Happy Birthday: LEXAN Resin Turns 50!; 50 Years
After its Discovery, GE's Amazing LEXAN Polycarbonate Continues to
Improve the Products We Use
PITTSFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2003--You may not
know it by name, but some of the greatest innovations of the past 50
years depended upon it.
From man's first steps on the moon to laptop computers, GE's
LEXAN(R) resin--one of the most versatile materials in the world--has
been an important part of our lives. This year, GE Plastics, a
division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is celebrating the
50th anniversary of the invention of this innovative material.
LEXAN resin is one of the most widely-used engineered materials in
the world and has contributed to product revolutions in virtually
every industry. It has helped make cars safer and lighter; enabled the
digitization of music and film as CDs and DVDs; and ushered in new
design trends in computers, cell phones and literally hundreds of
other products. LEXAN resin is widely used in sporting and boating
equipment, building and construction materials, commercial and
military aircraft and outdoor signage. It also plays a vital role in
the security industry in the form of LEXGARD(R) laminated
bullet-resistant window glazing.
It all began with a serendipitous discovery in 1953. After a
series of experiments, GE lab chemist Daniel Fox found himself with a
gooey substance that hardened in a beaker. Despite his best efforts,
Dr. Fox found he could not break or destroy the material. LEXAN(R)
polycarbonate was born and has continued to revolutionize our lives,
work and play.
Today, Dr. Fox's goop is available in a variety of finishes and
over 35,000 colors. In fact, with the help of GE Plastics
ColorXpress(R) color-matching services, its colors are virtually
limitless (it can even be made to glow in the dark!). Since 1953, GE
Plastics has sold approximately 21 billion pounds of LEXAN resin, and
today produces nearly one million metric tons of LEXAN resin each
year, serving customers around the world in dozens of industries.
Important dates in the history of LEXAN resin:
1953- Dr. Daniel Fox invents LEXAN polycarbonate.
1962- NASA begins using LEXAN resin for both Astronaut Pressure
Helmet Assemblies and Astronaut Helmet Visors.
1968- GE Plastics develops LEXAN (R)sheet. Tougher than glass,
LEXAN sheets are now used in applications such as bus and
train windows, signs, greenhouses and bullet-resistant
laminates.
1969- Taillights and indicator lenses made from LEXAN resin are
used on European sports cars to add lightweight toughness
and durability. This is the first of many uses of LEXAN
resin in the automotive industry.
The United States places the first man on the moon on July
20th. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin each wear a Bubble
Helmet made of LEXAN resin as they take man's first steps
on the moon.
1970s- During the 1970s, football helmet manufacturers begin
modeling their helmets using LEXAN resin.
1972- A new molding process makes it possible to manufacture
products made of LEXAN resin on a huge scale. One of the
first uses is a removable roof section for the Jeep(R) CJ,
the largest LEXAN resin application in the 1970s.
1974- Traffic signal manufacturers begin to replace metal with
polycarbonate. Today, both housings and lenses are made
from tough, rust-resistant LEXAN resin.
1978- The first headlamp system made of LEXAN resin debuts on the
Dodge Mirada. This breakthrough application leads the way
for today's tough, versatile and aerodynamic headlight
systems.
1980s- Starting with the F-14, the U.S. military begins using
LEXAN resin in the canopies and windshields of its fighter
jets. These jet fighter canopies are built to withstand
the impact of objects while approaching the speed of sound.
1980- Automobile manufacturers begin using LEXAN resin in the
production of automotive instrument panels. The use of
plastics in automobile interiors allows for a tremendous
amount of design flexibility and helps lead to today's
modern, flowing dashboards.
1983- Computer systems appear in offices around the world.
Companies discover they need portable units that can be
transported from site-to-site, so computer manufacturers
turn to strong, durable and lightweight LEXAN resin for
the design of laptop computer housings.
