Honeywell Debuts Aclar Edge Barrier Bottles for Pharmaceuticals

Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies has just introduced Aclar Edge multilayer barrier bottles and vials as a safer and lightweight alternative to glass for pharmaceutical packaging that outshines other plastic containers with moisture barrier comparable to glass and enhanced oxygen barrier. For over 40 years, Honeywell PMT has supplied Aclar high-clarity barrier films based on its proprietary PCTFE resin for pharma packaging. Over the past two years, the company and its manufacturing partners developed an extrusion blow moldable version of the resin and proprietary processing technology. Starting in June, the company launched the first of a planned line of four bottles with standard threaded neck finishes in 100- to 500-ml sizes and three sizes of vials with crimped finish from 100 to 500 ml, all produced for Honeywell by outside partners. The bottles consist of an inner layer of PCTFE, a center adhesive layer, and an outside structural layer of polycarbonate or PET (the two resins tested so far).
 

These bottles and vials are aimed primarily at oral liquids for human health and sterile injectables for animal health applications. Other potential uses include labware, pediatric formulations and personal care.

Kori Anderson, general manager of Honeywell’s healthcare packaging business, told Plastics Technology that vaccines are a potential application currently being explored. This could be a significant opportunity, given the huge global demand for anticipated COVID-19 vaccines and the potential for a shortage of the special borosilicate glass used in vaccine bottles. However, Anderson noted that current Aclar Edge shuttle extrusion blow molding technology is suited to bottles from 30 ml to 1 L, while vaccines would require smaller sizes, such as 2 to 10 ml. Consequently, Honeywell is trialing other processes, such as injection-blow molding.

Weighing 75% less than glass, Aclar Edge bottles save on shipping cost, minimize product loss from breakage, and eliminate potential contamination from glass particulates or silicone lubricants used with glass, Honeywell states. In addition, Aclar Edge bottles boast crystal clarity, high purity (containing no additives), high chemical resistance, and ability to be gamma sterilized. Tests of a 118-ml bottle with PET in the outer layer and only a 3-4 mils of PCTFE in the barrier layer reportedly showed moisture barrier comparable to glass, as indicated by weight loss during 140 days in a circulating-air oven at 40 C/104 F and 17% RH. According to Honeywell, Aclar Edge bottles have been tested and meet U.S. Medical Grade Class VI, ISO Biocompatibility 10993, EU food contact, and other relevant standards. The bottles can be pigmented for branding purposes or to provide a light barrier. Honeywell can also design and supply customized bottles with, for example, special neck finishes or dispensing features. As part of the design and development process, the company can also perform qualification and characterization testing for physical properties, barrier analysis and compatibility.