Solvay Advanced Polymers, makers of more plastics with more performance, signed a non-exclusive distribution partnership with leading Swiss material supplier, B. Bigler AG of Zug, Switzerland, to supply its customers in Switzerland, Austria and Germany with KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and AvaSpire modified PEEK polymers. The agreement comes on the heels of last month’s announcement of the start-up phase of Solvay Advanced Polymer’s affiliate’s new commercial PEEK facility in Panoli, India.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for our business and our customers,” explained Hans-Jürgen Köster, General Manager of B. Bigler. “This partnership will enable us to expand our polymeric offerings into the upper most tier of performance plastics. With Solvay, we have a partner that brings an impressive PEEK-based portfolio to the marketplace. It will give our customers powerful solutions to choose from when designing their products.”
In addition to being a leading petrochemical trader, B. Bigler is a premier supplier of commodity and engineered thermoplastics. The company has a strong roster of injection molding clients serving the automotive, textile and healthcare industries, among others.
With this announcement, B.Bigler will now enter the ultra polymers market with the addition of KetaSpire PEEK and AvaSpire modified PEEK.
“We’re very pleased to partner with B. Bigler, a thermoplastic distributor recognized and respected for excellence in delivering technical support and service,” commented Chris Wilson, Solvay Advanced Polymers’ Vice President, Ultra Polymers. “More importantly, this agreement is an important step in developing our PEEK supply chain to meet a critical need within the marketplace for a credible, alternative suite of PEEK products.”
KetaSpire PEEK and AvaSpire modified PEEK are highly prized by design engineers due to their best-in-class chemical resistance and mechanical properties, including strength, stiffness and ease of processing. This combination of performance attributes makes PEEK an ideal polymer for applications in aerospace, automotive, friction and wear components, healthcare, oil exploration and production, and semiconductors, among others.
About B. Bigler AG
B. Bigler is a market leader in the trade of petrochemical raw materials. The company’s commercial activities also extend to the distribution of thermoplastics and chemicals. B. Bigler offers a wide range of products backed by a team of technical and market professionals. For more information about B. Bigler, visit
www.biglerag.com.
About Solvay Advanced Polymers
Solvay Advanced Polymers, LLC, produces more plastics with more performance than any other company in the world. This gives design engineers worldwide more ways to solve top design challenges in automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace and other demanding industries. Learn more at
www.solvayadvancedpolymers.com.
SOLVAY is an international industrial Group active in Chemistry. It offers a broad range of products and solutions that contribute to improving quality of life. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and employs about 19,000 people in 50 countries. In 2009, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 8.5 billion. Solvay is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Brussels (NYSE Euronext:
SOLB.BE - Bloomberg:
SOLB.BB - Reuters:
SOLBt.BR). Details are available at
www.solvay.com.
CONTACT:
Solvay Advanced Polymers
Mark Wheeler
(770) 772-8849
mark.wheeler@solvay.com
