TPE for Baby Items

The safety of our TPE plastics for baby items is one of our most important quality features. After all, it can be assumed that some products for babies or infants will find their way into children's mouths during use. In its 88/378/EEC Directive, the EU has therefore specified that heavy metals in toys may only be dissolved in volumes which are harmless to children's health. DIN EN 71-3 “Safety of toys – Part 3: Migration of certain elements” specifies limit values for the various elements for extraction from toy material in an attempt to implement the Directive.​

When selecting TPE materials for rattles, teething rings, bath toys or grip toys, attention should be given to dispensing with heavy metals, plasticizers, PAH and nitrosamines, for example.

SOFT EST.^® compounds by ACTEGA do not contain any PAH components. Furthermore, attempts have also been made to dispense with other critical chemicals for the protection of mothers and their babies. These TPE compounds, for example, do not contain PVC, other problematic plasticizers, BPA, silicone or latex. They are also free of heavy metals and feature adhesive properties toward other plastics, depending on the respective requirements and application.​

The latter in particular is of importance as babies are very susceptible to all germs and viruses with a potential to make them ill. Accordingly, anything which comes into contact with skin, or the mucus membranes must be kept as clean and germ-free as possible. Boiling pacifiers, baby bottle teats etc. or pouring hot water over them can help – without damaging the products made of ACTEGA TPE as they can be sterilized.

Another possibility for attributing baby items a protective additional advantage is represented by the antimicrobial additives to our SOFT EST.^® TPE compounds. These antimicrobial properties are integrated during the compounding process, with the result that the germ-resistant effect is not restricted to the surface but also applies for the entire product or area manufactured from this thermoplastic elastomer. This also means that these properties are not affected by external impacts such as scratches, excessive use or wear over a certain period of time.​

Tests based on the JIS Z 2801 and ISO 22196:2007 indicate that this antimicrobial protection is 99.9% effective, keeping the handles of the baby bath, the anti-slip nubs on the child toilet seat or even a mother's breast pump germ-free and safe at all times.