1984- Compact disc technology is introduced. GE Plastics develops
a polycarbonate formula so pure that it allows for the
delivery of digital sound with an unbelievably clear
quality at a low cost. Soon after, CDs are being sold at
record stores thanks to LEXAN resin.
1986- LEXAN sheets are used to create pathways through the Houston
Zoo, allowing visitors the opportunity to view the animals
in their element - without bars.
1990- Lightweight, optically clear and extremely durable, LEXAN
resin helps make everyday eyewear safer and more
comfortable.
1994- Using LEXAN resin and new thin-wall technology, Motorola
once again revolutionizes the cell phone industry by
developing the first Micro-TAC(R) Ultra-Lite mobile phone.
The new, smaller phone can fit into a handbag or on a belt
clip, but is as tough as its larger counterparts. Soon
after, the even smaller StarTAC(R) is developed and the
wearable phone is born.
1995- Taking thin-wall technology a step further, IBM introduces
the IBM Thinkpad(R) Butterfly Notebook computer. Using
LEXAN polycarbonate, the designers at IBM produce a laptop
computer with an expandable full size keyboard - a first
for the industry.
1996- DVDs, or Digital Video Discs, are made from an ultra-pure
LEXAN polycarbonate that allows for both digital quality
sound and video images.
1998- GE Plastics introduces a new line of special effect LEXAN
resin grades that forever change the look and feel of the
products we use everyday. Ranging from translucent to
glow-in-the-dark, the new line of LEXAN resin materials
allows designers to create entirely new looks and
products. The new look is popularized by a leading
computer manufacturer who uses a variety of wild colors to
accent its new line of PCs. As a result, a design
revolution begins in the consumer products industry.
2000- GE Plastics expands the LEXAN Visualfx(TM) resin line with a
brand-new effect, Edge Glow. The new technology adds a
bright accent to CDs, DVDs and bottles, and receives
glowing reviews from designers everywhere.
2001- LEXAN SLX resin - a new, high-gloss, scratch-resistant
plastic film that could eliminate the need to paint cars,
potentially saving the auto industry billions - is
introduced. The first commercial application of LEXAN SLX
film is the fender of the Segway(TM) Human Transporter.
Today- Fifty years after its invention, there are even more
cutting-edge LEXAN resin innovations on the horizon:
- Automotive Design -polycarbonate side and rear-view
car windows that allow for unprecedented design
flexibility, provide greater impact resistance, and
reduce overall weight for better gas mileage.
- DVD Technology - GE Plastics is currently developing
new LEXAN resin technology that will be used in a
limited play DVD that is currently being evaluated for
introduction later this year.
- Computer/TV Screens - GE Plastics is developing LEXAN
resin for use in the computer and wide-screen TV
industry. Potential benefits include reduced costs and
clearer, sharper images.
About GE Plastics
A division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), GE Plastics is
a leading producer of engineering thermoplastics, with major
production facilities worldwide. GE Plastics materials, including
LEXAN(R) polycarbonate, are used in a wide variety of applications
such as CDs, automobile parts, computer housings, cookware, outdoor
signage, cell phones, bullet-resistant shielding and building
materials. Through its LNP Engineering Plastics business, the company
is a worldwide leader in the custom compounding of engineering
thermoplastics. GE Plastics is also a global distributor of resins
through GE Polymerland, and of sheet, film, rod and tube products
through GE Polymershapes and GE Structured Products. The company's Web
site is located at www.geplastics.com. For information about LEXAN
resin, visit www.gelexan.com.
Visualfx is a trademark and LEXAN, LEXGARD and ColorXpress are
registered trademarks of General Electric Company. Jeep is a
registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler.
Thinkpad is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation. Segway is a trademark of Segway LLC. Micro-TAC
and Star-TAC are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
--30--mj/ny*
CONTACT: Peppercom, New York
Danielle Arceneax, 212/931-6122
or
GE Plastics, Pittsfield
Jay Pomeroy, 413/448-7481