Honoring a Heritage of Market “Firsts” that Support and Improve Everyday Life
ALBANY, N.Y., May 19, 2010 — Momentive Performance Materials begins celebrating 70 years of innovation this month, honoring a rich heritage of market “firsts” that support and improve everyday life. In May of 1940, the process allowing for the industrial production of silicones was developed by a research chemist at General Electric Company (GE) Research Laboratory - a Momentive heritage company - giving rise to a new global industry and a thriving silicones business that today is Momentive Performance Materials.
This spark of ingenuity in an R&D lab started Momentive on a journey of scientific innovation that included the first true structural silicone glazing for architectural applications, the first silicone polyethers for textile treatment, laundry softeners and personal care products and the first hydrolytically stable super-spreader silicones for pesticides. Even the boots that enabled man to walk on the moon for the first time in July of 1969 featured silicone rubber soles made possible by Momentive, then known as GE Silicones. Today, the footprints created by these soles remain preserved on the moon surface.
“It is both humbling and inspiring to be part of such a proud history of creativity at Momentive,” said Dr. Jonathan Rich, President and CEO of Momentive. “Our silicones are used in thousands of products. By helping customers solve a wide range of design and engineering roblems, our silicone solutions allow for new developments across virtually all industries.”
“There is hardly any industry, including emerging ones like solar energy, that is untouched by silicones,” Dr. Rich added. “Silicones have become a part of everyday life, used in countless applications - from shampoos to skyscrapers to sustainable pesticides – helping whatever they are added to last longer and perform better.”
“It is an exciting time to be in this business,” Michael Modak, Chief Commercial Officer at Momentive, said. “We are well positioned to move opportunistically in the global marketplace, exploring new segments for growth by leveraging our creative edge in the chemical sciences.”
In addition to silicones, silanes and urethane additives, Momentive manufactures quartz, specialty ceramics and crystal products for high-technology industries.
Dr. Rich, who started his career at GE as a research chemist in 1982, said, “I am surrounded by some of the most creative minds in the business and certainly the most dedicated group of employees. Together, we look forward to many more years of developing new technologies that will help drive innovation designed to improve quality of life.”
About Momentive Performance Materials
Momentive is a global leader in silicones and advanced materials, with a 70-year heritage of being first to market with performance applications for major industries that support and improve everyday life. The company delivers science-based solutions, by linking custom technology platforms to opportunities for customers. Momentive Performance Materials Inc. is controlled by an affiliate of Apollo Management, L.P. Additional information is available at www.momentive.com.
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