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PETROCHEMICALS: Polymers

SABIC's Polymers business stays resilient by focusing on sustainability and operational excellence, ensuring steady performance amid market volatility.

Products*

Polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, elastomers, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and others.
Products*

High heat families of ULTEM™ resins – polyetherimide (PEI), SILTEM™ resins – copolymer of polyetherimide and siloxane, and EXTEM™ resins – thermoplastic polyimide (TPI); LNP™ resins and compounds, LNP™ PC copolymers, and NORYL™ resins and compounds – polyphenylene ether (PPE).

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Over the last three years, the polymers industry has had to contend with a number of challenges, from fluctuating commodity prices and persistent supply chain disruptions to broader geopolitical concerns. Increased regulatory scrutiny and growing demands for sustainable practices have compounded these pressures. The industry itself is shifting, and emerging trends include a focus on more advanced and specialized products and a shift toward recyclable and circular polymers to meet evolving customer needs. Amid this complex landscape, SABIC's Polymers business has remained resilient by emphasizing sustainable solutions and operational excellence.

SELECTED 2024 DEVELOPMENTS

AUTOMOTIVE

In 2024, SABIC introduced new products to address trends in the automotive sector. As part of BLUEHERO™, we added several flame-retardant polypropylene and engineering thermoplastic grades, offering enhanced material options to help mitigate the risk of fire spread in EV batteries. Another key product release, our new SABIC^® PP-UMS foam resin, provides high melt strength, low-density foamability, and excellent impact resistance to support weight reduction, cost savings, and emissions standards. Additionally, in response to trends in smart panels and lighting, we developed solutions that enhance light shielding, transparency, and low haze, while incorporating bio-renewable resin options.

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

SABIC introduced a new polypropylene pipe solution using a random copolymer that delivers enhanced performance under high pressures and temperatures, with improved durability and reliability. Developed in collaboration with leading partners, the green-colored resin has been localized in Saudi Arabia. With high thermal stability and a formulation designed for heat-resistant performance, this grade is an excellent candidate material for manufacturing cold and hot water pipes and fittings for drinking water transport, offering a long service life.

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS

In the electrical and electronics sector, advancements in battery technology remained an area of focus. We achieved a key breakthrough with the first production of PP resin suited for Aluminum Lamination Film pouch cells.

Beyond battery technology, we delivered innovations across other key areas. In collaboration with Growatt, we enabled the replacement of metal with durable plastics using our LEXAN™ polycarbonate resin for residential PV housing. In partnership with MSI, we introduced a new CYCOLOY™ resin with up to 30% post-consumer content, now used in the bottom cover of MSI's Raider GE68HX gaming laptop. The launch of a cost leadership LEXAN™ resin grade further strengthened our position in the electrical and electronics core business by optimizing performance and cost for wall plate applications. We also collaborated with key manufacturers to develop solutions using polypropylene (PP) and engineering thermoplastics (ETP) for their cordless vacuum cleaners.

ADVANCED CONSUMER SOLUTIONS

Our consumer solutions portfolio continues to be shaped by both market and regulatory requirements globally. In Europe and the Middle East, a key introduction was a food-grade SABIC^® HDPE resin for still water caps. As the first bimodal product for this application from SABIC, it supports lightweight designs for shorter-neck caps, complies with food contact regulations, and is fully recyclable. The material also enables tethered caps, meeting the European Union's single-use plastics directive requiring closures to remain attached to beverage containers.

HEALTHCARE AND HYGIENE

In 2024, we advanced our healthcare and hygiene portfolio with materials designed to meet the many needs of medical and personal care applications. We introduced VALOX resin, a high-performance, medical-grade polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), engineered for precision components in insulin delivery systems and continuous glucose monitors. This material combines exceptional processability, chemical resistance, and biocompatibility, making it an excellent choice for critical healthcare technologies. SABIC strengthened its presence in the healthcare market with the successful commercialization of its newly developed polypropylene medical grade for syringes in Saudi Arabia.

AEROSPACE

We partnered with Cybershield, Inc. to advance the use of plated ULTEM™ resins in applications requiring high heat and durability. Through our collaboration, Cybershield successfully molded ULTEM™ 2310 resin into backshells for electrical components, with highlights of this effort showcased at NPE 2024 and the 2024 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX).

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI requires specialized PCBs with high processing power, low latency, and effective thermal management. The demand for specialized PCBs is growing as AI algorithms become more intricate and advanced. SABIC Specialties' unique PPE additives help enable AI PCB manufacturers to design for lower dielectric properties, increased thermal performance, greater toughness, low moisture uptake, and enhanced flame retardancy to meet the step change in AI chip and server architecture.

INDUSTRIAL

We collaborated with the Germany-based LiDAR solutions provider Blickfeld to optimize their Qb2 smart LiDAR sensor. By leveraging the advanced design capabilities of our ULTEM™ resin, Blickfeld developed an optical carrier that simplifies production, reduces secondary operations, and lowers system costs compared to aluminum components, illustrating the transformative potential of our materials in next-generation technologies.

Read more about the performance of our Polymers business in 2024.

_{Disclaimer: This abridged interactive version of the SABIC Integrated Annual Report 2024 is based on the original PDF report published on this website. In case of any discrepancy, the original PDF report will prevail.}

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Integrated Annual Report 2024