NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2003--50th Anniversary Celebration of GE LEXAN(R) Resin Illustrates Practical Applications of Science
Ask any child where plastic comes from and nearly a third will say a rubber tree plant, a plastic tree or even outer space(a).
Today, GE Plastics, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), hosted its first LEXAN(R) Resin Innovation Day to help kids learn about the impact plastic has on their everyday lives and to generate excitement about science by encouraging imaginative thinking.
GE Plastics' LEXAN Innovation Day was celebrated by more than 500 New York City school children--from Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx--at Grand Central Terminal and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the invention of LEXAN(R) resin, a uniquely strong and lightweight plastic that is one of the most widely-used engineered materials in the world.
In honor of LEXAN resin's 50th anniversary and to further excite children about careers in science, GE Plastics donated $50,000 to the schools attending today's celebration.
We're delighted to be part of GE Plastics' `LEXAN Innovation Day' and feel the experience is a great benefit to our students, said Josh Klaris, principal of P.S. 183/The School For Discovery, who attended today's event.
GE's resources will go a long way to help improve our science program.
To kick off this year-long celebration, GE Plastics was joined by Dr. Buzz Aldrin, who donned a space helmet--with a visor made of LEXAN resin--on his trip to the moon in 1969. Dr. Aldrin spoke with children about his career in space exploration and some of his experiences as an astronaut. NASA continues to use LEXAN resin in its face shields to this day.
From Buzz Aldrin's visor shield, to helmets worn by NFL football players, to CD and DVD technology, and today's NASCAR windshields, GE Plastics' mission has always been about innovation, said John Dineen, vice president of GE Plastics' Global LEXAN resin business.
These children represent the next generation of innovators and we want to encourage them to push the limits of their own creative thinking.
In a recent survey commissioned by GE Plastics, nearly 70 percent of six to 11 year-olds said that plastic was important to their daily lives. When asked about their favorite plastic item, 46 percent listed their computer, 25 percent cited music CDs and 20 percent preferred sports helmets, such as those worn by hockey or football players.
To demonstrate the significance of some of the children's favorite items, former New York Jets football players Marty Lyons and Wesley Walker, and former New York Giants football players Ottis Anderson and
Carl Banks--all of whom wore football helmets made of LEXAN resin during their careers--led an interactive discussion on sports safety at the event.
Also on hand were representatives from Comedy Central's BattleBots, who demonstrated their remote-controlled robots TerrorHurtz and KillerHurtz, and explained how the robots rely on their tough LEXAN(R) resin outer shields to battle it out during competition. The children were also treated to a chemistry magic show by GE chemists who demonstrated how science and experimentation can be fun.
Today's LEXAN Innovation Day kicks off a 12 Months of LEXAN celebration, which GE Plastics will take to several cities across the country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of LEXAN resin and help encourage children to carry on the legacy of innovation.
About LEXAN(R) Resin
Discovered in 1953 by GE lab chemist Daniel Fox, LEXAN resin is one of the most widely used engineered materials in the world and has contributed to product revolutions in virtually every industry.
It has helped make cars safer and lighter, enabled the digitization of music and film as CDs and DVDs, and ushered in new design trends in computers, cell phones and literally hundreds of other products.
LEXAN resin is widely used in sporting and boating equipment, building and construction materials, commercial and military aircraft and outdoor signage. It also plays a vital role for the security industry in the form of LEXGARD(R) laminated bullet-resistant window glazing.
GE Plastics produces approximately one million metric tons of LEXAN resin each year, serving customers around the world in dozens of industries.
About GE Plastics
A division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), GE Plastics is a leading producer of engineering thermoplastics, with major production facilities worldwide.
GE Plastics materials, including LEXAN(R) polycarbonate, are used in a wide variety of applications such as CDs, automobile parts, computer housings, cookware, outdoor signage, cell phones, bullet resistant shielding and building materials.
Through its LNP Engineering Plastics business, the company is a worldwide leader in the custom compounding of engineering thermoplastics. GE Plastics is also a global distributor of resin through GE Polymerland, and of sheet, film, rod and tube products through GE Polymershapes and GE Structured Products.
The company's Web site is located at www.geplastics.com. For information about LEXAN resin, visit www.gelexan.com.
(a) According to a survey commissioned by GE Plastics of six to eleven year-olds. LEXAN and LEXGARD are registered trademarks of General Electric Company.
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Jay Pomeroy, 413/448-7481
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