Sterilization compatibility, product by product.

• Ethylene oxide

  EtO is a gas. It has to get into the package and back out again, so every EtO package needs a porous side, such as Tyvek® or medical paper. Foil is not gas-permeable, so a sealed foil pouch can't be EtO sterilized; the foil package needs a built-in porous vent. Ask us for a vented foil header bag, sealed off below the Tyvek® vent after sterilization. Film alone needs a porous component for the same reason.

• Gamma radiation

  Gamma radiation passes through the sealed package, so the package does not need to breathe. Materials still have to tolerate the dose, and some plastics weaken, discolor or develop odor at high or repeated doses. Tyvek®, HDPE card, film and foil products are compatible, and Tyvek®, HDPE and PE film are rated to 50 kGy total, including resterilization. For papers it depends on the grade. Tell us your maximum dose, including any resterilization.

• Electron beam

  E-beam is radiation too, delivered faster and with less penetration than gamma. Our Tyvek®, card, film, foil and header bag products are compatible. For papers, ask us about your process.

• Steam (autoclave)

  Steam sterilization uses moist heat, typically 121 to 134 °C, and every layer of the package, including the sealant, must survive it. Polyethylene softens at or near these temperatures, so products built on PE (HDPE cards, LDPE header bags, film parts, and pouches with a PE sealant) are not recommended for steam. Tyvek® products are limited to lower-temperature steam cycles under controlled conditions, up to 127 °C, so ask us first. Medical paper with a steam-rated film is the usual steam choice, and steam paper grades are available. Cold-seal paper is not recommended for steam. For anything else, ask us before you plan a steam cycle.

• Other methods: vaporized hydrogen peroxide, nitrogen dioxide and dry heat.

  These methods aren't on this chart. Low-temperature processes such as vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) and nitrogen dioxide are growing as alternatives to EtO. Cellulose absorbs hydrogen peroxide, so paper-based products are generally not suited to hydrogen peroxide processes. We have not assessed our Tyvek®, film and HDPE products for these methods. Tell us your method and cycle and we'll tell you what we know, then plan to test in your own cycle.

Compatibility depends on grade, coating, and your process. Validate in your own sterilization cycle.