SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Versatile Lexan* Sheet Scores Big Win at South African FIFA World Cup Stadiums and Other Stadiums Around the World



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BERGEN OP ZOOM,  The Netherlands -- May  27, 2010

 Thousands of fans gathering at the FIFA World Cup™ 2010 matches, held from June 11 – July 11, 2010 in South Africa, are in for a brilliant new experience – courtesy of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ high-performance Lexan* polycarbonate (PC) sheet. Lexan Exell D* sheet, a lightweight, high-impact and UV-resistant monolithic material, was chosen to create the roofing, façades and stairway glazing for the stunning new Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, where this year’s opening and closing FIFA matches will be played. Lexan Exell D sheet was also selected for the building joints of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, and Lexan Thermoclear* multiwall sheet was chosen for roof glazing at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane for the upcoming FIFA World Cup games. These amazingly tough, lightweight and transparent PC materials offer spectators an excellent viewing experience along with superior comfort, safety and aesthetics vs. traditional options like glass, and are the top choice of architects to create the world’s largest and most impressive structures. SABIC Innovative Plastics has long been a major player in the building & construction industry with a robust and growing portfolio of proven, sustainable, high-end products designed to help customers succeed.

The unique design of the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg was inspired by a calabash, a hollowed-out gourd used as a traditional African cooking pot. Durable Lexan Exell D sheet roofing, which represents boiling water flowing over the top of the pot and down the sides, protects up to 95,000 spectators from changing weather conditions. As glazing for the stadium’s stairways, Lexan Exell D sheet admits natural light for pleasant ambiance and safety. The SABIC Innovative Plastics’ sheet covers a total of 14,000 m2 (45,931 ft2). 

“Today’s sports stadiums and arenas combine unique design concepts, with tough requirements for safety, weatherability and code compliance,” said Lennard Markestein, global marketing director, Specialty Film & Sheet, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “Lexan PC sheet delivers the clarity of glass without its drawbacks of weight and fragility, enabling award-winning and unique designs and a safe, satisfying experience for attendees. Our materials are playing a critical role in the construction of public buildings because they combine outstanding performance, environmental responsibility and aesthetics.”

Stadiums Around the World Feature Lexan Sheet

Lexan sheet products are the materials of choice for sports stadiums in many nations. For example, Lexan Thermoclear sheet was specified for more than 50 stadiums throughout the world, including the Sydney Olympic Stadium in Australia, Chongqing Olympic Stadium in China, and the UEFA European Football Championship Euro 2008™ and Euro 2004™ stadiums in Austria, Switzerland and Portugal.

Elegant Solutions for Complex Projects

Lexan Exell D monolithic sheet is a transparent PC sheet with proprietary UV protection on both sides, offering excellent weathering properties. It offers flame retardance that complies with the European fire standard EN 13501-1 for safety, and complies with glazing security impact resistance according to EN 356. Lexan Exell D sheet can be easily cold-formed into gentle curves, which makes it a good choice for skylights, covered walkways and barrel vaults. It is thermoformable into the desired geometry while retaining its UV-resistant coating. This material is backed by a 10-year limited written warranty against yellowing, loss of light transmission and breakage.

Lexan Thermoclear multiwall sheet products are a versatile thermoplastic glazing material that has been used in arena roofing and other glazing for more than 30 years and delivers a unique combination of advantages in roofing for large, complex structures. Compared to glass, Lexan Thermoclear sheet is significantly lighter in weight while offering high stiffness and more than 250 times the impact resistance to reduce the risk of breakage from wind, hail, and other extreme weather, as well as vandalism.

Lexan sheet glazing materials can help to deliver measurable return on investment through ease of installation; lower insurance costs due to weather damage; and less need for replacement due to UV degradation, weathering, and breakage.

For additional information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan sheet products, please go to www.sabic-ip.com.

About SABIC Innovative Plastics

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.

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* Trademarks of SABIC Innovative Plastics IP BV.

 

For more information contact:



SABIC Innovative Plastics Media Contact
Global

Banu Kukner
SABIC Innovative Plastics,
Specialty Film & Sheet
Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands
Tel:  +31 164 291 605
E-Mail:  banu.kukner@sabic-ip.com

Agency Media Contacts
The Americas

Jim Allison
AH&M Marketing Communications,
Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.A.
Tel:  +1 413 448 2260, x250
E-Mail:  jallison@ahminc.com

Brazil
Gabriela Bruschi
Edelman Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Tel:  +55 11 3017 5300, x221
E-Mail:  gabriela.bruschi@edelman.com

Europe
Kevin Noels
Marketing Solutions, Bergen op Zoom,
The Netherlands
Tel:  +31 164 317 011
E-Mail:  knoels@marketingsolutions.be

China
Shona Liu
Edelman, Shanghai, China
Tel:  +86 21 6193 7526
E-Mail:  shona.liu@edelman.com

Japan
Mitsu Sugino
Tokyo PR Inc., Tokyo, Japan
Tel:  +81 3 3273 2731
E-Mail:  sugino@tokyopr.co.jp



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