Three high performance glass fibre thermoplastic reinforcements offer lower outgassing, enhanced hydrolysis resistance, superior strength and fatigue resistance.

At the international Composites and Polycon 2006 show in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Owens Corning introduced three new products to its PerforMax high performance thermoplastic reinforcements' portfolio, which offer lower outgassing, enhanced hydrolysis resistance and other mechanical properties, such as superior strength and fatigue resistance compared to similar competitive products. Following are the product highlights, which will allow a new generation of technological advances in automotive, electronic and appliance/plumbing applications.

PerforMax LG chopped strand has been designed specifically for small electronic and electrical components such as SMT connectors, LED and relay housings to reduce outgassing.

This is key, as the industry has exhausted most possibilities for outgassing from polymer matricies and additives.

Key attributes of PerforMax LG chopped strands include the following.

* 25 percent lower outgassing than competitive reinforcements in polymers such as PA (polyamide) 6, PA 6.6 and PA 4.6, resulting in cleaner mold surfaces and better part surface aesthetics, because of a lack of deposits which form on mold surfaces and block vents.

* Using Loss On Ignition (LOI) as a measure of performance, PerforMax LG has an LOI of 0.17% as compared to an LOI of 0.5% presented by standard reinforcements.

* Reduced risk of damage to active components during assembly.

PerforMax HR chopped strand is tailored for applications exposed to fluids and high temperatures, such as parts used for plumbing, heating and ventilation and automotive under-hood components.

Engine cooling conditions have become increasingly severe as automakers push the limits of engine design to achieve higher performance and greater fuel economy.

This has resulted in engines running hotter, a problem which until now was only combated by adding new chemicals to coolant mixes - creating further challenges for traditional polyamides and reinforcements.

The PerforMax HR reinforcements deliver: * A 15% improvement in retained mechanical strength when compared to competitive hydrolysis-resistant chopped strand products.

* Superior hydrolysis resistance reducing the risk of polymer breakdown by moisture and chemicals in high temperature environments.

* Long-term, high-temperature fatigue resistance; making it also suitable for electronic applications.

* Grades compatible with PA and PPS polymers.

* Parts that exhibit less than half the long-term fatigue values of those using competitive glass fiber reinforcements_providing the ability to eliminate higher cost additives which were necessary to prevent long-term high temperature fatigue of parts subject to increasingly tough conditions PerforMax SP chopped strand is specifically designed for reinforcing 'Super Engineering Plastics' and is an ideal complement to the superior property profiles of LCP, PPS, PEI, PES and PEEK polymers in the most harsh and demanding electronic, automotive and plumbing applications.

These reinforcements deliver the following.

* A 40% lower outgassing, resulting in cleaner mold surfaces and improved final part aesthetics, and fewer defects and reworking with LCP, PES, PEI, PPS and PEEK.

* Temperature performance exceeding 400 deg C while maintaining high fatigue resistance.

'With the launch of these and other new high performance thermoplastic applications, Owens Corning has begun delivering on its promise of breakthrough products through the combination of complementary technologies following the company's acquisition of the composites business of Japan's Asahi Fiber Glass Company in May this year,' said Owens Corning senior engineer Hiromasa Suzuki.

'What the Owens Corning and Asahi technical teams have done, is to address the outgassing issue in respect to the sizing of the glass fiber reinforcement.

This has involved changes at the molecular level to deliver significantly lower outgassing than competitive products, and clear, game-changing technological advantages to the design engineers, compounders, molders and OEMs who make up the value chain.' * About Owens Corning - Owens Corning is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions.

A Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years, Owens Corning people redefine what is possible each day to deliver high-quality products and services ranging from insulation, roofing, siding and manufactured stone veneer, to glass composite materials used in transportation, electronic, telecommunications and other high-performance applications.

Since the company's founding in 1938, Owens Corning has become a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of US$6.3 billion in 2005 and 20,000 employees in 26 countries.