LOTTE Chemical expands polypropylene development for vaccination syringes

LOTTE Chemical, based in South Korea, has produced the polypropylene (PP) required for medical applications using German supplier BASF’s Irgastab, a non-discolouring processing stabiliser. With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide, the need for syringes made from PP has increased exponentially. LOTTE Chemical’s medical PP has been applied to the LDS (low dead space) syringes developed by a medical syringe manufacturer in South Korea. These specialised products are designed to minimise the amount of a drug left in the device after injection which leads to reduced vaccine wastage. As a result, LDS syringes are in huge demand globally as it is estimated to enable 20 per cent more people to get the dose with the same amount of vaccine. As the need for syringes is expected to explode for the vaccination against COVID-19, LOTTE Chemical is expanding the development of special polypropylene materials to ensure strict production quality control of medical materials, including high-clarity PP, and to accommodate the growing needs related to healthcare and safety.