Get answers to some of our more commonly asked questions.
Contec, Inc. only sells through distribution. We have distributors in most countries of the world. Please use our Find a Sales Rep page to search for a Contec representative in your region. They will be able to help with pricing, samples and your local distributor details.
Contec Inc. only sells through distribution. We have distributors in most countries of the world. Please go to our Find a Sales Rep page which will put you in touch with the representative for your region and they will be able to help with pricing, samples, and your local distributor details.
Please take note of the lot number of the product and contact the distributor that you bought the product from. Please give them as much detail about the complaint as possible, including photos if relevant. Please don’t dispose of the product as we might need it returned to us to carry out a full investigation. We will carry out a formal investigation and reply to the distributor who in return will contact you.
Interlock knit is a variation of a rib knit in which any given stitch will reveal another knit stitch directly behind it on the back of the cloth. This provides a slightly heavier basis weight a more durable fabric.
What is a no-run interlock knit?
No-run interlock knit is similar to interlock knit, with an additional periodic extra stitch that does not allow the fabric to unravel, creating a very durable fabric.
Pyrogens are fever producing substances derived from the outer shell membranes of decaying bacteria.
Bacterial endotoxins, from the outer membranes of gram-negative bacteria, are the most common pyrogens. The presence of pyrogens is a critical safety concern since these substances cannot be easily removed. Products contaminated with pyrogens can pose a life-threatening risk to patients. Use of low endotoxin sterile wipes during manufacturing reduces the potential for pyrogen contamination often observed in today’s nonwoven wipes.
Bacterial endotoxins are a specific type of pyrogen. Pyrogens are fever producing substances. Bacterial endotoxins are created from the outer membranes of dead gram-negative bacteria. The presence of endotoxins in a manufacturing environment is a critical safety concern since these substances cannot be easily removed once present. Products contaminated with endotoxins can pose a life-threatening risk to patients. Use of low endotoxin sterile wipes during manufacturing reduces the potential for pyrogen contamination often observed in today’s nonwoven wipes.
Nonwoven wipes offer a variety of performance characteristics and excellent value. Contec offers a wide range of sterile and non-sterile nonwoven wipes, both dry and presaturated.
Most high-quality nonwovens on the market today are made using a hydroentangling process. This method entangles the fibers using high-pressure jets of filtered water and cleans the fabric during the manufacturing process. No binders or additives are used ensuring there are no residues likely to remain on a surface. Alternatively, the wipes could be hydraulically entangled, where a pressure drum squeezes a slurry of fibers together to form the fabric.
Creating wipes in this way allows synergistic blends of different fiber types to be created such as polyester / rayon or polyester / cellulose. Each type of fiber has a particular strength that makes it suitable for critical environment applications. Polyester provides durability, chemical compatibility and cleanliness. Cellulose and rayon provide sorbency and are economical.
Polypropylene provides exceptional cleanliness and a metered release of solution to a surface. Nonwoven polypropylene wipes are created using a thermal bonding process. The fibers are extruded into a material which is then textured, this process is referred to as “meltblown”.
Woven fabric is created by weaving together two or more sets of warp and fill yarn fibers. The fibers can be polyester, nylon, cotton, or others. These fibers are woven together utilizing combinations of three basic weaves: plain, twill, and satin. By using combinations of these three styles an infinite number of patterns can be created. A standard twill pattern is commonly seen in the cleanroom industry. Durability is the best feature of woven material.
Microfiber was introduced in the late 1980’s. The definition of a microfiber is a fiber with less than 1 decitex per filament, 1 decitex is 9/10 of a denier about 1/16th the diameter of a human hair. The fibers can be combined to create yarn which can be then be knitted or woven into a variety of constructions. Microfiber wipes can be made using 100% polyester fine filaments or split fibers that are a blend of polyester and nylon.
This split structure gives the wipe the ability to pick up particles even when dry and can easily remove residues often without solvent. The increased surface area of a microfiber allows it to collect and hold dust, dirt and particles more effectively than rounded fabrics such as cotton. Virgin wipes are very soft so won't scratch surfaces. Care should be taken when reusing microfiber wipes, however, as particles can get stuck in the fibers which can then damage sensitive surfaces.
Microfiber has a high sorptive capacity around 6 to 8 times its own weight in water. The fast wicking ability means a wipe can remove spills quickly and easily, so it is very suitable for mopping as well as dry applications.
