| |
XYLEX POLYCARBONATE/POLYESTER RESIN FINDING INCREASED USE IN POOL AND SPA FILTERS, LIGHTING
07 May 2004 - GE Advanced Materials
| Strong chemical resistance, outstanding clarity make Xylex polycarbonate/polyester resin an ideal candidate for pool and spa accessory applications. |
GE Advanced Materials is seeing increased validation and use of its Xylex X8210 and X8300 polycarbonate/polyester alloys for a variety of pool and spa applications. These resin grades are proving to be a great option for pool and spa accessories due to the materials’ transparency, good impact strength, weathering performance, and resistance to chemicals like Baquacil and BaquaSpa water conditioners, bromine, and chlorine. Both the Xylex X8210 and X8300 resins are commercially available worldwide. “Makers of pool filtration systems, pool and spa lighting, and other products are using Xylex resin because of its ability to remain clear and strong where many competitive resins become brittle or craze,” said Peter Heinze, product manager of GE Advanced Materials’ Global Crystalline Business. “Field experience, even in tropical and sub-tropical settings, illustrates Xylex resin’s strength in both visual and functional performance when compared with conventional polycarbonates and other materials traditionally used in pools and spas. Very simply, Xylex resin is an excellent candidate for key applications in this industry.” Xylex resin helps support the overall industry trend from opaque to transparent and clear-coloured pool and spa accessories for greater product differentiation. In applications where coloured options are preferred, Xylex resin is well-suited for combining with GE Advanced Materials’ Visualfx special colour and effect resins, which are formulated with the colour/effect in the pellet. This allows manufacturers to create colourful and exceptionally rich-looking parts out of the mould without the need for secondary painting or coating operations. The Xylex resin family of alloys combines an aliphatic polyester with polycarbonate, to offer an outstanding balance of chemical resistance, clarity, and mechanical properties. The alloy’s strong resistance to a variety of chemicals used in aqueous environments helps reduce cracking and crazing. High melt flow permits advanced processing in thinner walls and in-mould decorating for potentially lower part cost and reduced cycle times. Good UV performance, along with good heat- and cold-temperature resistance, provide weatherability that is as good or better than many competing resins. Both Xylex X8210 and X8300 resin grades combine clarity and ductility with chemical resistance, high in-mould flow, hot and cold ambient temperature impact strength, gloss retention, and UV resistance. Xylex X8210 resin is a material of choice for a variety of applications demanding impact strength, ductility, and aesthetics differentiation using Visualfx special colour and effect resins. The Xylex X8300 resin grade is better-suited for applications that require the highest level of chemical resistance. Current and potential pool and spa accessory applications for Xylex resin include cleaner housings, light lenses, spa remote controls, pump covers, designer caps, filter parts, and control panels. Beyond the pool and spa industry, this GE product can be used in applications such as consumer housewares, medical products, outdoor recreational equipment, ski bindings, and protective gear.
http://www.ge.com
About: GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicone-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:• Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offers silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (http://www.gesilicones.com/gesilicones/am1/en/home.jsp); • Plastics is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, which serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (http://www.geplastics.com/); • Quartz produces high purity materials for the semiconductor, fiber optic, lamp making and water purification industries. GE Quartz is a leading supplier of quartz materials to the semiconductor industry (http://www.gequartz.com/en/index.htm); Established in 1968, GE Advanced Materials’ Specialty Film & Sheet business is a leading supplier of high-performance engineering film and sheet products to the United States, Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and operates a worldwide network of sales, research, manufacturing and technical services facilities. Today, GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet employs about 600 people, and manufactures engineering sheet and film products at 12 facilities in 9 countries worldwide. Recent investments:
• 2003 New Roofing Structures Line in Italy, Europe
• 2003 New Coating Lines in China & Malaysia, Pacific
• 2002 Acquisition of Plastech, China
• 2001 New Film Lines in USA and Europe
• 2001 Acquisition of Carboron, Malaysia
• 2000 Acquisition of Matraplast, Canada
• 2000 Acquisition of Nim Plastics, USA Products:
GE Advanced Materials offers a variety of film materials are to meet different type of applications such as graphic film, coated products, electrical & electronic products, and specialties. The key film materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate film
• Ultem* film
• Lexan* SLX film
• Valox* film
• Lexan* Illuminex* film GE Advanced Materials’ sheet product line includes a wide range of structures from solid sheet, multi-wall sheet and corrugated sheet through to coated sheet and laminates and combinations of each of these. The key sheet materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate sheet
• Lexan* Solar Control IR sheet
• Margard* coated sheet
• Lexgard* laminated sheet
• Ultem* sheet
• Lexan EXL* sheet GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet, serves customers in a variety of industries including aircraft, appliances, automotive, building and construction, business machines, electrical & lighting, furnishing, greenhouse, industrial roofing, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications and packaging. In January 2004, in line with GE Corporate’ new brand architecture, GE Advanced Materials has announced the change of GE Structured Products business naming to GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet. |
More News:
• For May 2004
• From GE Advanced Materials
• For Engineering Plastics
|
