Lightweight Polyurethane Composite Windows from Bayer and Graham Architectural Products Enhance Historic Church’s Energy Efficiency

Las Vegas, NV, February 24, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Polyurethane chemistry offers many benefits over traditional chemistries used in the pultrusion process. For officials at the Southminster Presbyterian Church, window lineals created using a glass-reinforced polyurethane pultrusion process solved a problem that was 50 years in the making.

The suburban Pittsburgh church’s steel window frames with single-pane glass were in bad shape from a half century of wear and tear. Officials chose Graham Architectural Products’ GThurm high-efficiency windows featuring G2RP® pultruded glass fibers reinforced with polyurethane, which offers improved dimensional stability, durability, thermal insulation and environmental friendliness over ordinary windows.

“We thought GThurm windows were the best insulating window, and far superior to aluminum windows and their insulation value,” said Rev. Dr. Daniel B. Merry, senior pastor, Southminster Presbyterian Church in Mt. Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb. “We believe it is cutting-edge technology.”

The polyurethane used to produce G2RP reinforced glass fibers is a unique polyurethane resin supplied by Bayer MaterialScience LLC that contains low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The windows not only provide improved insulation value but also superior strength. This is achieved through a pultrusion process in which 80 percent continuous stranded glass content is combined with 20 percent resin to produce window lineals, according to Graham Architectural Products.

“In this project, replacing the window frames alone provides significantly better thermal conductivity than the old steel frames,” said Harry George, manager, new markets, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “The GThurm product provides a more energy efficient window than a thermally broken aluminum window, or a steel frame window.”

Graham Architectural Products’ GThurm high-efficiency windows are the first American-made, architecturally rated windows (AW) to feature thermal transmission measures as low as U 0.15 (R 7) using readily available insulating glass.

Unlike traditional fiberglass window lineals, the GThurm window lineals pultruded with polyurethane require no additional reinforcement for structural integrity. The unique process allows for lightweight framing with superior structural performance and a thermal performance nearly triple that of ordinary architecturally-rated window products. The production of GThurm lineals is expected to use less energy per pound of raw materials than comparable aluminum designs, supporting a sustainable design. Polyurethane resins are also free of hazardous styrene emissions common to polyesters and vinyl esters.

About Bayer MaterialScience LLC:
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,700 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2010 sales of 10.2 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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