SABIC Exhibits Expanded LEXAN™ Sheet Portfolio for Railway Interiors at InnoTrans to Help Customers Meet Upcoming Regulations

Anticipating the implementation of the pan-European norm for fire safety in rail interiors,
SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business has expanded its portfolio of high-performance material solutions by adding two new LEXAN™ sheet products to its already robust materials portfolio. These new products include LEXAN H6500 sheet, a new PC/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) sheet grade that complies with the upcoming CEN/TS 45545 harmonized standard, and LEXAN H6200 sheet, a new grade that complies with Germany’s DIN norm. Both products have been engineered to help rail customers meet growing demand for enhanced sustainability and advanced thermoplastic technologies with non-chlorinated and non-brominated flame retardance that enhance the design and development of rail interior applications. On display here at InnoTrans 2012 at Berlin Messe, Hall 5.1, booth #228, these industry-leading materials, demonstrate SABIC’s understanding of rail industry priorities and its commitment to proactively develop innovative new solutions to help its customers’ ever-changing needs.

“To comply with the emerging fire safety norm, rail customers faced the very real prospect of replacing noncompliant thermoplastics with traditional metal and lower performing thermosets,” said Jack Govers, general manager, Specialty Film & Sheet, SABIC. “But that meant sacrificing the benefits that thermoplastics can provide, such as design freedom, light weight and lower system costs. Our new LEXAN sheet products are a great alternative to address these problems by giving our customers the high-performance they needed to proactively align with the new standard, while also showcasing the specialized expertise and services that SABIC provides our customers to meet rail industry requirements and help achieve their business goals.”

New Material Options for Rail Interiors

LEXAN H6500 sheet is an opaque, solid, low-gloss PC/ABS blend that delivers high stiffness for railway sidewalls, tables and seating. Its sustainable flame retardant performance meets the requirements of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and it delivers non-chlorinated and non-brominated product technology. In addition to CEN/TS 45545 R6 (seating), LEXAN H6500 sheet complies with current European standards including the French NF F16-101 M1F1 norm (at 2-4 mm). The material can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials. Its molded-in color capability can help avoid the cost and environmental hazards of secondary painting and provides excellent aesthetics.
LEXAN H6200 sheet, which complies with the German DIN 5510 norm: S3 SR2 ST2 at 3 mm and S4 SR2 ST2 at 4 mm, 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), good colorability and excellent thermoforming at lower temperatures than standard PC materials.

Compared to metal, thermosets and glass, both new LEXAN sheet materials can significantly lower system costs through consolidation of parts to streamline production, avoidance of secondary operations such as painting and coating, machining and polishing, and lower shipping costs by reducing weight.

Foundation of Proven Technologies

Further, SABIC offers an ULTEM™ sheet solution based on polyetherimide (PEI) resin that features inherent flame retardancy and low smoke emission, complying with the new CEN/TS 45545 standard at the highest level (Hazard Level 3) for R1 applications (Requirements for interior components) across all four occupational categories at 3 mm.

LEXAN H6000 sheet is a high-modulus PC/ABS product that meets French NF F16-101 M1, F2 at 2 mm and German DIN 5510 Part 2 S4-SR2 ST2 norms at 3 mm and has a UL94 V0 rating at
1.5 mm. Lexan H6000 sheet provides environmentally responsible flame retardance according the German DIN-VDE 0472 part 815 norm and complies with the Polish norms for side wall and ceiling applications (PN-K-02512, PN-L-02501, PN-K-02505). Potential applications include sidewalls, tables and seating.

LEXAN F2000 sheet, available in clear transparent and translucent opal white colors, is a flame retardant, lightweight product that can be an excellent choice for light diffusers and light covers. It offers ease of processing, excellent formability and can help achieve part integration in train ceilings with light diffusers. It complies with CEN/TS 45545 standard for R4 (Requirements for lighting components), German DIN 5510 S4 SR2 ST2 norms at 3 mm and French NF F16-101 M2 F2 rating at 2-8 mm.

Notes to Editors
• Brands marked with ™ are trademarks of SABIC
• SABIC is a registered trademark of SABIC Holding Europe B.V.
• High-resolution photos are available upon request

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 29.24 billion (US$ 7.80 billion) in 2011. Sales revenues for 2011 totaled SR 189.90 billion (US$ 50.64 billion). Total assets stood at SR 332.78 billion (US$ 88.74 billion) at the end of 2011.

SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 16 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 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 automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. 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).

Kevin Noels
Marketing Solutions
Lelyweg 6
4612 PS, Bergen op Zoom,
The Netherlands

This release was published on openPR.