4 Aug 2004

GE’S NEW NIAX® SILICONE SURFACTANTS FOR HYDROCARBON BLOWN FOAM INSULATION OFFER APPLIANCE INDUSTRY IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY

NEW BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES DOUBLE BENEFIT: BEST HC COMPATIBILITY AND BEST THERMAL INSULATION

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), today announced a new family of silicone surfactants for hydrocarbon (HC) blown foam insulation used in the appliance industry. NIAX® Silicone L-6884 and NIAX Silicone L-6988 silicone surfactants represent a breakthrough in the manufacture of rigid polyurethane foam systems based on hydrocarbon (HC) blowing agents. The new products not only improve the solubility of hydrocarbon into the polyurethane system for a stable mix, but also enable formation of very fine foam cells for superior insulating properties. By implementing NIAX silicone surfactants, manufacturers of refrigerators, freezers, and coolers can improve the energy efficiency of their appliances for greater consumer appeal.

The global industry has widely adopted rigid polyurethane foam systems based on HC blowing agents. While these blowing agents offer good performance, they also have historically had the significant disadvantage of limited solubility into the raw material blend, which causes pentane phase separation and loss of the homogeneity of the mix. GE’s NIAX silicone surfactants, however, provide improved HC solubility, resulting in a clear and stable system that reduces the issue of pentane separation. Further, the new products expand the range of polyols that can be used in formulated systems.

A second and equally important benefit of NIAX surfactants is their ability to produce extremely fine foam cells with reduced void formation and superior thermal insulating properties. Better insulation of refrigerated contents means lower energy consumption and a more efficient appliance – which is especially important to today’s cost-conscious purchasers. NIAX surfactants also offer potential for application areas such as water heaters, pipes, and insulating panels.

NIAX Silicone L-6884 silicone surfactant provides compatibility with pentanes and other hydrophilic polyol compositions, avoiding haziness and phase separation. It produces extremely fine cells and delivers good foam flow, even density distribution, and low void formation. NIAX Silicone L-6988 is a very efficient surfactant that provides uniform, low thermal conductivity in hydrocarbon blown-foam cabinets.

“As the industry continues efforts to reduce emission and fuel costs continue to rise sharply, there is an increasing focus on energy efficiency across the board,” said Alberto Melle, global marketing manager, Urethane Additives, GE Advanced Materials. “Consumers are looking for products – especially major appliances – that deliver measurable cost savings through operating efficiency. By using GE Advanced Materials’ NIAX silicone surfactants in their insulating foam systems, manufacturers can lower the energy requirements of their appliances to address this consumer demand. At the same time, they can optimize the production of rigid foam insulation for an improved end result.”

Reader enquiries

GE Bayer Silicones GmbH & Co. KG
Building V7
51368 LEVERKUSEN
Germany

Robert Scheib
robert.scheib@ge.com

Tel: +49 214 306 71 37
Fax: +49 214 306 71 26
Germany

+49 214 306 71 37

robert.scheib@ge.com

www.ge.com

Notes for editors

GE Advanced Materials

GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-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 (https://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 (https://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 (https://www.gequartz.com/en/index.htm);

• GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at https://www.ge.com.

NIAX is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.