A recently released white paper by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Northborough, MA, contains important data from a systematic investigation on the effect of standard sterilization procedures on commercial silicone rubber materials commonly used in medical tools and devices. Repeated sterilization using high-level energy or chemical vapor or both in order to eliminate bacterial surface contamination may affect the molecular structure of the silicone rubber, causing changes in the physical properties and performance of the material. While several studies on this topic exist, the white paper, “Effect of Sterilization on the Mechanical Properties of Silicon Rubbers,” is the first to report on a systematic investigation. Researchers applied to three commercially available silicone rubbers, three common sterilization techniques: gamma ionizing irradiation, electron-beam irradiation, and ethylene oxide (EtO) treatment. The effect of these sterilization methods on the mechanical properties on the three materials – platinum cured liquid silicone rubber (LSR), platinum cured high consistency rubber (platinum cured HCR), and peroxide cured high consistency rubber (peroxide cured HCR) – was investigated. The results provide a complete picture of the effect of sterilization on the physical properties of silicone rubbers typically used in the healthcare industry. This information is important for ensuring that, irrespective of repeated sterilization cycles, the functionality provided by the silicone part will be maintained throughout the life of the product.

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