
7 May 2004
XYLEX™ RESIN FROM GE ADVANCED MATERIALS FINDING INCREASED USE IN POOL AND SPA FILTERS, LIGHTING
STRONG CHEMICAL RESISTANCE, OUTSTANDING CLARITY MAKE GE PRODUCT AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR POOL AND SPA ACCESSORY APPLICATIONS
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands — GE Advanced Materials, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), is seeing increased validation and use of its XYLEX™ X8210 and X8300 polycarbonate/polyester alloys for a variety of pool and spa applications. These resin grades are proving to be a great option for pool and spa accessories due to the materials’ transparency, good impact strength, weathering performance, and resistance to chemicals like Baquacil® and BaquaSpa® water conditioners, bromine, and chlorine. Both the XYLEX X8210 and X8300 resins are commercially available worldwide.
“Makers of pool filtration systems, pool and spa lighting, and other products are using XYLEX resin because of its ability to remain clear and strong where many competitive resins become brittle or craze,” said Peter Heinze, product manager of GE Advanced Materials’ Global Crystalline Business. “Field experience, even in tropical and sub-tropical settings, illustrates XYLEX resin’s strength in both visual and functional performance when compared with conventional polycarbonates and other materials traditionally used in pools and spas. Very simply, XYLEX resin is an excellent candidate for key applications in this industry.”
XYLEX resin helps support the overall industry trend from opaque to transparent and clear-colored pool and spa accessories for greater product differentiation. In applications where colored options are preferred, XYLEX resin is well-suited for combining with GE Advanced Materials’ Visualfx® special color and effect resins, which are formulated with the color/effect in the pellet. This allows manufacturers to create colorful and exceptionally rich-looking parts out of the mold without the need for secondary painting or coating operations.
The XYLEX resin family of alloys combines an aliphatic polyester with polycarbonate, to offer an outstanding balance of chemical resistance, clarity, and mechanical properties. The alloy’s strong resistance to a variety of chemicals used in aqueous environments helps reduce cracking and crazing. High melt flow permits advanced processing in thinner walls and in-mold decorating for potentially lower part cost and reduced cycle times. Good UV performance, along with good heat- and cold-temperature resistance, provide weatherability that is as good or better than many competing resins.
Both XYLEX X8210 and X8300 resin grades combine clarity and ductility with chemical resistance, high in-mold flow, hot and cold ambient temperature impact strength, gloss retention, and UV resistance. XYLEX X8210 resin is a material of choice for a variety of applications demanding impact strength, ductility, and aesthetics differentiation using Visualfx special color and effect resins. The XYLEX X8300 resin grade is better-suited for applications that require the highest level of chemical resistance.
Current and potential pool and spa accessory applications for XYLEX resin include cleaner housings, light lenses, spa remote controls, pump covers, designer caps, filter parts, and control panels. Beyond the pool and spa industry, this GE product can be used in applications such as consumer housewares, medical products, outdoor recreational equipment, ski bindings, and protective gear.
Reader enquiries
GE PlasticsPlasticslaan 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
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).
XYLEX is a trademark of General Electric Company.
Baquacil and BaquaSpa are registered trademarks of Avecia Limited.
Visualfx is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.
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Editorial enquiries
Marianne Schouten
GE Advanced Materials
Brigitta de Vries
Marketing Solutions NV
bdevries@marketingsolutions.be
Jim Allison
AH&M Marketing Communications