PC-Medical IM
Grade
IM = impact-modified / low-temperature-toughened medical PC
Choose for drop-critical housings and cold-chain devices needing ductile failure below 0 °C (usually translucent/opaque).
Values for the IM condition
Other PC-Medical grades and fills
PC-Medical is listed in 9 conditions; see the grade overview at PC-Medical.
Compare all 9 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IMThis page Impact-modified / low-temperature-toughened medical PC | Choose for drop-critical housings and cold-chain devices needing ductile failure below 0 °C (usually translucent/opaque). | 55 | 60 | 130 | 79 Shore D |
Radiation (gamma/E-beam) stabilized medical PC | Pick when parts are sterilized by 25–50 kGy gamma or E-beam and colour shift/embrittlement must be minimized. | 60 | 66 | 110 | 82 Shore D |
High-flow medical grade for thin-wall / multi-cavity molding | Use for thin-wall disposables, long flow paths and high-cavitation tools where fill pressure limits the part. | 60 | 64 | 100 | 81 Shore D |
Lipid- and disinfectant-resistant medical PC | Select where parts see lipid emulsions, IPA/quaternary disinfectants or oncology drugs under stress and ESC is the failure mode. | 60 | 65 | 110 | 82 Shore D |
Static-dissipative medical PC | Use for diagnostic cartridges, sensor housings and electronics-adjacent parts requiring controlled surface resistivity. | 60 | 62 | 15 | 83 Shore D |
Flame-retardant (UL 94 V-0) medical PC | Use for powered diagnostic/imaging enclosures that must meet IEC 60601 fire enclosure and UL 94 V-0 at low wall thickness. | 61 | 65 | 100 | 82 Shore D |
10% glass-fiber reinforced medical PC | Modest stiffness and dimensional-stability boost with retained toughness for instrument frames and handles. | — | 85 | 6 | — |
20% glass-fiber reinforced medical PC | Balanced stiffness/creep resistance for load-bearing device structures and reusable instrument bodies. | — | 105 | 4 | — |
30% glass-fiber reinforced medical PC | Maximum stiffness/dimensional stability variant for metal-replacement brackets and autoclave-cycled structural parts. | — | 125 | 3 | — |
What is PC-Medical IM?
PC-Medical IM is PC-Medical in the IM grade — choose for drop-critical housings and cold-chain devices needing ductile failure below 0 °C (usually translucent/opaque). PC-Medical IM has a yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 60 MPa (8.7 ksi) — stronger than 62% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 130% and the elastic modulus is 2.1 GPa (0.305 Msi). PC-Medical IM has a density of 1.2 g/cm³ (0.0434 lb/in³), heavier than 57% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 147°C (297 °F).
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 90/100, better than 96% of polymer grades
Limitations
- Needs corrosion protection — 55/100, worse than 94% of polymer grades
PC-Medical IM properties
Typical room-temperature values for PC-Medical IM; 28 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are PC-Medical reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical6
PC-Medical IM has a density of 1.2 g/cm³ (0.0434 lb/in³), heavier than 57% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 147°C (297 °F).
Mechanical17
PC-Medical IM has a yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 60 MPa (8.7 ksi) — stronger than 62% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 130% and the elastic modulus is 2.1 GPa (0.305 Msi).
Thermal11
PC-Medical IM is rated for continuous service to 108°C (226 °F). It conducts heat at 0.2 W/m·K (0.116 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 56% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 68 µm/m·K (37.8 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
PC-Medical IM is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 25 kV/mm (635 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹⁴ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is good (55/100), worse than 94% of polymer grades. UV resistance is poor.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of PC-Medical IM takes about 105 MJ of energy and emits 6 kg of CO₂ — more than 54% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability8
PC-Medical IM's machinability is good (58/100, worse than 55% of polymer grades); weldability fair (40/100); formability fair (52/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with PC-Medical IM
Is PC-Medical easy to machine?
Machines cleanly with sharp, high-rake carbide tools, high speed and low feed with air or water-mist cooling; anneal at 120–125 °C before and after machining to avoid stress crazing, and never use petroleum-based cutting oils.
Can PC-Medical be welded?
Joins well by ultrasonic, laser transmission, hot-plate, spin and RF-free solvent bonding (methylene-chloride-free medical adhesives or UV-cure acrylics preferred for biocompatible assemblies).
Can PC-Medical be formed, bent or molded?
Dry 4 h at 120 °C to <0.02 % moisture, mold at 280–320 °C melt / 80–120 °C tool with generous gates; sheet thermoforms at 175–195 °C — over-drying-free processing prevents hydrolytic molecular-weight loss and splay.
What surface finishes work on PC-Medical?
Excellent polishability and clarity; use hard-coat (siloxane) for scratch and chemical/disinfectant resistance, avoid alkaline cleaners and solvent-based paints, and vapor-polish only with validated non-toxic media for medical parts.
PC-Medical chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| mold release / processing aidtypically pentaerythritol tetrastearate, food/medical compliant | 0.1 – 0.5 | 0.3 |
| thermal & hydrolytic stabilizerphosphite/hindered phenol | 0.05 – 0.3 | 0.1 |
| radiation stabilizer / colour correctoronly in gamma-stabilized variants | 0 – 1 | 0 |
| glass fiberGF variants only | 0 – 30 | 0 |
| bisphenol A polycarbonatelinear BPA-PC homopolymer, medical lot-traceable resin | ≥ 98 (balance) | — |
PC-Medical IM — frequently asked
What is PC-Medical IM used for?
PC-Medical IM is typically used for IV connectors, surgical instrument housings, diagnostic device enclosures and drug delivery components. In short: sterilization-ready clear PC; certified biocompatible grades; tough transparent housing resin.
What is the yield strength of PC-Medical IM?
PC-Medical IM has a typical yield strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) and a tensile strength of 60 MPa (8.7 ksi) — stronger than 62% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 9 listed tempers.
Is PC-Medical IM easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (58/100, worse than 55% of polymer grades). Machines cleanly with sharp, high-rake carbide tools, high speed and low feed with air or water-mist cooling; anneal at 120–125 °C before and after machining to avoid stress crazing, and never use petroleum-based cutting oils.
Can PC-Medical IM be welded?
With care — weldability is rated fair (40/100). Joins well by ultrasonic, laser transmission, hot-plate, spin and RF-free solvent bonding (methylene-chloride-free medical adhesives or UV-cure acrylics preferred for biocompatible assemblies).
What surface finishes work on PC-Medical IM?
Excellent polishability and clarity; use hard-coat (siloxane) for scratch and chemical/disinfectant resistance, avoid alkaline cleaners and solvent-based paints, and vapor-polish only with validated non-toxic media for medical parts.
Can PC-Medical IM be formed, bent or molded?
Dry 4 h at 120 °C to <0.02 % moisture, mold at 280–320 °C melt / 80–120 °C tool with generous gates; sheet thermoforms at 175–195 °C — over-drying-free processing prevents hydrolytic molecular-weight loss and splay.
What is the maximum service temperature of PC-Medical IM?
PC-Medical IM is rated for continuous use to about 108°C (226 °F), and briefly to 145°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Sources
- Makrolon Rx medical-grade polycarbonate datasheets — Covestro (2023)
- LEXAN HP / HPX healthcare resin product data — SABIC (2023)
- CAMPUS plastics database — PC (ISO 10350 datasets) — CAMPUS / CWFG (2024)
- ASTM F2839 Standard Practice for Assessing Biocompatibility of Materials Used in Medical Devices — ASTM (2021)
- ISO 10993-1 Biological evaluation of medical devices — ISO (2018)
- Engineered Materials Handbook Vol. 2: Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.