Purell

Purell is a healthcare-oriented polyolefin family covering polypropylene homopolymers, PP random copolymers, PP impact copolymers and high-density polyethylene. Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE is positioned for medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, diagnostic equipment and drug delivery, applications where low extractables and leachables, dimensional precision, sterilisation compatibility and full regulatory documentation are non-negotiable. Genesis Polymers distributes eleven Purell grades across all four polymer categories.

Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE ships with the documentation that healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturers need to streamline regulatory submissions:

• Drug Master File (DMF) listings

• USP Class VI and European Pharmacopoeia compliance

• Dedicated manufacturing lines with full traceability

• Long-term change-control notification (NOC)

That documentation depth is what separates Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE from mainstream PP and HDPE grades used outside the healthcare sector.

Where Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE is used

• Injectable drug delivery: auto-injectors, syringe barrels, insulin pens, plungers

• Disposable syringes: two-part and three-part designs where dose verification through the barrel is required

• Pharmaceutical packaging: vials, pill strips, labware, closures

• Diagnostic devices and labware: test tube racks, PCR plates, pipette tips, petri dishes

• Medical device components: injection-moulded housings, pump casings, autoinjector bodies

• Pharmaceutical HDPE packaging: beverage-grade and drug-grade closures, collapsible tube shoulders

Sterilisation compatibility

Purell grades are formulated around the sterilisation method the end application requires:

• Autoclave (steam): PP homopolymers such as HP570M and HP671T are stable across hundreds of autoclave cycles

• Ethylene oxide (EtO): all Purell PP and HDPE grades are validated for EtO compatibility

• Gamma and e-beam irradiation: standard PP degrades under gamma exposure; Purell HP671T and RP375R incorporate radiation stabilisers to preserve mechanical properties after high-dose sterilisation

HDPE (ACP6541A) covers EtO sterilisation but, like most HDPE, is not autoclave-rated.

The Purell grade range

Polypropylene homopolymer (PP HP), rigid, high-stiffness medical components:

• Purell HP548N: nucleated, long-term antistatic, tensile modulus 1800 MPa, MFR 11 g/10 min; pharmaceutical packaging, vials, pill strips, syringe plungers

• Purell HP570M: autoclave and EtO compatible, MFR 7.5 g/10 min, modulus 1400 MPa; closures, labware, medical device components

• Purell HP570R: high-flow, MFR 23 g/10 min, modulus 1400 MPa, low warpage; precision medical devices, thin-wall healthcare components, diagnostic devices

• Purell HP570U: ultra-high-flow, MFR 75 g/10 min, modulus 1350 MPa, autoclave and EtO; three-part syringes, closures, thin-wall medical

• Purell HP671T: gamma-stabilised homopolymer; syringe barrels, plungers, labware for gamma or autoclave sterilisation

Polypropylene random copolymer (PP RP), clarified grades for visual dose verification:

• Purell RP373R: clarified with slip agent, MFR 25 g/10 min, modulus 1000 MPa; disposable two-part syringes (smooth plunger action, visual fill-level)

• Purell RP374R: clarified, MFR 25 g/10 min, modulus 1000 MPa; disposable three-part syringes, transparent medical devices

• Purell RP375R: clarified, radiation-stabilised random PP; injection-moulded housings and syringes for EtO or gamma sterilisation

• Purell RP378T: nucleated, clarified, antistatic, MFR 48 g/10 min, modulus 1100 MPa; medical device components and labware where high flow and transparency both matter

Polypropylene impact copolymer (PP EP), tough, stiff healthcare components:

• Purell EA678P: nucleated heterophasic, tensile modulus 1750 MPa, Charpy 6.5 kJ/m² at 23 °C, MFR 18 g/10 min; auto-injectors, insulin pens, caps and closures where toughness and stiffness are both required

High-density polyethylene (HDPE), pharmaceutical closures:

• Purell ACP6541A: medical-grade HDPE for blow-moulded pharmaceutical containers, beverage and pharmaceutical closures, collapsible tube shoulders (EtO-compatible)

Choosing the right Purell grade

Frequently asked questions about Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE

What is Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE used for? Purell medical-grade PP and HDPE is used for medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, diagnostic equipment and drug delivery. Typical end uses include disposable syringes, auto-injectors, insulin pens, vials, pill strips, labware, pharmaceutical closures and collapsible tube shoulders.

Which Purell grade for disposable syringes?Purell RP373R is the reference grade for two-part disposable syringe barrels, combining clarified transparency with a slip agent for smooth plunger action. For three-part disposable syringes, RP374R and HP570U are the standard choices. Where gamma sterilisation is required, HP671T covers barrels and plungers.

Which Purell grades are gamma-sterilisable?Purell HP671T (homopolymer) and RP375R (random copolymer) incorporate radiation stabilisers to preserve mechanical properties after high-dose gamma or e-beam exposure. Standard PP degrades under gamma, so these two grades are the correct specification for radiation-sterilised components.

What regulatory documentation comes with Purell grades? Purell grades are supported by Drug Master File (DMF) listings, USP Class VI and European Pharmacopoeia compliance, dedicated manufacturing lines with full traceability, and long-term change-control notification (NOC). That documentation package is designed to streamline healthcare and pharmaceutical regulatory submissions.

What's the difference between Purell HP570M, HP570R and HP570U? All three are PP homopolymers with a tensile modulus around 1350 to 1400 MPa and autoclave and EtO compatibility. The difference is flow:

• HP570M: MFR 7.5 g/10 min, for closures and labware

• HP570R: MFR 23 g/10 min, for precision thin-wall parts

• HP570U: MFR 75 g/10 min, for ultra-thin-wall three-part syringes and closures

Sister polyolefin brands

For non-medical polypropylene across the full MFR and copolymer spectrum, see Moplen. For non-medical HDPE film, closures, pipe and industrial packaging, see Hostalen. For LDPE film, see Lupolen. For high-crystallinity PP with automotive-grade stiffness and heat resistance, see Adstif. For reactor-TPO impact copolymers for automotive bumpers and cladding, see Hifax. For metallocene polypropylene with narrow molecular weight distribution, see Metocene. For HDPE designed for UN-approved dangerous-goods drums, see Histif.