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27/08/2010 Norka previously made luminaires with incandescent bulbs and standard PC; however, the fixtures had to be discarded after about a year when the bulbs burned out and the plastic had become hazy from ammonia. With the goal of creating an environmentally responsible luminaire with better energy performance and extended life, the company turned to LEDs – and needed a better plastic that could match their long lifespan. “Norka takes pride in technology leadership and we seek out suppliers that share our commitment to the latest innovations with the best materials available,” said Martin C. Stäcker, CEO, Norka. “That’s one reason why we have collaborated for many years with SABIC Innovative Plastics. Another reason is their ability to quickly provide specialty solutions – like new Lexan DMX resin – for a wide range of unique lighting products. We know we can always rely on SABIC Innovative Plastics to meet our exact requirements, no matter how demanding.” “This specialized application for Lexan DMX resin showcases important strategic initiatives at SABIC Innovative Plastics,” said Rob de Jong, product market leader Europe, Lexan copolymer resins, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “We are continuing to invest in our extreme performance portfolio of Lexan copolymer resins to give customers like Norka fresh and exciting design options to differentiate their products, expand into new markets and increase overall quality and performance. We are also focusing on innovative materials that can enable the design of sustainable applications, such as energy-efficient LED lighting.” Superior Performance vs. PMMA and Standard PC Norka initially tried polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) for the Luzern LED luminaire but found that this material did not provide a high enough heat deflection temperature (HDT) or sufficient impact resistance, or perform as well as desired on the Glow Wire Ignition Test (GWIT). In contrast, Lexan DMX copolymer provides a GWIT of 850C, a key requirement for lighting applications in some countries such as France to fulfill the railway norm in combination with better toughness. Lexan DMX resin provides a pencil hardness of H, 2.5 times the surface hardness of standard PC, as well as excellent scratch resistance without requiring specialty coatings. When exposed to ammonia vapor, Lexan DMX resin retains its transparency, smooth surface finish and ductility, resulting in a luminaire that continues to look good, transmits light effectively and avoids brittleness that could pose a safety hazard. For the Luzern luminaire, the water-clear SABIC Innovative Plastics material is extruded into a long tube to enclose the LED light strip. Other potential applications for Lexan DMX copolymers are keypads and touch screens for electronics, bezels for televisions and notebooks, lenses, and coextruded film and sheet for scratch protection. SABIC Innovative Plastics will be showcasing its expanding portfolio of high performance materials for the LED industry at K’ 2010. Norka’s Luzern 38 tubular luminaires with LEDs, along with other new applications will be highlighted, demonstrating SABIC Innovative Plastics commitment to the LED industry. SABIC Innovative Plastics is exhibiting at K’ 2010 in Düsseldorf, Germany For K2010 SABIC’s focus is a Culture of Innovation, which means investing in Growth, Technology, Sustainability and Customer Focus. We help our customers to innovate, differentiate their applications and optimize costs by: For additional information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan DMX copolymers, please go to www.sabic-ip.com.
Reader Inquiries Helen Vandebovenkamp
Notes for Editors SABIC Innovative Plastics is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with a 75-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, SABIC 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. SABIC Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s top six petrochemicals manufacturers.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 9 billion (US$ 2.4 billion) in 2009. Sales revenues for 2009 totaled SR 103 billion (US$ 27 billion). Total assets stood at SR 297 billion (US$ 79.2 billion) at the end of 2009. SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with six dedicated Technology & Innovation Centers in Saudi Arabia, Europe, the USA and India. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with 33,000 employees worldwide. The company has 19 world-scale complexes in Saudi Arabia. Elsewhere, SABIC manufactures on a global scale in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. SABIC’s overall production has increased from 35 million metric tons in 2001 to 59 million metric tons in 2009. 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 SABIC in Europe The main European offices for three of SABIC’s strategic business units are located in The Netherlands - Innovative Plastics (Bergen op Zoom), Polymers (Sittard) and Chemicals (Sittard). They operate an extensive network of local sales offices and logistical hubs throughout Europe which are also responsible for the sales of products manufactured elsewhere in the world. SABIC’s European research facilities form part of the global Technology and Innovation organization and can be found in the Netherlands (Geleen and Bergen op Zoom) and Spain (Cartagena). Media Notes • As an acronym, SABIC should be all caps whenever it appears in print. .
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