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Co-extrusion films in medical applications.

Medical polymer materials 2025-03-25 15:13:54

Multilayer co-extruded films refer to films made from three or more types of plastic pellets or powders. These materials are melted and plasticized by multiple extruders and simultaneously extruded through a shared die head to produce the film. Multilayer co-extruded films belong to a category of functional composite plastic films, capable of fully leveraging the advantageous properties of different plastic materials. They feature good barrier properties, excellent heat sealing, strong adhesion, anti-fog properties, high strength, and excellent puncture resistance. They are primarily used in the fields of pharmaceuticals and food packaging. Among them, multilayer co-extruded films used in medical applications are called medical multilayer co-extruded films, which mainly include two categories: multilayer co-extruded infusion films and multilayer co-extruded biofilms.

According to the number of layers, multilayer co-extruded films can be divided into two-layer, three-layer, five-layer, seven-layer, nine-layer, eleven-layer, and twelve-layer co-extruded films. Currently, the multilayer co-extruded infusion films applied in the field of large-volume infusion mainly consist of three-layer co-extruded film products; while the multilayer co-extruded biological films used in peritoneal dialysis membranes, dual-chamber bags, disposable bioreactors, and other fields are mostly five-layer and seven-layer co-extruded film products.

In 2025, China's co-extrusion film market is expected to exceed 30 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of over 15%. The demand in the food packaging, medical, and new energy sectors is particularly strong. The industry competition presents a pattern of "large enterprises dominating + differentiated competition among small and medium-sized enterprises," with leading companies holding over 60% of the domestic market share due to technological barriers, large-scale production, and global layout.

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The application of co-extruded films in the medical field mainly focuses on the following directions:

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-based hydrophilic syringe is the predominant form due to its good chemical stability and biocompatibility.

Medical packaging: such as infusion films (multi-layer co-extruded films), biological films (for bioreactors), and pharmaceutical packaging (high barrier films/bags), etc. These materials need to have high barrier properties (to block oxygen and moisture), puncture resistance, heat sealability, and compatibility with pharmaceuticals.

Medical devices: For example, pre-filled syringes (polymer materials replacing glass), dialysis membranes, etc. Pre-filled syringes have become important carriers for vaccines and biopharmaceuticals due to their precise dosing and high safety.

Medical materials: such as antiseptic drapes, sterilization shields, etc. to pack surgical instruments or disposable medical goods.

Industrial chain

Upstream raw material supply

The main raw materials for medical co-extruded films include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and biodegradable materials. Among them, PE and PP dominate the market share due to their low cost and good processing performance. In recent years, with the increasing environmental requirements, the application of biodegradable materials (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polycaprolactone (PCL)) in the medical field has gradually increased.

Midstream manufacturing

Major manufacturers include global market participants such as Baxter, Renolit, Sealed Air, Otsuka Techbond, among international companies, and Huiren Pharmaceutical, Weihai Group, and Shijiazhuang Four Pharmaceutical Group, among domestic companies.

Technical Trend: Multi-layer co-extrusion technology (such as three-layer co-extruded infusion film) holds an important position in medical packaging, such as infusion bags and medical equipment packaging, due to its excellent barrier properties, transparency, and safety.

Energy distribution: China's main mechanical manufacturing concentrates mainly in the provinces of Eastern China, South China, and Northeast China, which have developed industrial chains and abundant raw material resources.

Future Development Trends

Green chemistry: the development and application of bio-based materials (such as PHA and PCL) will accelerate.

Smartization: Intelligent materials like shape-memory polymers (SMPs) could revolutionize the design of medical consumables.

Globalization: Chinese enterprises are boosting their international competitiveness through technological upgrades (such as precision plastic injection, sterilization technology).

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Co-extrusion films in medical applications.

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