OREANDA-NEWS. SABIC 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 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.

"SABIC is committed to collaboration through strong partnerships that help propel industries forward, driving innovation and success. In China, SABIC has developed win-win relationships with SINOPEC and leading universities throughout the country that are enabling innovation and helping the country and its people achieve the China Dream. Our efforts will continue to be focused on working with our customers and strategic partners to create new and better ways for industry to 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.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.

SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 24.72 billion (USD 6.59 billion) in 2012. Sales revenues for 2012 totaled SR 189 billion (USD 50.40 billion). Total assets stood at SR 338 billion (USD 90.13 billion) at the end of 2012.

SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 18 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India, China and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.

SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Head-quartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 per cent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 per cent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.