Press Kit GE Advanced Materials

June Munich Auto Centre Opening

“OPENING OF GE GLOBAL RESEARCH CENTER GARCHING”

GARCHING, Munich, Germany – June 29, 2004 – General Electric (NYSE: GE) officially opened today its new European Global Research Center in Garching, near Munich, Germany, at an event hosted by Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. This state-of-the-art 10,000 square-meter facility is the latest addition to GE’s US $4 billion worldwide technology development effort.

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS INTRODUCES HYDROPLAST™ STRUCTURES WITH UNIQUE SMARTLOK™ CONNECTION TECHNOLOGY

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – June 29, 2004 – GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), in conjunction with Carlisle Engineered Products and Vari-Form Inc., has developed an advanced Front End Module (FEM) technology that combines the strength of steel with the low mass of resins in a single cost-effective molding process.

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS LAUNCHES NEW LEXAN® EXL RESIN GRADE FOR INTEGRATED AIRBAGS

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – June 29, 2004 – GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), has launched LEXAN® EXL 1414H resin, a new grade in the popular LEXAN polycarbonate family, developed specifically for use in automotive applications and is particularly well suited for integrated airbag door designs and airbag components.

GE HELPS AUTO SEATING MANUFACTURERS REDUCE VOC EMISSIONS BY 50% WITH NIAX® SILICONE SURFACTANTS FOR MOLDED FOAM

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 stabilizing MDI and MDI-TDI flexible molded foam used by the automotive seating industry. NIAX® Silicone L-3415, L-3416 and L-3417 are based on a new molecular design that can reduce emissions from finished parts. The new products not only support the trend toward zero chemical emissions from auto parts, but they also have negligible impact on the cost of the finished product. By implementing NIAX silicone surfactants, manufacturers of vehicle seating systems can cost-effectively boost compliance with industry requirements for lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS PROVIDES “BUMPER TO BUMPER” SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Offering bumper-to-bumper engineering thermoplastics materials as well as Silicones and Silane solutions, GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), is committed to addressing the emerging needs of major OEMs and tiers with technologies that enhance vehicle aesthetics, efficiency and performance. From Plastics solutions for Body Panels and Glazing to Under-the-Hood, Components, Structures and Lighting, GE Advanced Materials provides industry leading application development and technical support to bring new concepts to market while attempting to drive cost out. In the Silicones and Silanes segments, GE Advanced Materials offers best-in-class Elastomers, Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, Urethane Additives and Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) products for longer lasting, higher performance.

GE’S NEWEST RESINS FOR HEALTHCARE OFFER RESISTANCE TO LIPIDS, LOWER COLOR SHIFT AFTER GAMMA STERILIZATION

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials continues to demonstrate its renewed focus on the healthcare industry by expanding the company’s family of high-performance healthcare polycarbonate (PC) products to meet the industry’s rapidly changing end-use requirements and to improve molding options. Three new LEXAN® resins are introduced today, including a gamma-stabilized grade that combines improved resistance to lipids with multiple-cycle autoclave sterilization capability; a gamma-stabilized grade that offers a mid-range melt-flow index (MFI); and a clear, high-heat PC for repeated autoclave use. All of the new products are available globally.

GE’S NEW LSR TOP COAT DRIVES USE OF LIQUID INJECTION-MOLDED SILICONE ELASTOMERS IN HEALTHCARE

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — To meet healthcare industry needs for improved performance and cleanliness of medical devices, GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), introduced a new top coat for liquid injection-molded silicone elastomers today at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) Expo East. Called LSR Top Coat, the product significantly lowers the coefficient of friction (COF) on the surface of molded parts such as catheters, prosthetics, and valves for higher performance, reduced sticking and re-healing, and greater wear resistance. These properties open up new healthcare applications for liquid injection-molded silicone elastomers and offer the industry the opportunity to use these highly versatile materials in a wider range of devices.

