Kraton Polymers' Enhanced Website Showcases NEXAR™ Polymers Sulfonated Polymer Membrane Technology for Water Management, Industrial Separation, and Enhancement of High Performance Textiles and Clothing Applications

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Mar 28, 2011, 08:00 ET

HOUSTON, March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: KRA), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," announces enhancements to its official website to showcase the key performance attributes and latest technological advancements in NEXAR polymers sulfonated polymer membrane technology.

Kraton Polymers debuted NEXAR polymers in the USA, China, and Germany in 2010 and most recently enhanced its website to showcase the features, benefits, and applications of this innovative technology. The innovative and key performance attributes of NEXAR™ polymers are very unique in that they improve the performance and efficiency of many products in a myriad of applications that include water management, industrial separation, and the enhancement of high performance textiles and clothing.

NEXAR polymers help designers develop water management systems that effectively remove contaminants from many natural water resources, in addition to effluent water from industrial manufacturing plants, to make them suitable for use or reuse. Applications in water management include: Pervaporation, Electrodialysis (ED) and Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR), Reversed Electrodialysis (RED), Capactivie Deionization (Desalination), Nanofiltration (NF), and Ultrafiltration (UF).

NEXAR polymers offer selective permeability in a nonporous membrane, deliver an excellent water flux and moisture transmission rate, do not require special equipment or processes, provide high strength in wet and dry environments and are chemical (strong acids and strong bases) and chlorine resistant. They are ideal for use in high-performance, breathable coatings and membranes, sports apparel, outdoor apparel and gear, military and industrial uniforms, and medical and geotextile applications.

NEXAR polymers can improve the performance and efficiency of energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems in industrial, medical, commercial and residential applications. They help ERV systems more efficiently reduce the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system load by reinforcing their effectiveness. NEXAR polymers, in conjunction with ERV systems, have the ability to recycle air inside of any space where air quality is important including commercial and residential buildings, airplanes, trains and automobiles.

The new polymer architecture of NEXAR polymers demonstrates outstanding capabilities and features that can be used to coat or laminate a substrate, or cast as a pure membrane film. Those customers using the solution for casting, coating, blending, spraying, or dipping operations often have unique requirements regarding the solutions viscosity. Techniques for viscosity modification which include use of additives (polar and non-polar) and other commonly practiced methods and procedures have been successfully applied by Kraton Polymers to meet those requirements. Other critical features offered by NEXAR polymers include the following:

High water flux rate
Ion selectivity
Chemical resistance to chlorine
Low electrical resistance
High electrical conductance
High water transport rates
Good mechanical strength both wet and dry
Good dimensional stability in wet and dry conditions
Membrane is supplied in dry form as rolled goods and is stable under ambient conditions; do not require special packaging for shipment
NEXAR polymers can be applied using current commercial coating and laminating lines.

"The decision to showcase NEXAR polymers on our website was essential to educating our customers, partners, and innovators about Kraton's latest scientific advancements in water transport, filtration and separation technology," said James Dieter, Vice President, Market Development. "The information on our website should further distinguish our innovation from any other currently offered in the market today," he concluded.

For more information about NEXAR polymers, please visit www.nexarpolymers.com. Customer questions and other direct inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected] or by calling 1-800-4-KRATON.

About Kraton

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Kraton Polymers LLC and its subsidiaries, is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and, we believe, the world's largest producer of styrenic block copolymers ("SBCs"), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, Cariflex, Nexar and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in "Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as subsequently updated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and include risks related to: conditions in the global economy and capital markets; our reliance on LyondellBasell Industries for the provision of significant operating and other services; the failure of our raw materials suppliers to perform their obligations under long-term supply agreements, or our inability to replace or renew these agreements when they expire; limitations in the availability of raw materials we need to produce our products in the amounts or at the prices necessary for us to effectively and profitably operate our business; competition in our end-use markets, by other producers of SBCs and by producers of products that can be substituted for our products; our ability to produce and commercialize technological innovations; our ability to protect our intellectual property, on which our business is substantially dependent; infringement of our products on the intellectual property rights of others; seasonality in our Paving and Roofing business; financial and operating constraints related to our substantial level of indebtedness; product liability claims and other lawsuits arising from environmental damage or personal injuries associated with chemical manufacturing; political and economic risks in the various countries in which we operate; the inherently hazardous nature of chemical manufacturing; health, safety and environmental laws, including laws that govern our employees' exposure to chemicals deemed harmful to humans; regulation of our customers, which could affect the demand for our products or result in increased compliance costs; international trade, export control, antitrust, zoning and occupancy and labor and employment laws that could require us to modify our current business practices and incur increased costs; our relationship with our employees; loss of key personnel or our inability to attract and retain new qualified personnel; fluctuations in currency exchange rates ; the fact that we do not enter into long-term contracts with our customers; a decrease in the fair value of our pension assets, which could require us to materially increase future funding of the pension plan; and concentration of ownership among our principal stockholder, which may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.

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For Further Information:
Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.
Media: Marcie Coronado +1-281-504-4975

SOURCE Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.