SABIC LAUNCHES NEW LEXAN™ PC PRODUCTS FOR RAIL INTERIORS

Berlin, Germany, September 23, 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 three new polycarbonate solutions from SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business, which were unveiled today at InnoTrans in Berlin, Germany.   These three new solutions further expand SABIC’s offerings, currently the broadest EN 45545 -compliant thermoplastics portfolio in the rail industry. The high-performance LEXAN sheet and resin solutions are well positioned to help railway interior designers and manufacturers to create attractive components which 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 global population and urbanization increases, the demand for modern mass transit systems also rises. 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 giving 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 Resins for Injection-Molded Applications SABIC expanded its LEXAN resin portfolio of polycarbonate materials in response to the implementation of the pan-European norm for fire safety in rail interiors (EN 45545-2:2013). Following the recent development of LEXAN FST3403 resin, which meets the highest hazard level of the regulation for seating requirements (R6–HL3), SABIC has now added LEXAN FST3002 resin to the portfolio which meets the R6–HL2 requirements for seating.   LEXAN FST3002 resin, is a copolymer resin with high-flow capabilities, allowing customers to design and produce large parts, which have consistent surfaces with no marks, grainage, stains or flowlines. As it is a good candidate for seating components such as seat base and back shells and seating side panels, customers may achieve cost savings in applications which require the HL2 level of EN 45545 compliance.   Additionally, the resin can be injection molded as an alternative to conventional thermosets or fiber-reinforced plastics helping manufacturers to achieve improved manufacturing efficiency as injection-molded seats can be made in a matter of hours compared to the labor-intensive thermoset processing. Unlike thermoset materials which cannot be recycled, the injection-molded seats are recyclable at the end of their useful life.   New Sheet Materials Enhance Graffiti Resistance; Expand Cost Options SABIC’s two new anti-graffiti sheet solutions – LEXAN KH6500 sheet and LEXAN KH6200 sheet – meet the requirements of current German DIN rail standard (DIN 5510-2:2009), offering customers a non-chlorinated and non-brominated material supporting their sustainability efforts. Both new LEXAN sheet solutions comply with French NF F 31-112 anti-graffiti norm offering outstanding chemical resistance against graffiti and cleaning agents. The LEXAN KH sheet series is a cost efficient choice to replace polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, vinyl ester or phenolic fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials used in many interior train applications including interior panels, window frames, ceilings and other large interior parts.   LEXAN KH6500 sheet can be used to make seats, tables and carriage walls that are resistant to the repeated use of some of the strongest anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today. It also has high stiffness, enabling excellent impact performance and offers low gloss surface finish after thermoforming. The new solution also complies with the US National Fire Protection Association fire safety norm NFPA 130 for passenger rail car walls and ceilings.   LEXAN KH6200 sheet obtained an S4/ SR2/ ST2 rating according to the German DIN 5510 norm at 3-5 mm and offers an attractive cost-benefit balance in less-demanding applications such as cladding. It delivers excellent impact performance at low temperatures (ductility down to -20°C) and excellent thermoforming performance at lower temperatures compared to standard polycarbonate materials.   Compared to metal, thermosets and glass, the new LEXAN sheet and resin materials can generate significantly lower system costs through the consolidation of parts to streamline production and the avoidance of secondary operations such as painting and coating, machining and polishing.   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.        DESCRIPTION: Manufacturers of railway interiors can now meet anticipated European fire safety legislation EN 45545 thanks to new additions to SABIC’s broad portfolio of LEXAN™ sheet solutions. With outstanding chemical resistance against graffiti and cleaning agents, the robust materials will help SABIC’s customers to design durable lightweight, low gloss surface solutions for the rail industry.   NOTES TO EDITORS  SABIC and brands marked with ™ are trademarks of SABIC or its subsidiaries or affiliates  High-resolution photos are available upon request  SABIC should be written in every instance in all uppercase   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 Contact Banu Kukner E: banu.kukner@sabic-ip.com T: +31 164 291605   Agency Media Contacts James Page E: james.page@interpublic.com P: +44 207-067-0206