ADDISIL^® – THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADDITION-CURED HCEs FROM GE – NOW AVAILABLE FOR HEALTHCARE AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), announces major enhancements to its ADDISIL® family of addition- and heat-curable elastomers (HCEs) for next-generation properties that provide regulatory compliance, as well as enhanced mechanical performance and superior productivity. The new ADDISIL portfolio provides a complete range of product types – including both extrusion and injection-molding grades that are available as one-component or two-component systems, and in hardnesses from 40 to 80 Shore A to cover the needs of multiple industries.

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS EXPANDS CAPABILITIES IN HEALTHCARE

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — The global healthcare industry demands continual technical innovations in materials to keep pace with advancing healthcare technologies and to support the growing shift from hospital-based care to outpatient and home care. To meet demand, manufacturers of healthcare devices, therapies, and pharmaceuticals must rely on materials suppliers that can develop and deliver a steady pipeline of innovative, high-performance products.

NEW GE LEXAN® SOLAR CONTROL PRODUCTS LIMIT HEAT YET LET IN HIGH LEVELS OF LIGHT

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — GE Advanced Materials today introduced two new families of transparent, solar-control glazing products in solid sheet and multi-wall polycarbonate sheet that significantly reduce solar transmission while simultaneously offering high levels of light transmission, helping save energy costs for cooling and lighting buildings. The solid product is called LEXAN® EXELL® Solar Control IR sheet, and the multi-wall product is called LEXAN THERMOCLEAR® Solar Control IR sheet. Both products are excellent candidates for roof domes, skylights, walkways, conservatories, and other building applications where it is desirable to admit high levels of light while keeping excess heat to a minimum. Additionally, the solid product is aimed at public transportation applications, such as train and bus glazing. No other thermal-management, polymer-based glazing provides both the level of effectiveness in blocking (absorbing) infrared (IR) heat and high transparency to visible light as these new GE materials.

BOEING, SIEMENS AMONG TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY LEADERS SELECTING GE’S NEW ULTEM® SHEET FOR OUTSTANDING, DEPENDABLE PERFORMANCE

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — Boeing and Siemens are among a growing number of airline and rail OEMs selecting GE Advanced Materials’ ULTEM® sheet for demanding interior applications due to its flame, smoke, and toxicity compliance and the tremendous strength, excellent aesthetics, and other benefits for which this family of GE materials is known. Two grades in particular are making major inroads into this industry segment. They include ULTEM 1668A sheet, a material developed for use in interior aircraft components, and ULTEM R16SG29 sheet, a new product just introduced in 2003 as the first ULTEM sheet material designed for rail interior applications.

NEW GEAR PACKAGE FROM GE CONSOLIDATES LUBRICATED RESINS, TRAINING, SPECS FOR DEMANDING ELECTRONICS, INDUSTRIAL, AUTO AND APPLIANCE APPLICATIONS

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials company – has consolidated select grades of its self-lubricated LUBRICOMP®, LUBRILOY®, and FULTON® compounds with GE Advanced Materials’ ULTEM® resin gear grades to create a new, specialized gear package of materials. The new package also features a robust Internet-based teaching module and a full range of design specifications to facilitate the materials selection process.

LNP INTRODUCES NEW STAINLESS-STEEL-FILLED COMPOUNDS FOR EMI SHIELDING, ENHANCED IMPACT PERFORMANCE

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — June 29, 2004 — LNP Engineering Plastics, a GE Advanced Materials company, today introduced a new grade in its growing family of electro-conductive FARADEX® compounds. The new product – FARADEX DS-1003 FR HI compound – combines the toughness, high impact strength, and excellent flow characteristics of LEXAN® EXL resin with the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties of stainless steel fibers, in a custom-colorable, halogen-free flame-retardant (FR) package. It is available from the company worldwide.

GE ADVANCED MATERIALS INTRODUCES NEW FLAME RETARDANT STARFLAM® COMPOUNDS TO AID CUSTOMER COMPLIANCE WITH EU DIRECTIVES

BERGEN OP ZOOM - The Netherlands, June 29, 2004 – Six new grades of STARFLAM® ECO-FR compounds have been added today to the LNP Product Line of GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). The new materials which are based on glass fiber reinforced PA6, PA66 and PA66/6 have been combined with the new X-GEN ECO-FR technology to provide a wide range of performance options coupled with halogen-free and red phosphorus-free flame retardancy.

