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  • SABIC EXPANDS LEXAN™ PRODUCT LINE TO DELIVER COST-EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PRODUCTION WITH ENHANCED FIRE SAFETY FOR RAILWAY INTERIORS

SABIC EXPANDS LEXAN™ PRODUCT LINE TO DELIVER COST-EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PRODUCTION WITH ENHANCED FIRE SAFETY FOR RAILWAY INTERIORS

Houston, Texas, October 13, 2014   Railway coach manufacturers can now meet key safety regulations while also making the production and operation of carriages more cost and energy efficient thanks to two new polycarbonate solutions from SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business. LEXAN™  KH6500 and LEXAN™ H6500 sheets, both on show today at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Expo in Houston, Texas, further expand SABIC’s offering, currently one of the broadest portfolios of regulatory-compliant thermoplastics in the rail industry.   These new high-performance material solutions are well positioned to help railway interior designers and manufacturers create attractive components that are resistant to graffiti and vandalism, helping to lower maintenance cost. The overall fuel efficiency of mass transit systems can also be improved, as the materials help manufacturers to reduce the weight of railway interiors.   “As the upward trends continue for global population growth and urbanization, the demand for modern mass transit systems will continue to rise. Due to this, railway coach manufacturers are facing challenges not only to comply with new regulations and deliver passenger safety and comfort, but also to increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their operations,” said Kim Choate, Director of Mass Transportation for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business. “By offering our customers the robust, compliant solutions they need, our new LEXAN products provide a great alternative to address these challenges. This is an example of the specialized expertise that SABIC brings to its customers to help them meet rail industry requirements and achieve their design objectives and business goals.”   New Sheet Materials Enhance Graffiti Resistance; Expand Cost Options SABIC’s two new sheet solutions – LEXAN KH6500 sheet and LEXAN H6500 sheet – meet the requirements of The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for passenger rail car regulation, offering customers non-chlorinated and non-brominated materials that support their sustainability efforts.   Compared to  polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermosets, and sheet moulding composite (SMC), the two new LEXAN materials are significantly lighter in weight and can lead to decreases in system costs by enabling the consolidation of parts, streamlined production and the avoidance of secondary operations such as painting, coating, machining and polishing.   The LEXAN KH6500 sheet is resistant to the repeated use of some of various anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today. The new product is a cost efficient choice to replace PVC, polyester, vinyl ester or phenolic fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials used in many interior train applications including interior wall panels, window frames, ceilings and other large interior parts.   LEXAN KH6500 also has high stiffness, enabling excellent impact performance while offering a low gloss surface finish after thermoforming. The new solution also complies with the US rail fire safety standard FRA for passenger rail car walls and ceilings.   LEXAN H6500 sheet is an opaque, solid, low-gloss polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) solution that can be used for interior walls, ceiling components and for back and base shells of passenger seats. LEXAN H6500 is also compliant with the US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) fire safety standard for passenger rail car interior walls, ceiling, seat frames and table trays.   LEXAN H6500 can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials, which has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and shorten cycle times by minimizing both the amount of heat required to melt the material and time required to cool. Its molded-in color capability can help avoid the cost and environmental hazards of secondary painting and provides excellent aesthetics to help customers in their quest to create a differentiated passenger experience.   More information about SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business and the range of broad and relevant solutions it offers for its customers in the railway sector can be found on the website (www.sabic-ip.com. For technical product inquiries, please contact us at www.sabic-ip.com/prtechinquiry.   PHOTOS   Gijs-_GPF6332aGijs-_GPF6296a DESCRIPTION:   LEFT: The LEXAN KH6500 sheet, shown above in white and grey, can be used to make rail seats, tables and carriage walls that are resistant to the repeated use of some of the strongest anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today.   RIGHT: LEXAN H6500 sheet, an opaque, solid, low-gloss polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) solution, can be used for interior walls, ceiling components and for back and base shells of passenger seats. Show above as a thermoformed component XX format, the LEXAN H6500 can be used to create parts with sharp edges and complex forms, while still providing a low gloss, high-quality surface. LEXAN H6500 can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials, which has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and shorten cycle times by minimizing both the amount of heat required to melt the material and time required to cool.   NOTES TO EDITORS
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  ABOUT SABIC Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.   SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 25.3 billion (US$ 6.7 billion) in 2013. Sales revenues for 2013 totaled SR 189 billion (US$ 50.4 billion). Total assets stood at SR 339.1 billion (US$ 90.4 billion) at the end of 2013.   SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 19 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India, China and South Korea. The company operates in more than 45 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide. SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.   Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.   ABOUT INNOVATIVE PLASTICS SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with an 80-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as Healthcare, Transportation, Automotive, Electrical, Lighting and Consumer Electronics. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).   Innovative Plastics Media Contacts Banu Kukner E: banu.kukner@sabic-ip.com T: +31 164 291605   Michael Wheeler E: media.inquiries@sabic-ip.com T: +1 413-448-5890   Agency Media Contacts Griff McNerney E: gmcnerney@webershandwick.com T: +1 617 520 7106