Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP)
Owens Corning to Supply Growing North American Long Fiber Thermoplastics Market
Two new products from Owens Corning provide outstanding processing characteristics, helping producers increase capacity to meet a market expected to grow by 7.3% per year
ORLANDO, Fla. - Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements for composite systems, is preparing to meet growing demand for glass fiber reinforced long fiber thermoplastics (LFT) with two products that offer value-added manufacturing processing and overall system cost reduction.
According to a recent report* by Applied Market Information, LLC, the North American long fiber thermoplastics market is expected to grow by 7.3 percent each year through 2018, driven by changes in environmental regulations, functional integration, and safety requirements. Owens Corning's Performax® SE4849 and SE4850 rovings for LFTP and DLFT, respectively, are redefining LFT performance for a variety of applications requiring intricate function such as automotive, appliances, and consumer goods.
"We are committed to providing an effective supply to this growing market, so we are working hard to industrialize and commercialize these products from our facility in Amarillo, Texas, which is our largest asset in the world," said Dr. Chris Skinner, director of product platforms, Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business.
Performax® SE4849 and SE4850 rovings are designed for LFT Polypropylene (PP) hot-melt compounding, pultrusion, DLFT processes, and continuous fiber-reinforced plastic tapes. Produced using Owens Corning's Advantex® corrosion-resistant glass fiber, these products create the opportunity for increased line speeds - enabling the producers to increase their capacity and reduce manufacturing costs without adding capital. Due to outstanding processing characteristics, such as excellent wet-out and dispersion, splice strength, and resistance to fuzz, the new rovings allow for up to 40 percent increase in compounding line speed and 20 percent increase in glass loading.
Owens Corning is exhibiting at CAMX 2014 in Orlando this week, at the Orange County Convention Center, West Building. Owens Corning is in booth #2273 in the exhibit hall.
* "Long fibre polypropylene compounds - the global market" published September 2014 by AMI
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune® 500 company for 60 consecutive years and in business for more than 75 years, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.3 billion in 2013 and about 15,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at: www.owenscorning.com.
Source
Owens Corning
Contact: Media: Amanda Meehan, 419-248-5726
Web Site: http://www.owenscorning.com