GE Advanced Materials roles out China Color Palette in Europe

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands, November 4, 2004 — GE Advanced Materials unveiled a new line of Visualfx* special-effects resins on top of the current innovative Visualfx resin portfolio that were carefully engineered to match color trends and preferences of the domestic Chinese market. Called China Palette, these new, molded-in-color premium materials allow product designers developing and designing products for China to create highly differentiated products that are more economical and address growing eco-label concerns vs. paint. The new eye-catching palette is aimed at applications such as home appliances, cosmetic cases/packaging, personal care devices, and portable electronic products including mobile phones, laptops, personal data assistants (PDAs), and gaming devices.

GE Advanced Materials and Nolan team for safety

The production of protective motorcycling helmets by the Nolan Group of companies began in the early 1970s, when it was decided that LEXAN polycarbonate resin, the same innovative material used by NASA for astronaut helmets, would be used to further improve motorcycle helmet safety. Throughout its 35-year history, in partnership with GE Advanced Materials, the Nolan Group has continuously raised the standard of its products, has broadened its range and has encouraged the honing of increasingly sophisticated materials.

Performance plastics keep luminaries burning brightly at the pumps

Petrol station architects face tough design and material challenges when choosing luminary structures. Harsh environmental conditions, combined with the gasoline vapors require luminary lenses that can stand up to the elements. Leading European lighting manufacturer, Phillips uses LEXAN® SLX resin in its petroleum station lighting product line MINI300 for its ability to combat the environmental conditions that typically result in damaged lights.

Materials, performance and technical support open windows of opportunity in Germany

German window manufacturer Dimex is on the cutting edge of innovation in the building and construction industry with a new fenestration application developed with GE Advanced Materials. The new Dicolour line, the first high gloss capped window profile to hit the European market, uses innovative materials solution GELOY® resin.

GELOY® resin helps switch-on to future needs

Keeping pace with consumers’ desires for new styles and enhanced aesthetics is just one of the many demands faced by electrical manufacturers. A relatively new demand but one progressively growing in importance, is the requirement to ensure that their products comply with emerging EU Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This obliges manufacturers to take responsibility for the end-of-life impact their products have on the environment.

Keeping cool at the summer Olympics

Tecumseh Europe chooses GE’s eco-friendly, expandable NORYL® resin for new vending machine design

LEXAN® sheet scores at the UEFA Euro 2004™ soccer tournament in Portugal

GE Advanced Materials Structured Products’ LEXAN® polycarbonate sheet is a popular choice for stadium roofing and other associated stadium applications. One of the best and most recent examples is the specification of LEXAN THERMOCLEAR® sheet roof glazing material for six of the stadiums that host the UEFA Euro 2004™ football tournament in Portugal.

GE Advanced Materials offers lower cost option for unique metallic looks

Modern appliance manufacturers increasingly find themselves navigating between appealing design that will attract customers and low production cost that will maximize profit margin.

From freezer to microwave: GE’s NORYL® PKN resin offers extreme versatility

With its extreme temperature resistance, GE’s NORYL® PKN resin can handle the coldest freezer to the warmest microwave. The added benefits of aesthetic versatility, cost efficiency and environmental friendliness in combination with GE’s strong market reputation make this product a smart choice for consumer-focused food packagers.

iGuzzini illuminazione Chose Lexan* SLX Resin to Brighten up their Lighting Portfolio

iGuzzini illuminazione, Italian architectural lighting manufacturer , is a leader in technical lighting, providing stylish lighting solutions to some of Europe's most visible locations. They selected GE-Plastics’ Lexan SLX resin for its GEM suspended luminaries. With its extreme resistance to harsh environmental conditions, Lexan SLX resin is a superior fit for many lighting applications requiring the use of polycarbonate materials.

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

+49 214 306 71 37

robert.scheib@​ge.com

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