SABIC today unveiled the ‘Archi-Light Concept House’ at the official opening ceremony of Chinaplas 2013. Archi-Light is a themed exhibition within the larger show, which focuses on environmentally friendly plastic construction materials that are aesthetically pleasing yet practical.
As the centerpiece of the exhibition, the Concept House, brings to life SABIC’s differentiated approach to creating new products that drive industries forward and address tomorrow’s challenges. It also tells a powerful story of how SABIC is applying cutting-edge science to benefit human living and addressing sustainability issues prevalent in rapid urbanization.
Built entirely using innovative, state-of-the-art materials all of which are exclusively produced by SABIC, the house provides a view into the home of the future in a new era of sustainable living. This view is particularly relevant and important in the context of China as the nation moves rapidly towards unprecedented urbanization, with a high emphasis on quality and environmental integrity.
Commitment to China
Population growth and urbanization in China have created vast opportunities for industries, including building and construction, electronics, healthcare, and transportation. This has also resulted in China being the largest growth market and a key investment destination for SABIC. In addition to SABIC’s three manufacturing sites in China, upcoming facilities include a thermoplastics engineering facility in Chongqing (2014); SABIC Technology Centre in Shanghai (2013); and the polycarbonate production complex in Tianjin (2015).
“To put it very simply: China’s success is SABIC’s success. We share the Chinese government’s dream of quality urbanization in line with the 12th five-year plan. Our investments in China and our portfolio of energy-efficient, sustainable materials underscore our commitment to providing solutions for the escalating urban energy demands, the transition to clean energy and the need for environmental conservation. Together with our partners and customers in China, we are confident of playing a keen role in helping to further improve the quality of life for Chinese citizens,” remarked Khaled Al-Mana, Executive Vice President, Polymers, SABIC.
Win-win Local Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions
Since its entry into Greater China in 1980, SABIC has been committed to creating long-term success for, and growing along with China. On material innovation, SABIC collaborates with local research partners to create innovative and sustainable solutions that benefit China through world-class technologies and technical expertise.
“Propelling industries forward is something we can only do through strong partnerships and by building win-win relationships to help create solutions for a truly sustainable world. Our efforts are focused on helping our customers and partners to work in new and better ways with us so that they can efficiently, reliably and sustainably meet the needs of China,” said Keith Smith, Executive Vice President, Innovative Plastics, SABIC.
One such partnership is SABIC’s cooperation pact with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) to develop innovative processes to efficiently manufacture petrochemicals. SABIC also collaborates with Fudan University, and Chinese government ministries, including the Ministries of Health, Environmental Protection, and Industry and Information Technology, to propose best practices and standards for the chemical industry.
R&D Heritage and Excellence in Asia
Research and development is a cornerstone of SABIC’s strategy and growth in Asia and the company will continue to invest in building up its R&D presence. As the region tackles challenges such as rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles, there will be an unprecedented demand for modern infrastructure. This in turn will result in a demand for more sophisticated industrial applications and products from manufacturers.
In response to these mega trends and resultant demands, by end 2013, SABIC will have four Technology and Application Centres in Asia leading the development of innovative, sustainable solutions to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated marketplace. These include two existing application centres in Moka, Japan and Seoul, Korea, and two new SABIC Technology Centres in Bangalore, India and Shanghai, China.
Powering the Archi-Light Concept House
Visitors to the Archi-Light Concept House will have the opportunity to experience in an immersive way, SABIC’s innovation in real-life, sustainable applications.
Forming the walls of the house, the virtually unbreakable LEXAN™ THERMOCLICK™ sheet is mainly used in profile-free building facades, claddings and interior separation walls. This material helps reduce transport and labor costs, facilitates easy and fast installation, enhances light penetration while providing excellent UV and fire resistance. Its smart connection system reduces the need for complex aluminum files and thereby potentially reduces installation costs, time and enhances aesthetics. The UV protected outer surface can offer long-term weatherability and its multiwall structure offers excellent thermal insulation.
The security glazing of the house is made with a coated LEXAN™ MARGARD™ sheet. With its inherent high impact resistance, clarity and guaranteed durability, this material helps to maintain safety and a clear view in indoor applications. 50 per cent lighter and 250 times more impact resistant than glass, this is an excellent option for security glazing. It also offers excellent abrasion and UV resistance and is backed by limited warranty against breakage, yellowing, loss of light transmission and coating failure.
The foam application of the Archi-Light Concept House makes use of SABIC® LDPE Ultra Melt Strength (UMS), which incorporates high-performing Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) materials that provide a high insulating capacity for building applications and an outstanding shock-absorbing capability for packaging applications.
The pipes and fittings in the house are made of polypropylene (PP) random copolymer grade PP651H. It offers high molecular weight and special additive package, providing high heat stability and high extraction resistance for demanding pressure pipes applications, especially in the transportation of hot water up to boiling point. Along with its lightweight characteristics, PP651H also provides the benefits of durability and resistance to corrosion.
These and many more innovative solutions will be showcased at the Archi-Light Concept House, which is open to all visitors to Chinaplas 2013 on May 20 – 23 in Hall 10.2 B31, China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou.