Q: I have a question regarding a type of fastener that can handle sterilization. What I need is a polymer if possible that can handle both steam and radiation sterilization processes, but doesn’t leach into my process. Contamination is an issue.
A: You can definitely use a polymer for this type of process. Here you have a few choices depending on the specifics. PEEK offers excellent resistance to steam and hot water, usable to 500F. It is also resistant to high doses of ionizing radiation. PTFE fasteners are another polymer worth considering as it has excellent inertness as its a fluorpolymer but (better than PEEK), but is not nearly as strong as PEEK fasteners.