New Makrolon Ambient Debuts in Europe

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New Makrolon Ambient Debuts in Europe

20-Oct-2008

New Makrolon® Ambient is a new milestone for insulation of transparent construction materials

Darmstadt, Germany, October 10, 2008. With its new Makrolon® Ambient sheet, Bayer Sheet Europe has added yet another high-performance product to its portfolio. The insulation capacity of this product surpasses other transparent materials in the market. The main advantage of the Makrolon® Ambient, which is filled with Nanogel® aerogel, is that unlike glass, the heat transition coefficient U_g of 0.99 W/m²K guarantees excellent insulation both in vertical and horizontal position.

The need to reduce harmful emissions to protect the climate and the environment is recognized worldwide and was confirmed by the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. The international community agreed to negotiate a follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol by 2009 and to pursue one of the most important goals, the reduction of emissions generated in industrialized countries by 25 to 40 percent.

Because energy for buildings, especially for heating, is by far the biggest source of emissions, measures to increase the energy efficiency of buildings are the most profitable of all available options for emission reduction. The development of insulating construction materials is an important step to improve the insulation of buildings. Aerogel is the lightest weight solid and one of the best thermal insulators in the world. The incorporation of Cabot Corporation's Nanogel® aerogel material into Makrolon Ambient sheets creates a significant increase in thermal efficiency without adding weight or sacrificing natural light transmission.

With its new Makrolon® Ambient, Bayer Sheet Europe introduces a material with unique insulating properties. The heat transition coefficient U_g of the polycarbonate sheet filled with Nanogel® is only 0.99 W/m²K, both in horizontal and vertical position. While double panels made of super-insulating glass reach almost the same U_g of 1,1 W/m²K in vertical position, their insulating effect is worse in horizontal position, where the U_g increases to 1.7 W/m²K. Therefore Makrolon® Ambient is the best insulating option for horizontal transparent roofs. The sheet is perfectly suited for residential buildings, such as conservatories and sunrooms, as well as industrial and large-scale construction. Over super-insulating double glazing, Makrolon® Ambient saves 185 liters heating oil, or 213 cubic meters gas annually for a roof surface of 20 square meters.

Makrolon® has a significantly lower weight than glass, which also reduces the investment costs, because a much lighter the sub-structure is required for the Makrolon® sheets. This means that with the same amount of money, a much larger transparent surface can be covered. The sheets not only have the beneficial effect of reducing heat loss, but they also take advantage of solar gains, which contributes to heating the building and reducing its energy needs.

The sheets feature a high level of light transmission, are unbreakable, anti-glare, have a long-life and provide optimum sound insulation against rain and hale. In terms of functionality, safety and comfort, the new Makrolon® Ambient leaves hardly anything to be desired.

Under the name Makrolon® Ambient S2S-25 clear 1060, the highly insulated sheets are available up to a width of 1,220 millimeters and a length of 6 meters. Due to their Nanogel® filling, they are not available in standard sizes but are always custom-manufactured.

Bayer Sheet Europe will present its new Makrolon® Ambient and other products from its portfolio at the Glassex trade fair in Birmingham, UK, taking place from April 8 through 10, 2008, at Stand 4-E22.

Nanogel® is a registered trademark of Cabot Corporation.

About Bayer Sheet

Bayer Sheet Europe develops, produces and sells Makrolon^® polycarbonate sheets, Axpet^® and Vivak^® polyester sheets, as well as Bayloy high-quality plastic sheets. Applications of Bayer Sheet Europe products for the construction sector include sports stadiums, train stations, and greenhouses. In the area of design and display, applications include plastic sheet for the surface protection of large displays, billboards, traffic signs, and price boards. In addition, Bayer Sheet Europe products can also be found in industrial applications such as protective visors, machinery protective covers, lamp covers, and housings.For more information on the wide range of products from Bayer Sheet Europe, please visit our website: www.bayersheeteurope.com

About Cabot Corporation

Nanogel translucent aerogel material is manufactured exclusively by Cabot Corporation in Frankfurt, Germany using a process based on Cabot's patented surface modification and fine-particle manufacturing technology. Cabot is a global specialty chemicals and materials company headquartered in Boston, MA, USA. Its major products are carbon black, fumed silica, inkjet colorants, capacitor materials, and cesium formate drilling fluids. For more information visit www.cabot-corp.com.