Solvay PEEK Powders Coat Metal Tubes for Electrosurgery

Solvay KetaSpire PEEK powders combine reliable electrical insulation for patient safety with the high-temperature and abrasion resistance needed for repeated instrument cleanings or sterilization. Source | Solvay

Solvay’s (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) KetaSpire PEEK powders have been chosen by Surgical Coatings, LLC (Sedalia, Colo., U.S.) to coat metal tubes used in electrosurgery. KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) powders were selected for their chemical and fatigue resistance while maintaining excellent mechanical properties and dimensional stability at high temperatures.

Surgical Coatings uses KetaSpire KT-820FP and KetaSpire KT-880FP fine powder (FP) PEEK grades to provide enhanced compatibility with electrostatic coatings in select electrosurgical applications. KetaSpire KT-820FP is a low-flow grade that offers a superior surface finish, while KetaSpire KT-880FP is a high-flow grade that easily fills and coats more complex geometries. With KetaSpire PEEK powders, Surgical Coatings can reportedly achieve coating thicknesses as fine as a thousandth of an inch (0.00254 in. /0.064516 mm) and provide a uniform coating thickness to ensure consistent properties.

Increasingly, the coatings for electrosurgical applications need to withstand monopolar frequencies, high voltages and repeated cleaning and sterilization. During electrosurgery, electrical frequencies are used to make clean incisions, eliminating the need for surgical tools such as scalpels. To protect surgeons and patients from electrical currents, the metal tubes that are used can be powder coated with electrically insulating KetaSpire PEEK materials.

“As the drive to develop new electrosurgical devices continues to accelerate, we need, more than ever, to deliver targeted, leading-edge solutions that best support our customers’ needs,” says James Morris, president and chief executive officer of Surgical Coatings. “The KetaSpire PEEK powders we selected for this application are a case in point: these advanced materials allow us to deliver new electrosurgical technologies that can meet tough requirements and give our customers precisely what they need to succeed.”

Solvay says that compared to other commercial PEEK powders, the materials have lower moisture content for faster cycle times and greater throughput, and can reduce energy consumption during drying. The product is said to include additional advantages of reduced outgassing, tighter tolerances and fewer surface defects.