29 Jun 2005

Window Profiles Get a Colorful Outlook with Co-extruded Geloy*/PVC Resin from GE Advanced Materials

BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS —June 29, 2005 — Chinese architects and designers, who until now have generally been limited to plain white PVC or aluminum window profiles for their buildings, can expand their creative options thanks to the broad color palette provided by GE Advanced Materials’s Geloy* acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) resin co-extruded with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. The new Geloy resin product gives white PVC window profiles a colorful coat without the time and expense of painting, and helps deliver excellent thermo-insulation comparable to aluminum window profiles.

The colored window profiles provide a competitive differentiator for molders in a very competitive industry, which is characterized by a significant oversupply of profiles and razor-thin profit margins due to the high cost of raw PVC. Zhongcai Profiles Co., Ltd., in Zhejiang – a building materials production corporation within Zhongcai Group that specializes in manufacturing a wide variety of profiles – is the first molder to produce color profiles for commercial sale using GE’s co-extruded Geloy resin product.

“Offering builders an innovative and exciting design element – colored window profiles – has given us a leadership position and a reasonable profit in this extremely competitive market,” said

Mr. Yang GuangHua, president, Zhongcai.

Co-extruded Geloy resin window profiles provide outstanding aesthetics that can help enhance or complement any building material, style or design. The resin is available from GE in four different standard colors and can be color-matched.

One of the most weatherable polymers in GE’s portfolio, Geloy ASA resin offers exceptional durability and UV and chemical resistance in outdoor environments. The Geloy resin/PVC profiles retain their uniform color and gloss even when exposed to sunlight, moisture, temperature extremes, chemicals, and environmental pollutants. Another advantage of the Geloy resin co-extrusion is excellent impact resistance in low-temperature environments. The profiles also help deliver good thermo-insulating properties that make them an attractive replacement for aluminum at the affordable cost.

Ease of processing is another highlight of the GE material. Good flow characteristics ensure that the co-extruded Geloy resin layer covers the complex profile structure.

“GE’s new Geloy/PVC resin co-extruded window profiles have the potential to positively impact the construction materials industry in China by offering a value-added option to building designers,” said Glen Zhu, Geloy product manager, Asia-Pacific, GE Advanced Materials. “Adding color to window frames opens a whole new area for design innovation. At the same time, these profiles help provide the exceptional performance required of demanding outdoor applications. This combination of color and performance will be a huge competitive advantage for our customers.”

Reader enquiries

GE Plastics
Plasticslaan 1
4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
Netherlands

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

About GE Advanced Materials

GE Advanced Materials (www.geadvancedmaterials.com) is a world leader in providing high-technology material solutions. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Mass., its businesses include Plastics, Silicones, Quartz, Automotive, Specialty Film & Sheet, Polymershapes, and Sealants and Adhesives.

GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work – a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

* Geloy is a trademark of General Electric Company.

Related images

Window Profiles Made from GE’s Geloy* ASA Resin

Zhongcai Profiles Co., Ltd. – a building materials production corporation within Zhongcai Group that specializes in manufacturing a wide variety of profiles – is the first molder to produce color profiles for commercial sale using GE’s co-extruded Geloy* resin. For this application, Geloy acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) resin co-extruded with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to give white PVC window profiles a colorful coat without the time and expense of painting, and helps deliver excellent thermo-insulation comparable to aluminum window profiles. Chinese architects and designers who have generally been limited to plain white PVC or aluminum window profiles for their buildings, can now expand their creative options thanks to the broad color palette that GE’s Geloy resin can provide.

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