MicroCare Medical Introduces New MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid For Silicone Deposition

MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid provides ideal drop-in replacement of flammable carrier fluids

MicroCare Medical, a supplier of advanced cleaners, carrier additives, coatings and lubricants, has announced the launch of its MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid, a custom-formulated, carrier fluid optimized to dilute and apply medical grade polydimethylsiloxane liquids to medical devices. The MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is nonflammable with good solubility and excellent materials compatibility, which makes it an ideal drop-in replacement for flammable carrier fluids used in the thin film siliconization of glass, metal, plastic and rubber surfaces.

“Environmental regulations have made it increasingly difficult to specify nonflammable carrier fluids.” said Jay Tourigny, senior vice president for MicroCare Medical. “This new formula provides a safe, reliable and nonflammable alternative to the widely used flammable carriers such as hexane or toluene.”

The MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is a high purity carrier fluid that offers excellent silicone fluid dilution, evaporates quickly and completely, leaving only a thin, uniform film of silicone lubricant on the treated article. Because it is a simple process with minimal hazards, it is a technique that is easy to validate when applying a coating to glass, ceramic, metal and plastic surfaces.

“The MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid saves engineers time and money because it offers easy process validation and doesn’t require new equipment or radically different process controls,” said Tom Tattersall, chief operating officer of MicroCare Medical. “It also gives engineers peace of mind from a health and safety perspective because the carrier fluid is stable and nonflammable.”

Silicone-fluid lubricants are commonly used to coat disposable needles that are used for delivering or withdrawing fluids, and for suturing in medical practices. The lubricious coating on the needle surface reduces drag forces, allowing the needle to go through the skin more easily, ultimately making it less painful for the patient.

Another benefit to the MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is that it is available in several package sizes, and it ships and stores as nonhazardous and non-regulated. The MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is compatible with all grades of stainless steel, brass, carbon steel and most nonferrous metals. It is also compatible with most common plastics including nylon, HDPE, LDPE, PPE and PTFE. Elastomer compatibility is also excellent.