Bayer MaterialScience’s Protective Facade Certified for U.S. Department of State Buildings

Pittsburgh, PA, January 11, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The need for heightened security in government and diplomatic buildings is a high priority as threats increase. At the same time, building planners must meet high standards while creating an attractive exterior appearance, with limited budgets.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s Hygard® Sentinel is an innovative blast, ballistic and forced-entry resistant façade system that can be adapted for specific project requirements to protect critically important buildings and other structures.

Two versions of Hygard® Sentinel were certified by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for U.S. diplomatic missions. Both Hygard® BL80 and Hygard® BL80-GC8 successfully defended against a “15-minute” simulated forced entry assault. Hygard® BL80-GC8 also met the Department of State’s high-level ballistics resistance requirements (Hygard® BL80 can be used where only a UL3 level is required).

“This prestigious Department of State certification demonstrates that Bayer’s Hygard® Sentinel meets the high standards for diplomatic building protection,” said Roger Rumer, marketing leader, Public Sector Business, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “Additionally, the Hygard® system offers beautiful, yet practical, design possibilities with high light-transmission properties, as well as good thermal management levels.”

The Hygard Sentinel system can be added to existing buildings to avoid the high costs of relocating or building new, more secure structures. The system combines the aesthetics and impact resistance of Hygard polycarbonate laminate panels with a high-strength, energy-absorbing steel mounting structure.

Open-arena blast testing and highly sophisticated modeling have demonstrated the capabilities of this system to protect a building from significantly higher blast pressures, such as from a blast at closer stand-off distance than currently employed protective facades.

About Bayer MaterialScience LLC:
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,800 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2011 sales of 10.8 billion euros. Bayer MaterialScience’s 2011 sales in North America were $2.9 billion. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

Contact:
Sean Kelly, Phone: 412-777-5200
Email: sean.kelly@bayer.com

For more information in North America, please call Roger Rumer at 412-777-5639 or email roger.rumer@bayer.com or Karl Wiecking at 860-930-7713 or email karl.wiecking@bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

It is not possible for Bayer to make definitive claims that the Hygard® Sentinel system will protect any building from any and all explosions, or all occupants from injury or fatality, and we make no such warranty. The Hygard® Sentinel system is designed to effectively absorb the shock-wave of a blast up to design parameters, defined for each project in terms of specific psi of pressure and psi-msec impulse from the blast shock-wave and still leave the protected structure with minimal damage. Even within these design limits, building occupants may experience injuries or fatalities due to conditions beyond our control.