Solutia Automotive's Acoustic Laminate Supplies Chicago Auto Show Star

TROY, Mich., Feb. 16, 2006 -- The all-new 2007 Lincoln Navigator, launched last week at the Chicago Auto Show, has a benefit worth keeping quiet about -- the quietness in the cabin of the vehicle. Vanceva(R) Quiet, the acoustic-grade interlayer in the windshield glass that causes the cabin to be so quiet, was provided by Solutia Automotive, leading producer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer products for laminated glass used by the automotive industry.

The Navigator follows the debut of the Ford Expedition, launched at the Houston Auto Show, which also featured a windshield made with Vanceva(R) Quiet.

"The Lincoln Navigator is large and provides incredible utility, but because it's a Lincoln, consumers want the luxuries, like quietness, that go with that brand," said Jay Pyper, North American market development director for Solutia. "We're excited to be able to help create the quietness that is associated with luxury and the Lincoln name."

Laminated glass is a glass-plastic-glass sandwich, and is standard in most windshields globally. Solutia currently holds 45 percent of the global market for PVB interlayers used in laminated glass windshields. While laminated glass has been in use for some 60 years, it is only recently that interlayer manufacturers have been able to go beyond its use in windshields. Solutia has developed a line of advanced interlayer products under its Vanceva(R) brand that are being adopted by vehicle manufacturers globally. Its advanced acoustic product has allowed noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) engineers to design a vehicle up to 6 decibels quieter than they would have been able to design with standard tempered glass.

While used as an NVH reducing component on the Lincoln Navigator, laminated glass has other inherent benefits, including the following:

* Intrusion resistance -- the tough PVB interlayer increases intrusion resistance by about 10 times over tempered glass.

* Protection of passengers and interior materials from UV ray penetration -- tests by the Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency showed a 90 percent reduction in UV ray penetration with laminated glass versus 60 percent using ordinary tempered glass.

* Weight reduction -- laminated glass weighs 11 percent less than comparable tempered glass.

Solutia Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: SOLUQ) , an independent, publicly owned enterprise headquartered in St. Louis, has a major presence in both national and international markets. Solutia produces Saflex(R) and Vanceva(R) brand polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers that are used to manufacture the laminated glass used in automotive, architectural and residential applications throughout the world, and is the sole supplier of PVB for aircraft -- the most demanding application. Solutia's other businesses include nylon plastics and fibers, aftermarket window films and other performance products.

As recently as five years ago, Solutia Automotive's Saflex interlayer for side laminated glass was available on only two high-end European sedans. Today, laminated side glass is a significant trend and it can be found on 39 vehicle models in the U.S., from coupes to full-size SUVs, by manufacturers from all over the world. Solutia Automotive manufactures interlayers used in laminated automotive glass, and is not a glass producer itself. Information about Solutia Automotive may be found at http://www.solutiaautomotive.com/ .