What materials can be used to make blood bags?

Overview of Blood Bag Manufacturing Materials

As medical devices that come into direct contact with blood, blood bags must meet strict safety and functional requirements in material selection. Below are the commonly used blood bag manufacturing materials in the medical field and their characteristics:

Primary Blood Bag Materials

Medical-Grade Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

• The most traditional blood bag material, plasticized with Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).
• Advantages: Low cost, high flexibility, excellent transparency.
• Disadvantages: Risk of plasticizer migration; restricted in some countries.

Polypropylene (PP)

• A non-PVC alternative material, free of plasticizers.
• Advantages: Better chemical stability, no risk of plasticizer migration.
• Disadvantages: Lower flexibility compared to PVC, higher processing difficulty.

Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE)

• A new environmentally friendly material that can replace PVC.
• Advantages: Excellent biocompatibility, recyclable.
• Disadvantages: Higher cost, complex production process.

Polyolefin Materials

• Includes polyethylene (PE), among others.
• Advantages: Good low-temperature resistance.
• Disadvantages: Lower transparency, limited application.

Special Functional Materials

Multilayer Composite Materials

• Combines the advantages of different materials, such as PA/PE multilayer structures.
• Advantages: Balances barrier properties and flexibility.

Ozone-Resistant Materials

• Used specifically for blood bags in major ozone autohemotherapy.
• Characteristics: Strong antioxidant performance, complex structure.

Low-Temperature Tolerant Materials

• Capable of withstanding storage at -40°C to -80°C.
• Applications: Frozen plasma, platelet preservation.