TWINTEX® Technical Fabric from Owens Corning Chosen for Innovative Vacuum Bag Molded Thermoplastic Composite Canoe

Paris, France: April 1, 2008 – TWINTEX® Technical Fabric from Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) has been chosen by German sport and leisure boat builder, Mega Sports Vertriebs, for its new innovative Robson Brook-16 composite canoe. In this application TWINTEX® allowed the boat builder to replace rotomolding with low investment vacuum bag molding, to achieve a light weight, high stiffness, abrasive and impact resistant structure that was not subject to part-shrinkage during processing.

TWINTEX® Technical Fabric comprises commingled E-glass fibers and thermoplastic filaments which, in this particular application, are polypropylene (PP) fibers. The commingling technology also allows a high glass content of up to 80 percent to be achieved, thereby providing for exceptionally strong lightweight parts, while still retaining an even surface finish.

A significant environmental advantage of utilizing thermoplastic composites and vacuum bag closed molding technology is that no emissions are produced during the curing process. Moreover, the material can be recycled at end-of-life when it can be shredded and, in a 50/50 mix with virgin resin, be reused for injection molding automotive and other applications.

Importantly, the combination of TWINTEX® and vacuum bag molding enables the production of low volume, large thermoplastic composite parts able to meet high mechanical performance and long-life criteria, as well as delivering consistent part quality. This makes it ideal for sport and leisure, niche automotive and marine applications for which high quality is demanded in short production-run parts.

To achieve an optimum performance to weight ratio for the application TWINTEX® T PP60 745 AF 1-1, a 60/40 glass to PP grade was selected for the new Robson Brook-16 canoe structure, which measures 488cm long, has a beam of 99cm and depth of 48cm.

“We chose TWINTEX® thermoplastic composite because it met all the criteria we set for the new canoe,” says Karl Fischer, Co-owner of Mega Sports Vertriebs. “The material gave a technical look similar to that of carbon with its fusion of performance, style and color. Its weight is almost the same as an ABS sandwich construction but 30 percent lighter than canoes molded in PE. The material’s high stiffness and impact and abrasion resistance were

also important to prevent damage during transportation and use.”

“Customers like the characteristics of the thermoplastic composite canoe because it’s light, strong and equally easy to handle in-water and during portage and also, of course, because it’s an innovative product which is distinct and differentiated from other brands. This positive reaction has led us to consider touring kayaks made of TWINTEX® as a next development in our range,” concluded Fischer.

TWINTEX® Technical Fabric is manufactured by Owens Corning in Europe and is supported by a technical center at Chambéry, France, where a team is available to assist customers to maximize the value-in-use benefits of the company’s range of technical fabrics, reinforcements and specialty products.

TWINTEX®, a commingled product based on reinforcement glass fibers and thermoplastic filaments such as PE, PP, PET or PBT is commercially available mainly in the form of rovings, sheets, pellets, and fabrics and used to reinforce plastics for applications in a wide range of end-use markets such as electricity/electronics, construction, automotive, marine and sports and leisure.

Following approval by regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States, Owens Corning completed the acquisition of Saint-Gobain's Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses for $640 million on November 1, 2007.

The acquisition accelerates Owens Corning's global growth strategy and strengthens its position as a market leader in glass reinforcements and composites. Owens Corning is exhibiting in Hall 1.1 Booth P18 at the annual JEC Composites Show - the company’s first major industry platform since the acquisition - held at the Expo Paris, Porte de Versailles, Paris, France, April 1-3, 2008.