GE Acquires Witton Silylated Polyurethane Resins and Now Offers Portfolio of SPUR+* Prepolymers

GE Advanced Materials, Silicones has announced this week the acquisition of a group of high-quality silylated polyurethane resins from Witton Chemicals Ltd., a United Kingdom-based company, to complement the launch of GE's third generation of SPUR+* prepolymers into the coatings, adhesives and sealants industries.

With the acquisition of Witton's silylated polyurethane resins, formulators can now benefit from one-stop shopping provided by GE's multi-product portfolio of prepolymers. All silylated polyurethanes from the company, including the complementary Witton products that will be offered under GE's SPUR+ trademark, have proven compatibility. According to the company, the SPUR+ prepolymers are free of isocyanates and plasticizers, and offer an array of superior properties such as ease of use, low viscosity, paintability, longer shelf life and improved chemical resistance and mechanical performance.

Witton has worked closely with both GE and GE's previously acquired OSi Specialties business since 1996. Two Witton products, WSP 725 and WSP 627, will become SPUR+ 1010 LM prepolymer (low modulus) and SPUR+ 1050 MM prepolymer (medium modulus), respectively.

"GE acquired industry-proven materials from an industry leader to create this multi-product offering," said Ian R. Moore, general manager of GE's Silanes, Resins and Specialties. "This approach will benefit formulators by taking the guesswork out of prepolymer interactions, simplifying ordering, and supporting growth into new industries interested in lowering environmental impact of isocyanates. And GE plans to develop new additives that will further enhance the performance of SPUR+ resins and improve adhesive/sealant technology in many applications."

SPUR+ prepolymer technology, combined with new Silquest* silane adhesion promoters, offers high-performance properties and easy formulation. Professional contractors appreciate the excellent application characteristics of SPUR+-based sealants, and the subsequent good adhesion to a host of difficult materials, including primerless wet and dry concrete, glass, metals and plastics. SPUR+ prepolymer-based sealants offer excellent resistance to water and chemicals, according to the company. And because these polyurethanes are free of isocyanates, they help minimize impact on the environment.

The new line of SPUR+ prepolymers was launched on Oct. 10, 2005 at the Adhesives and Sealants Council Fall seminar in Louisville, Ky.