PUTNAM, CT USA – (April 28, 2017) – Foster Corporation, a leader in medical and pharmaceutical material solutions, has been appointed the exclusive distributor of The Shepherd Chemical Company’s bismuth subcarbonate for the North American healthcare markets. Effective May 1, 2017, Foster Corporation will provide sales, technical and order fulfillment support to customers from their regional stocking facilities in Nevada and Connecticut.
Bismuth subcarbonate powder is highly visible under x-ray imaging. Minimally invasive devices that are guided by x-ray or fluoroscopy, such as vascular catheters, often use bismuth subcarbonate as an additive in plastics to enhance visibility of devices during procedures. Commonly plastics used for these applications include polyethylenes (PE), polyamides (nylon 11 and 12), and polyether block amide copolymers (PEBA).
Shepherd’s bismuth subcarbonate is manufactured using a proprietary milling process to achieve particle sizes below 0.3 micrometers (1.2 x 10-5 inches). These fine particles allow for optimal dispersion of the radiopaque filler throughout the polymer during melt extrusion blending. This results in excellent surface finish and consistent radiopacity throughout the device component.
“Shepherd’s bismuth subcarbonate has proven to be a consistent, reliable and effective for catheters and other minimally invasive devices,” said Larry Johnson, Executive Vice President at Foster Corporation. “Our long-term experience blending this radiopaque additive into medical polymers offers customers unparalleled formulation and application support.”
For more information about Shepherd bismuth subcarbonate for healthcare applications please visit www.fosterpolymers.com.