9 Apr 2004

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS DELIVERS NEXT STEP IN SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING APPLICATIONS

HIGH-HEAT PERFORMANCE PROVIDES KEY TO NEW LIGHTING DEMANDS

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), has introduced an array of new resin grades specifically designed to help bring higher performance benefits to automotive lighting applications.

These developments, which embrace ULTEM® PEI resin, LEXAN® PC resin and
VALOX® PBT resin, represent a technology step to keep tier suppliers aligned with upcoming demands from the industry for process, performance, and cost optimization.

ULTEM XHT (Xtreme Heat) resin is designed for applications such as fog lamp reflectors, which require high heat resistance. Based on GE Advanced Materials’ proprietary X GEN™ resin technology, ULTEM XHT resin has been developed to be the highest heat, injection-moldable amorphous resin available in the marketplace. The X GEN resin technology is a recently launched portfolio of products that pushes high-end polymer performance to even greater levels.

Offering heat resistance to 247C, ULTEM XHT resin is characterized by exceptional dimensional stability, strength, and durability. It is also flame retardant, recyclable, and can be processed using standard equipment. This extreme-heat resin supports the automotive industry’s trend toward hotter, brighter bulbs packaged into smaller design envelopes.

To help satisfy the broadening range of demands made on materials by the design complexity, size, and performance requirements of headlight bezels, GE Advanced Materials has developed two new resin grades.

LEXAN 4401R resin is a high-heat polycarbonate resin that provides a step improvement in the balance of flow and heat resistance compared to alternatively available resins. In addition to excellent heat stability to 158C, LEXAN 4401R resin offers increased melt flow vs. similar high-heat polycarbonate resins, allowing for potentially faster cycle times and higher productivity. Moreover, LEXAN 4401R resin can be directly metallized and exhibits excellent surface aesthetics.

VALOX EH7020HF resin, a 20-percent, mineral-filled PBT/PET blend, is an improved version of the current grade (VALOX EH7020 resin), which has established a significant position in applications utilizing filled PBT for headlamp bezels since its introduction in 1999. VALOX EH7020HF resin delivers improvements in flow and thermal performance allowing for increased design flexibility and the potential for thinner wall sections, which can lead to shorter cycle times, while maintaining the excellent post-metallization surface quality experienced with the current grade.

According to John Cameron, automotive lighting market director, GE Advanced Materials, “These new grades, each with a unique property profile, represent significant advances. They are part of our ongoing materials development program designed to provide automotive tier suppliers with global material solutions that help improve processing as well as final product quality and performance.”

Reader enquiries

GE Plastics
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4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
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Helen Vandebovenkamp
helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

Tel: +31 164 29 20 97
Fax: +31 164 29 10 66
Netherlands

+31 164 29 20 97

helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

www.geplastics.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. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Mass., GE Advanced Materials is the combined entity of GE’s former Plastics, Silicones, and Quartz businesses. Its offerings include:

• Silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, caulks, resins, and elastomers for a variety of vertical markets such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, and foam control, as well as the consumer “do-it-yourself” market (www.gesilicones.com);

• Engineering thermoplastics resins serving 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 (www.geplastics.com);

• High-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, and water purification industries. GE Advanced Materials is a leading supplier of quartz materials to the semiconductor industry (www.gequartz.com).

ULTEM, LEXAN and VALOX are registered trademarks of General Electric Company.

X GEN is a trademark of General Electric Company.