SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 8, 2014- Solvay Specialty Polymers will highlight its comprehensive portfolio of high-performance polymers for the solar power industryat the Intersolar North Americaexhibition July 8-10 in San Francisco. The company's offering was recently expanded with the addition of two new film grades of Halar® ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE)resin, which features a unique patented UV blocking technology that was purpose-designed for PV front sheet applications capable of meeting the industry's 25-years' service life requirement.

An advanced PV front sheet film from Amcor Flexibles developed in collaboration with Solvay using new Halar® ECTFE UV blocking technology, shows excellent long-term weatherability, dielectric strength and flame retardant characteristics (LOI >52), which makes it ideally suitable also for the growing segment of residential photovoltaic applications.

"The photovoltaic market is booming on the installation and module assembly as well as the manufacturing sides, and particularly so in China," explains Philippe-Jacques Leng, Global Market Manager, Films, for Solvay Specialty Polymers. "We believe this is a highly sustainable market that requires specially designed materials to meet the PV industry's high-performance needs, and with our broad product portfolio we are firmly positioned as a strategic supplier to our customers in this important segment."

Solvay Specialty Polymers' comprehensive offering for the photovoltaic industryincludes key products such as Halar® ECTFE- a partially fluorinated, melt-processable polymer that combines excellent mechanical properties with exceptional heat, chemical and fire resistance, giving it a perfect fit in high-performance films for weight saving front and back sheets; Solef® PVDF- a partially fluorinated polymer with outstanding chemical, UV and fatigue resistance along with exceptional barrier properties, scratch-resistance and ease of processing, which typical applications include PV module back sheets; and Cogegum® XLPO HFFR, a range of ambient-cure, cross-linkable, halogen-free fire retardant compounds that provide enhanced solutions for wire insulation and cable jacketing applications with comprehensive chemical resistance over a wide range of end-use temperatures.

Other products in the company's portfolio include Ixef® PARA, a semi-aromatic polyarylamide resin that offers a unique combination of strength and rigidity, high melt flow and excellent surface aesthetics, making it a preferred material for thin-walled PV module frames, and Polidiemme® XLPO- a range of elastomeric, ambient-cure, cross-linkable compounds with enhanced thermo-mechanical properties as well as high chemical and abrasion resistance over a wide temperature range, ideally suited for PV encapsulation.

Solvay Specialty Polymers will exhibit its diversified product portfolio for the solar energy industry at Intersolar North America 2014 from July 8 to 10, Booth 7711. Specialists from Solvay will be at the booth to discuss the advantages of their innovative specialty material solutions for customers in the photovoltaic market seeking to win and maintain a competitive edge by enhancing the sustainability and performance of their PV products.

As an international chemical group, SOLVAYassists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. Solvay generates 90% of its net sales in activities where it is among the world's top three players. It serves many markets, varying from energy and the environment to automotive and aeronautics or electricity and electronics, with one goal: to raise the performance of its clients and improve society's quality of life. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,400 people in 56 countries and generated 9.9 billion euros in net sales in 2013. Solvay SA is listed as SOLB.BEon NYSE Euronextin Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB- Reuters: SOLB.BR).

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