In the field of disposable PVC medical consumables, plasticizers and stabilizers must satisfy extremely stringent safety, performance, and regulatory requirements. Among the new generation of environmentally friendly plasticizers, Neon Lion’s epoxidized linseed oil has gained increasing attention due to its ultrahigh epoxy value and ultralow acid value. These two key parameters directly influence the safety profile, mechanical properties, processing stability, and longterm reliability of PVC medical products such as infusion sets, catheters, oxygen masks, and blood bags.
From a chemical viewpoint, the epoxy value reflects the content of epoxy functional groups in the molecule. A higher epoxy value means more active epoxy sites are available to react with hydrogen chloride (HCl) released during PVC processing and aging. Neon Lion’s epoxidized linseed oil offers an exceptionally high epoxy value, significantly higher than many conventional epoxidized vegetable oils. As a result, it functions not only as a highly effective secondary plasticizer but also as a powerful HCl scavenger and costabilizer. During hightemperature extrusion, injection molding, or blow molding of medicalgrade PVC, the epoxy groups of Neon Lion’s product react rapidly with HCl, thereby slowing down PVC dehydrochlorination, improving color stability, and effectively preventing yellowing or degradation.
The acid value is another pivotal parameter for plasticizers used in medical applications. Excessive free acids can catalyze PVC degradation, corrode metal processing equipment, and, more importantly, increase the risk of irritation or toxicity in sensitive medical uses. Neon Lion stricts its production process and purification steps to achieve a very low acid value, significantly below typical industry standards for epoxidized vegetable oils. This ultralow acid value minimizes the presence of free fatty acids and other acidic impurities, which in turn lowers extractables and leachables that are closely monitored in medical device regulations.
In realworld medical PVC applications, the combination of high epoxy value and low acid value brings multiple practical benefits. First, disposable PVC medical parts plasticized with Neon Lion’s epoxidized linseed oil exhibit stable mechanical properties: good flexibility, appropriate tensile strength, and excellent resistance to cold cracking. Second, the improved thermal stability means that tubing and film products maintain transparent appearance and dimensional stability across multiple sterilization processes, such as ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization or gamma irradiation.
Furthermore, Neon Lion’s epoxidized linseed oil can partially or fully replace traditional phthalate plasticizers, helping manufacturers meet increasingly strict regulations on DEHP and other phthalates. The ultrahigh epoxy value ensures that even at reduced dosage, the product still provides robust stabilization, while the ultralow acid value helps pass biocompatibility tests such as cytotoxicity, skin irritation, and sensitization.
In summary, Neon Lion’s epoxidized linseed oil is particularly wellsuited for disposable PVC medical consumables due to its outstanding epoxy value–acid value profile. It helps manufacturers upgrade formulations, enhance product safety and stability, and maintain compliance with evolving international medical device standards.