Polymer :: GE Invents Innovative New Resin for Exceptional Performance – New Polymer in 20 Years

Underscoring its position as an innovator of many of the most advanced materials technologies in the world, GE Plastics today announced another first: the invention and launch of Extem(1) thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) resins. This new family of highly engineered polymers meets growing OEM demand for easy-to-produce parts that can withstand extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals in the most demanding end-use applications ? in industries such as semiconductor wafer handling, defense, oil & gas processing, aerospace, high-performance fibers, electronics, and automotive.

GE?s new Extem resins not only directly address a previously unmet market need for a high-tech yet cost-effective alternative to other materials on the market, but are also inherently flame-retardant without the use of halogenated additives that have been known to pose environmental risks. This GE ?Imagination Breakthrough? represents the invention of the first truly new polymer technology in two decades. Extem resins provide exceptional high-performance, while eliminating the drawbacks of other materials, delivering a powerful combination of part manufacturing ease ? using any of several plastics processing techniques ? with ultra-high thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties.

?Our new Extem resin line represents a huge leap in cost-performance designed to help our customers grow their businesses,? said Brian Herington, general manager, High Performance Polymers, GE Plastics. ?We?ve radically changed the game with a new, much needed polymer technology that we think will go a long way to help our customers compete, grow, and succeed.?

Where many competitive materials are often opaque, GE?s Extem resins can be transparent for greater design flexibility. The GE products also remain stiff and stable under loads at elevated temperatures; do not require curing to eliminate brittleness and enhance physical properties like other products do; and offer true thermoplastic melt processability (with ultra-high performance as molded) to provide more cost effective, ultra-high-performance.

To learn more about the new Extem resin family, please visit GE Plastics? website by following this link: http://www.geplastics.com/gep/Plastics/en/ProductsAndServices/ ProductLine/extem.html. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser’s address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)