PPG Industries Solarban 90 Paired in Insulating Glass Units

PPG Industries Inc. PPG announced that Solarban 90 glass, which is the first solar control, low-emissivity (low-e) glass designed with its proprietary "quad-silver" coating technology can be paired in insulating glass units (IGUs) with the company's Starphire Ultra-Clear, Optiblue and Optigray glasses.

Per PPG, using Solarban 90 glass with ultra-clear and tinted glasses enables architects to strike the balance of performance and aesthetics they want for individual projects. Solarban 90 was developed after reviewing samples for months and consultation with architects.

Solarban 90 glass was introduced in 2015 and combines the neutral reflectivity, neutral color and high visible light transmittance VLT of clear glass with a strong solar control barrier. It blocks heat gain 15% more effectively than Solarban 70XL glass by PPG, which is the industry's most widely specified triple-silver-coated solar control, low-e glass.

Solarban 90 Optigray, Solarban 90 Optiblue glass and Solarban 90 Starphire Ultra-Clear glass offer VLT of 36%, 32% and 54%, respectively.

The shares of the company rose 0.5% to close at $108.32 on May 25.

PPG industries Glass segment's revenues fell 2% to $261 million in the first quarter of 2016 from the prior-year quarter. The segment's income was also lower year over year by $2 million at $28 million. Earnings were hurt by $8 million facility outage expense, lower sales volume as well as lower equity earnings from Asian joint ventures. However, improved selling prices and strong cost management partially offset the negative impact.
 
PPG Industries has a diversified base of products and markets, and looks to grow its businesses strategically, alongside controlling costs. The company continuously attempts to develop innovative products across all its segments, using state-of-the-art technology.
 
PPG Industries currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
 
Some other companies worth considering in the chemical space are Akzo Nobel N.V. AKZOY, Innospec Inc. IOSP and BASF SE BASFY, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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