PolyOne To Feature New Advancements In Color Technology, Nanocomposites And Inherently Conductive Polymers At National Plastics Expo 2003
New technology developments, core capabilities and PolyOne Distribution highlighted at Booth 1832
CLEVELAND - PolyOne Corporation (NYSE: POL) will feature several new technologies at next month's National Plastics Expo (NPE), including advancements in color technology, nanocomposites and inherently conductive polymers (ICPs). PolyOne will be in Booth 1832, South Building at Chicago's McCormick Place for the show, which runs June 23-27, 2003.
PolyOne will introduce a new family of nanoclay-based polymer concentrates at NPE. This new nanocomposite capability is a result of a previously announced strategic alliance with Nanocor. The technology, which uses very fine nanoclays that are roughly 1/10,000th the diameter of a human hair, principally improves stiffness, fire resistance and gas barrier at lower weight than traditional additives. Nanocomposites also promote greater heat stability and electrical dissipation. Primary markets include automotive, appliance and film.
In addition, PolyOne will introduce its new color technology capabilities with special live demonstrations in a dedicated viewing theater at the booth. The new color technology offering is designed to shorten the color matching process and allow color standard data to be stored electronically compared to a traditional plastic chip. The technology will also allow customers to model a three-dimensional product in a variety of virtual environments, for example a shampoo bottle in a pharmacy, and then see with a high degree of realism what the color will actually look like.
Also featured are inherently conductive polymers (ICPs), which have similar electrical conductivity properties to metals and inorganic semiconductors, but are lighter, easier to process and more environmentally friendly. ICPs can be used in corrosion-resistant coatings, anti-static fabrics and packaging, EMI/RFI shielding, and electronic products.
"NPE is a great opportunity to talk with our customers about the breadth of our core capabilities as well as showcase many of our new technologies – platforms that are important to our future growth," said Thomas A. Waltermire, chairman and chief executive officer of PolyOne. "Our new products will be especially important to global customers because of PolyOne's unique capability to help them reach their customers around the world."
PolyOne will also highlight several products and technologies from its Engineered Materials group including:
- Ecomass® high-gravity thermoplastic compounds
- Therma-Tech™ compounds, which readily conduct heat at levels more than 100 times that of standard plastics
- Electrostatic dissipative (ESD) compounds
- Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)-based products, which are used in a variety of markets including automotive interiors, consumer products, seals and gaskets, and recreational products.
- New developments: This area will highlight PolyOne's advanced technology and product growth platforms, including nanocomposites, color technology and ICPs.
- Core capabilities: The breadth of PolyOne's products and services in Vinyl Compounds, Engineered Materials, and Color and Additive Masterbatches will be showcased here.
- PolyOne Distribution: This section will focus on the more than 15 leading suppliers, global sourcing capabilities, and advanced supply chain management and logistics services offered by the Company's distribution business.
Forward-Looking Statements
We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements.
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In this press release, statements that are not reported financial results or other historical information are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on management's expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions; prospective changes in raw material costs, product pricing or product demand; future performance or results of current and anticipated market conditions and market strategies; sales efforts; expenses; the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings; and financial results.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: (1) an inability to achieve or delays in achieving estimated and actual savings related to restructuring programs; (2) delays in achieving or inability to achieve the Company's strategic value capture initiatives, including cost reduction and employee productivity goals, or achievement of less than the anticipated financial benefit from the initiatives; (3) the effect on foreign operations of currency fluctuations, tariffs, nationalization, exchange controls, limitations on foreign investment in local businesses and other political, economic and regulatory risks; (4) changes in U.S., regional or world polymer and/or rubber consumption growth rates affecting the Company's markets; (5) changes in global industry capacity or in the rate at which anticipated changes in industry capacity come online in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlor-alkali, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) or other industries in which the Company participates; (6) fluctuations in raw material prices, quality and supply and in energy prices and supply, in particular fluctuations outside the normal range of industry cycles; (7) production outages or material costs associated with scheduled or unscheduled maintenance programs; (8) costs or difficulties and delays related to the operation of joint venture entities; (9) lack of day-to-day operating control, including procurement of raw materials, of equity or joint venture affiliates; (10) partial control over investment decisions and dividend distribution policy of the OxyVinyls partnership and other minority equity holdings of the Company; (11) an inability to launch new products and/or services that strategically fit the Company's businesses; (12) the possibility of goodwill impairment; (13) an inability to maintain any required licenses or permits; (14) an inability to comply with any environmental laws and regulations; (15) a delay or inability to achieve targeted debt levels through divestitures or other means; (16) a delay or inability to replace the Company's current receivables sale facility by June 30, 2003; and (17) a delay or an inability to complete a new long-term debt refinancing.