrier, and are resistant to damage by many chemicals used in biomedical assays. Moreover, TOPAS resin is an attractive choice for analytical applications owing to extraordinary transparency, especially in the near UV range (250 to 300 nm) where many tests are conducted, and to inherently low autofluorescence. Please call to discuss your next analytical materials challenge.

Film Rate & Toughness With TOPAS^® COC	TOPAS^® COC Improves Forming Films

A joint presentation with Nova Chemicals at the SPE Polyolefins Conference earlier this year broke the news that TOPAS COC delivers significant bubble stability and rate benefits in high-tensile blown films that use single site-catalyzed polyethylene. Even more interestingly, TOPAS resin does not compromise film toughness like traditional LDPE resin blends. For more information on this new technology, see the presentation or call us today!

One of the leading uses for TOPAS COC is thermoforming enhancement in polyethylene. Applications include medical forming webs (pictured) and protective packaging. A relatively small amount of TOPAS resin transforms PE into a much stiffer material, with forming performance at par with more expensive and complex films. Sustainability can be enhanced too. Monolayer and coex films both benefit. Learn more about the improvements TOPAS COC can offer in this presentation.