Plastics traceability

The growth of electroless plating is directiy traceable to (/) the discovery that some alloys produced by electroless deposition, notably nickel phosphoms, have unique properties (2) the growth of the electronics industry, especially the development of printed circuits (see Electronic coatings Integrated circuits) and (i) the large-scale introduction of plastics into everyday life. 

ISO 12176-4 2003 Plastics pipes and fittings - Equipment for fusion jointing polyethylene systems - Part 4 Traceability coding... 

Case study traceability of plastic materials for food contact... 

It can therefore be concluded that packs and devices supplied by the pharmaceutical industry which utilise plastics (and any other material) normally have to pass through a thorough and rigorous test procedure, but such procedures must still be improved upon with progress. If possible loopholes in the present systems are to be identified, more attention will be required on the internal storage containers which are usually found in factory production areas and the bulk containers used to supply the industry with drugs and other excipients, as these receive far less attention than the pack destined for the patients. Validation and traceability are current key words, but undoubtedly others will arise. 

Figure 23. Bal1-and-cage heart valves constructed with silicone elastomer balls. Compared to metal or rigid plastic balls, silicone elastomer balls create no noise as the heart beats. Problems from swelling and fragmentation of the balls which occurred in a few patients in the mid-1960 s were traceable to the processing techniques used in fabricating balls, and when once corrected the problems have not recurred. Silicone balls continue to be used in heart valves.

Homogeneous propellants are either simple base or double base. A simple base propellant consists of a single compound, usually nitrocellulose, which has both an oxidation capacity and a reduction capacity. Double base propellants usually consist of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, to which a plasticizer is added. Homogeneous propellants do not usually have specific impulses greater than about 210 seconds under normal conditions. Their main asset is that they do not produce traceable fumes and are, therefore, commonly used in tactical weapons. 

A sheet of polystyrene was compared to SRM 1921 (the NIST mid-IR standard) and shown that a thicker sample of polystyrene plastic that has been validated with the SRM 1921 standard would make an excellent reference material for verifying wavelength accuracy in a medium resolution FT-NIR spectrophotometer [6]. Traceable standards such as the SRM 2035 and SRM 1920x are also used and designed to fit in the sample position. 

Currently the EU Directive EEC2002/72 [2] establishes positive lists of monomers and additives, which can be used in the manufacture of food contact plastics. But the Commission is now proposing regulations relating to labelling, traceability and certification. 

Film adhesives are applied by removing a paper or plastic separator/ protective film and laying the adhesive on the facing surface smoothly, taking care not to allow wrinkles to develop, or air to become entrapped between the adhesive and the substrate surface. A common workmanship error is failure to remove the separator film before assembly of the detail parts. Some bonders utilize special check-off points to insure its removal. The batch number, lot number, time and date of application, and adhesive type should be logged into the inspection record for traceability should a failure occur. The shop-life expiration date and time should also be logged to aid in controlling assembly and cure of the adhesive [5]. 

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