Carbon Materials for Tropical Megacities: SGL Group Presents New CARBOCRETE Material in Singapore

04-30-2013 Carbon Materials for Tropical Megacities: SGL Group Presents New CARBOCRETE Material in Singapore Wiesbaden, April 30, 2013. A delegation of experts led by SGL Group - The Carbon Company presented carbon fiber applications in the construction industry to leading representatives of state construction bodies in Singapore: the Building & Construction Authority (BCA), the Housing & Development Board (HDB), JTC Corporation, and the renowned Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Energy Research Institute. The main part of the three-day visit in mid-April was a series of application-based workshops. Experts from Germany's leading textile concrete research institutes at Dresden University of Technology and RWTH Aachen University, the Carbon Composites e.V. (CCeV) Department for High-performance Materials in the Construction Industry, and SGL Group Corporate Research Division demonstrated the current state of technology by reference to existing projects and showed new possibilities for using CARBOCRETE - carbon fiber-reinforced concrete - in urban spaces under tropical climate conditions.

In this new composite material, carbon fibers are used instead of steel to reinforce the concrete. These strong, very stiff but lightweight fibers do not corrode. Even extremely high air humidity such as occurs in Singapore cannot damage them. This not only makes carbon-reinforced concrete more durable than steel-reinforced concrete but also more efficient, since the thick concrete outer layers required to protect steel reinforcement are no longer necessary.

It was these aspects of sustainability and material saving that particularly attracted the interest of the workshop participants. In Singapore, where even the sand for concrete has to be imported, the Government is seeking innovative concepts for energy and resource efficiency and backing them with state funding. By systematically promoting science and technology, while at the same time guaranteeing protection of intellectual property and recognized certification standards, Singapore has not only become an Asian science metropolis but also a center for applied product research. This is reflected in the innovative and richly diverse architecture of Singapore, to which a comprehensive Green Building tour was devoted as a finale to the visit.

The next step is to identify pilot applications for carbon fiber-reinforced concrete and, with the further assistance of state bodies, to find partners for joint projects in Singapore.

CARBOCRETE -

About SGL Group The Carbon Company SGL Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensiveportfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group's core competenciesare its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group's carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as very good electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to industrialization in the growth regions of Asia and Latin America and increased substitution of traditional with innovative materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group's high-performance materials and products. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.

With 47 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2012, the Company's workforce of around 6,700 employees generated sales of 1,709 million. The Company's head office is located in Wiesbaden.

Further information on the SGL Group can be found online at: www.sglgroup.com

Important note: This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not to be understood as guarantees. Rather, future developments and results depend on a number of factors; they entail various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions which may prove to be inaccurate. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic, legal, and business conditions, particularly relating to our main customer industries, such as electric steel production, to the competitive environment, to interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, to technological developments, and to other risks and unanticipated circumstances. Other risks that in our opinion may arise include price developments, unexpected developments connected with acquisitions and subsidiaries, and unforeseen risks associated with ongoing cost savings programs. SGL Group does not intend or assume any responsibility to revise or otherwise update these forward-looking statements.

LINK:	http://www.sglgroup.com/cms/international/press-lounge/news/2013/04/04...
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