Sabic Innovative Plastics

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Dec. 15, 2011 — Because protective gear is only effective when workers use it, 3M™ has designed a new exceptionally comfortable, ergonomic line of hardhats and helmets made with SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business’ lightweight Xenoy* and Lexan* OQ optical quality resins. The new 3M Versaflo™ M-series respiratory headgear product line uses custom-colored Xenoy polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) resin for headgear shells and visor frames, enabling thin-wall designs which helps reduce the headgear weight by approximately 15-20 percent compared to the company’s previous L-series products. Water-clear Lexan OQ PC resin, used for the visors, provides excellent optical qualities and high impact resistance. SABIC’s longstanding relationship with 3M demonstrates the company’s focus on working side-by-side with customers to help them achieve competitive differentiation and business success. View more and related images

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Dec. 7, 2011 — SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced a new, high-performance Lexan* EXL copolymer resin that addresses the fast-moving trend toward miniaturization of photovoltaic (PV) connectors and junction boxes. The enhanced electrical and flame-retardant performance of the new Lexan EXL resin grade enables designers to miniaturize the entire system by creating thin-wall parts, moving conductors closer together and integrating junction box systems – helping to drive down solar energy costs and increase efficiency. New Lexan EXL resin helps customers strengthen their competitive footing by contributing significantly to the benefits of PV systems and further accelerating the move to solar energy. View more and related images

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Nov. 23, 2011 – SABIC in the Americas region announced today that its Innovative Plastics Executive Vice President Charlie Crew will retire January 1, 2012. He will be succeeded by Keith J. Smith, formerly of DuPont. Mr. Smith will join SABIC effective December 1, 2011 to plan for the transition. View more and related images

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Nov. 22, 2011 — SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced its new patent-pending Lexapanel* polycarbonate (PC) sheet standing seam technology to give architects and builders exceptional flexibility to create sustainable and beautiful translucent roofing and other glazing elements. Lexapanel sheet was developed in collaboration with AmeriLux International, LLC, an authorized North American distributor of SABIC’s Lexan* Thermoclear* and Thermoclick* sheet products. Compared with other standing seam solutions, the new offering provides customers in North America and Europe with far more glazing options, including choice of width, thickness, coating, color, structure and type of connection. Further, Lexapanel sheet delivers the strength, weatherability, clarity and thermal insulation of SABIC’s renowned Lexan PC multiwall sheet. This joint, high-performance solution demonstrates SABIC’s commitment in developing sustainable solutions that promote energy conservation while providing customer focused day-lighting solutions to improve working and living environments. View more and related images

PARIS – Nov. 15, 2011 – Here at the CARTES & IDentification show, Booth 4N062, SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today introduced two new breakthrough Lexan* polycarbonate (PC) film technologies for identification (ID) cards that help simplify integration of additional security features needed to combat identity theft and counterfeiting. New Lexan SDCX co-extruded film and Lexan SC92E flexible hard-coated film provide solutions to the challenges of constructing ID cards and security documents with more and thinner layers and complex manufacturing. Several years after SABIC’s successful introduction of the Lexan Secure ID film portfolio, this expansion of its security product offerings with Lexan SDCX and SC92E high-performance films clearly demonstrates the company’s commitment to identity protection technologies that benefit smartcard manufacturers and consumers alike. View more and related images

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Nov. 10, 2011 – SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced that two automotive applications molded from its broad portfolio of thermoplastic materials received top honors at the 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®) Automotive Innovation Awards competition – including the coveted Hall of Fame award and the overall Grand Award. In addition, five other applications were recognized as finalists in other categories. These innovative components – ranging from the world’s first all-plastic door module and a lower leg protection system made with sustainable material to a lighter-weight instrument panel – demonstrate the exceptional scope and diversity of SABIC’s thermoplastic portfolio. They also underscore the many major contributions of SABIC resin technologies in addressing key industry trends and helping customers achieve top automotive industry goals of weight and cost reduction, design freedom and improved safety. View more and related images

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – Nov. 1, 2011 – SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today celebrated a major milestone with the official opening of its specialty polypropylene (PP) compounding operation at its Bay St. Louis, Mississippi manufacturing site. The new compounding operation will supply SABIC® PP compounds and SABIC STAMAX* long glass fiber-filled PP (LGFPP) composites for a wide range of automotive applications. SABIC’s new PP operation answers fast-accelerating demand from automotive OEMs and tiers for local supply of globally-consistent PP materials in North America, supporting production of both regional and global vehicle platforms. This is the second time in 17 months that SABIC has opened a PP compounding facility, having celebrated the start-up of its Genk, Belgium plant in June 2010. SABIC’s PP investments underscore the company’s commitment to provide high-performance materials that can help automotive OEMs pursue weight reduction opportunities and achieve energy-efficient improvements in vehicles. View more and related images

CHONGQING, China — Oct. 27, 2011 — SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business, Chongqing Xiyong Micro-electronics Industrial Park, and the Chongqing Economic and Informatization Commission today announced a memorandum of understanding where SABIC would establish an engineering thermoplastics compounding plant in Chongqing, China. The move supports the Chinese government’s 12th Five-Year Plan to expand into the country’s western region and reinforces SABIC’s commitment to build on its long heritage of serving this important marketplace with innovative and consistently high-quality materials solutions. Chongqing has already established itself as an important industrial hub for global computer, consumer electronics and automotive manufacturers – critical industry segments that SABIC has long served with local materials technology and manufacturing, application development expertise, and design assistance. View more and related images

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Oct. 20, 2011 — SABIC was recently honored by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) with a 2011 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award in Washington, D.C. The company’s Ultem* resin manufacturing facility in Mt. Vernon, Ind. was recognized for its innovative manufacturing pollution prevention process that significantly reduces the greenhouse gases and use of water during its resin production. This prestigious award demonstrates SABIC’s ongoing investment in sustainable practices to benefit the environment, communities where it operates, as well as its customers. View more and related images

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 5, 2011 – Here at Plastimagen Mexico 2011, Booth 2216, SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business unit today announced an industry first: new one-piece, reusable concrete forms made from the company’s high-performance LNP* Verton* long glass fiber-reinforced composite. The new corrosion-resistant composite forms were developed by SABIC and Meccano de Mexico, a top Mexican construction supply company, to replace heavy traditional multi-piece steel forms, reducing weight by up to 40 percent, cutting cycle times from three hours to only a few minutes and helping to reduce overall construction costs for more-affordable housing. Today’s announcement is a building & construction industry milestone for both Meccano and SABIC that showcases SABIC’s commitment to working side-by-side with customers to help them achieve business success. View more and related images