Contec has a range of microfiber wipes to choose from, 100% polyester standard fiber/microfiber blend, laundered in a Class 4 cleanroom with very low levels of fibers and particles, an 80% polyester / 20% nylon split microfiber and a unique cost-effective microfiber solution which has microfiber polyester yarn stitched into a polypropylene substrate.
Using sterile products saves you time, so you can focus on manufacturing life-saving drugs or making the next big breakthrough in your research. Reduce risk to your process by letting Contec manage the sterility validations of your cleanroom consumables.
Polyester has a wide range of chemical compatibilities and can be laundered to minimize extractables and releasable particles and fibers. It can also be sterilized easily through gamma irradiation or autoclaving.
Electrostatic discharge is the transfer of an electrical charge between bodies at different electrical potentials. Surface resistivity is a measured physical property quantifying the material’s ability to allow the flow of electrons across the surface. Conductive materials have a low electrical resistance (< 1 x10 12 ohm/sq), while insulative materials have a high electrical resistance (>1 x 105 ohm/sq). Static dissipative materials have an electrical resistance somewhere between conductive and insulative materials. Static decay time is directly related to the material’s ability to conduct electrical charge. The lower a material’s resistivity, the shorter the static decay time.
The total volume of a solution a given product will hold from dry weight to wet weight.
Reticulated foam, also called “open cell foam”, simply means that the walls of the bubbles (or cells) that make up the foam are removed in a variety of processes after the foam is made. It provides a much lower risk of particle contamination and is better at picking up surface particles than non-reticulated foam.
Non-reticulated foam, also called “closed cell foam”, still has the walls of the foam cells intact. This provides a somewhat softer feel to the also increases the ability of the foam to hold liquids.
An easy way to tell the difference: non-reticulated foam will appear shiny and glittery as light is reflected off the walls of the cells.
Reticulated foam, also called “open cell foam”, simply means that the walls of the bubbles (or cells) that make up the foam are removed in a variety of processes after the foam is made. It provides a much lower risk of particle contamination and is better at picking up surface particles than non-reticulated foam.
Non-reticulated foam, also called “closed cell foam”, still has the walls of the foam cells intact. This provides a somewhat softer feel to the foam and also increases the ability of the foam to hold liquids.
Both are equally effective cleaners/solvents, so the choice is down to other factors. IPA dries more rapidly but has a stronger smell and a lower occupational exposure limit than denatured ethanol. However, denatured ethanol has a sweeter smell that some users may find unpleasant.
Ethanol is the type of alcohol which can be drunk. Alcohol for consumption is strictly controlled and subject to heavy duties and taxation. To prevent industrial alcohol from being drunk and being exempt from duties, it must be “denatured,” i.e., made so it is cannot be drunk, usually by the addition of something that makes it unpalatable.
The key feature that many facilities require of their alcohol in product contact areas is that is only contains a very low level of endtoxins. This can be created from alcohol and deionized if the raw materials and manufacturing process are very tightly controlled. The final blend is then tested for endotoxin contamination and certified.
However, many pharmaceutical facilities use water for injection routinely on site and feel more comfortable using an alcohol which not only has an endotoxin guarantee but has also been blended with water for injection. Contec can provide both these products.
If a pharmaceutical manufacturer has their in-house water for injection it can be tempting to blend 70% IPA internally. Initially this can appear to be a cheaper option.
Over the past few years the regulatory authorities have taken a closer interest in the in-house production of alcohol. They have become more demanding in the level of QC and validation that they expect, including the following:
The time, effort and staff costs involved in the monitoring and production of in-house alcohol are significant, yet often overlooked. When these indirect costs are taken into account, then the purchase of a fully validated, ready to use, sterile alcohol becomes more cost-effective. The buying-in of a fully validated product enables the cleanroom operation to concentrate on the core business, which can often increase capacity.
100% IPA flashes off very quickly, 70% is a more common blend and the solution will remain on a surface longer.
Using sterile products saves you time, so you can focus on manufacturing life-saving drugs or making the next big breakthrough in your research. Reduce risk to your process by letting Contec manage the sterility validations of your cleanroom consumables.
You can find our database of product certificates on the website. Please be sure to include the entire lot number such as asterisks in order to retrieve the certificate.
The only products that have a shelf life or expiration date are presaturated wipes, bottled solutions, and sterile products