Remedent Selects Tekni-Plex COC-Based Blister Film to Package Tooth-Whitening Sponge
Topas® COC Layer Provides Inertness to Peroxide, Moisture Barrier and Stiffness
Florence, Ky., 13 June 2006 - When Remedent, Inc., packaged the peroxide-laden foam strips that form the basis of its tooth whitening products, it used a blister film from Tekni-Plex based on Topas® COC (cyclic olefin copolymer). Polypropylene layers in the film provided needed inertness to peroxide, while the COC core layer provided additional chemical resistance, high moisture barrier for an extended shelf life, and inherent stiffness that gives the blisters a solid, luxurious feel.
The products, MetaTray(TM) and iWhite(TM) tooth whitening agents, are sold through dentists and over the counter, respectively. Users remove a foam strip from its peelable blister pack and place it in a dental tray, which holds the strip against the teeth. Peroxide gel in the sponge bleaches enamel discolored by medication, plaque, smoking, food, drink, wear or damage. Bleaching action is fostered by heat and light, i.e., temperature is elevated about 10°C to double the reaction speed and a blinking light in the tray catalyzes the reaction.
Tekni-Plex developed the entire package (tray and lid) in a fast-track project in order to meet Remedent's market launch date. "We used Tekniflex® COC P15P, a coextruded blister film having a Topas COC core layer and polypropylene outer surfaces because past experience with it showed it to have the needed inertness and barrier properties," says Michiel van den Berg, Director of Global Pharmaceutical Packaging Development at Tekni-Plex.
"One of the outer layers is a white polyethylene laminate, which gives the package a clean look and protects the sponge from light. We also used our Teknilid® WPSPPE peelable lidding foil containing a peroxide-resistant adhesive to seal the blister."
The COC-based film resists prolonged exposure to the water-based, teeth-whitening gel, which has a peroxide concentration as high as 10 percent. The COC moisture-barrier layer ensures an 18-month shelf life for iWhite and a 14-month shelf life for Metatray. The Tekniflex COC P15P (PP.COC.PP / LDPE) film also forms well on standard thermoforming lines and has a broad thermal processing range for both forming and sealing.
"Tekni-Plex came through with an excellent package in record time," says Pol Lombaert, Remedent's Production and R&D Manager for Chemistry. "We chose a 450µ COC-layer film, which is thicker than we would normally need for a package of this type. The stiffness of the COC and the added thickness give the blisters an upscale feel. This also keeps users from pushing the sponge through the blister. In addition, the film has good gloss after forming, so its look is congruent with its feel."
Topas COC is transparent, stiff and strong. It is approved for food-contact applica-tions in Europe and the U.S. and complies with USP, EP and JP Class VI certifications. In packaging, it is used as a barrier against moisture and alcohol in multilayer films and in polyethylene blends, where it aids stiffness, improves formability, and boosts hot-tack and seal strength. Its multilayer films thermoform easily on existing machines. Its packaging uses include pharmaceutical push-through packaging, flexible food packaging and medical primary packaging.
For More Information
For information on MetaTray and iWhite teeth whitening agents, contact: Remedent USA, 400 Continental Boulevard, Ste. 600, El Segundo, CA 90245. Tel.: (310) 426-2280. E-mail: sales@remedent.com. In Europe: Remedent Europe, Xavier De Cocklaan 42,
B-9831 Deurle, Belgium. Tel.: +32-9-321-70-80. E-mail: info@remedent.be. Or visit MetaTray.com/usa or iwhite.be/site/.
For information on Tekni-Plex films, contact: Tekni-Plex, Inc., 201 Industrial Parkway, Somerville, NJ 08876. Tel: (908) 722-4800. E-mail: info@tekni-plex.com. Or visit: www.tekni-films.com. In Europe: Tekni-Plex Europe N.V., Industrielaan 37, B-9320 Erembodegem, Belgium. Tel.: +32 53 650 711. E-mail: sales@tekni-plex.be .
For information on Topas COC, contact: Topas Advanced Polymers, Inc., 8040 Dixie Highway, Florence, KY, U.S. Tel.: +1 859-746-6447. In Europe: Topas Advanced Polymers GmbH, Industriepark Höchst, Gebäude F821, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Tel.: +49 (0) 1805-1-86727. E-mail: info@topas.com. Or visit: www.topas.com.
About Remedent
Remedent, Inc., is a world leader in oral care and cosmetic dentistry products with distribution in over 35 countries. Its products offer technological superiority and ease-of-use. Based in Deurle, Belgium, and El Segundo, Calif., its products are distributed in more than 35 countries. For additional information, see: http://www.metatray.com/usa.
About Tekni-Plex
Tekni-Plex, Inc., is a diversified, global manufacturer of packaging products and materials for the healthcare, consumer and food packaging industries. It has 3,000 employees and operates 31 plants worldwide. The Tekni-Films division supplies a complete range of blister films and lidding foils, specifically for the pharmaceutical and medical industries. For additional information, see: www.tekni-films.com.
About Topas Advanced Polymers
Topas Advanced Polymers manufactures and markets Topas COC for advanced packaging, medical, optical and other applications worldwide. It also supplies Crystal Dew® COC, which adds decorative highlights to many settings, and the chemical raw material norbornene. It is a joint venture of Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd., and Polyplastics Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, it has a U.S. subsidiary in Florence, Ky., and operates a 30,000-metric ton/year COC plant, the world's largest, in Oberhausen, Germany. Topas Advanced Polymers was launched January 1, 2006, following the purchase of the Topas business from Ticona, a subsidiary of Celanese Corporation. For more information visit: www.topas.com.
Press Contact
Michael Bratnick
CoreCom
Phone: 908-204-0730
Bernd Sparenberg
Topas Advanced Polymers, Inc.
Phone: 859-746-6447
e-mail: info@topas.com
website: www.topas.com
