Solutia Automotive Color Interlayer Goes Mainstream; Vanceva(TM) Color Used in Production Vehicles

TROY, Mich., Sept. 25 -- Some automakers are seeing red about automotive glass. They're also seeing blue. And green. And gray. Not only are they seeing it, automakers are using it to give their products a distinctive look. It's all a trend toward mass customization, according to Solutia Automotive, leading supplier of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), an automotive glass interlayer. Solutia's advanced interlayer, Vanceva(TM) Color, is one of the products that give vehicles that distinctive look.

"It's been said time and again that a vehicle purchase is based as much on emotional appeal as it is on price and other considerations," said Jay L. Pyper, North American market development director for Solutia Automotive. "If consumers know that they can inject some of their own personality into the vehicle, that is a prime motivator to purchase a product. That's what a colored glass interlayer allows -- your own bit of input into a mass produced product."

The trend has followed a pattern with colored interlayers first becoming popular on concept vehicles and now migrating into mainstream production vehicles, according to Pyper. One of the first vehicles in the trend is the Chrysler 2004 PT Cruiser Dream Cruiser Series 3, which was introduced to the media August 12th. The windshield of the PT Cruiser Dream Cruiser Series 3 features a blue colored interlayer sandwiched between two pieces of glass, which is supplied to the Chrysler Group by Vitro, one of the world's leading OEM glass manufacturer suppliers. The blue was specifically formulated by Solutia Automotive to match Chrysler specifications.

"That is a distinct advantage for an automaker," said Pyper. "As they determine body color configurations, even in the design stages, they can bring us those ideas and we can either match or create a complementary color for the vehicle."

Solutia Automotive's Vanceva(TM) Color also retains benefits inherent to laminated glass:

* Intrusion resistance -- the tough PVB interlayer increases intrusion resistance by about 10 percent over tempered glass.

* Protection of passengers and interior materials from UV ray penetration -- tests by the Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency showed a 90 percent reduction in UV ray penetration with laminated glass versus 60 percent using ordinary tempered glass, or the equivalent of a 50 SPF sunblock.

* Weight reduction -- Laminated glass weighs 11 percent less than comparable tempered glass.

* Reduction from irritating outside noise -- a PVB interlayer reduces intrusion of noise by up to six decibels.

Solutia Inc. , an independent, publicly owned enterprise headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, has a major presence in both national and international markets. Solutia produces Saflex(R) and Vanceva(TM) brand PVB interlayers, that are used to manufacture the laminated glass used in automotive, architectural and residential applications throughout the world, and is the sole supplier of PVB for aircraft -- the most demanding application. The company's other businesses include synthetic fibers, resins, aviation hydraulic fluids, high-performance specialty chemicals and other performance products. Information about Solutia Automotive may be found at www.solutiaautomotive.com .