ST. LOUIS - Saflex® interlayers for glass, manufactured by Solutia Inc. (NYSE: SOA) of St. Louis, are known around the world for their protective qualities. When sandwiched between pieces of glass, these tough plastic layers help to protect people and properties from threats ranging from hurricanes, bomb blasts and bullets to sound pollution and UV rays. Now, Solutia is using its protective product to secure one of the country's most historically important documents: the Waldseemüller Map, a document commonly referred to as "America's birth certificate."
A team of scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were tasked with designing an enclosure when the U.S. Library of Congress purchased the only existing Waldseemüller map four years ago. Created in 1507, the map is the first world map to dub America "America." When the map went on display in late 2007, NIST needed a way to protect it while still making it accessible to the public. Their solution: laminated glass made with Saflex® protective interlayer.
A few years ago, Solutia, worked with NIST to create the Charters of Freedom encasements for the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, but the Waldseemüller Map presented unique challenges. "The difference was that this encasement is significantly larger than the Charters of Freedom encasements - larger by more than six times," says Julie Schimmelpenningh, technical applications manager at Solutia. "The glass needed to be pristine in edge work, alignment, haze and visual cleanliness. The overall size and quality requirements of the product coupled with the timing made it a challenge, but one that was met with enthusiasm."
The Waldseemüller map was drawn in 1507 by cartographer Martin Waldseemüller and includes a newly discovered continent he dubbed America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. Although more than 500 copies of the map were created, the Library of Congress purchased the only known surviving copy from a German prince in 2003.
To provide adequate protection, NIST designed a hermitically-sealed 116 inch by 73 inch encasement for the 12-sheet map. Using an anodized aluminum frame and laminated glass, the encasement was created to provide optimal accessibility while still protecting and securing the document.
Solutia customer Arch Aluminum fabricated the final product, a low-iron glass sandwiching Saflex DM interlayer. This tough PVB interlayer protects the map in multiple ways. First, even if the glass is cracked, fragments will adhere to the interlayer, protecting the document from falling glass shards. Secondly, the interlayer, bonded between two pieces of glass under heat and pressure, is incredibly tough and nearly impossible to cut through from only one side. This is a tremendous security feature. Finally, Saflex interlayers block 99 percent of ultraviolet (UV) light up to 380 nm. This helps prevent fading and damage to the document.
"The end result is a completely clear piece of glass that looks nothing like the powerful protective barrier it actually is," says Schimmelpenningh.
In addition to protecting this American treasure, Saflex interlayers also protect the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, the Crown Jewels in England, and the Mona Lisa in Paris. These same interlayers also help to provide powerful hurricane protection to coastal residents around the world, help to create bullet proof glass, and help to provide bomb-blast protection in buildings such as U.S. Embassies and the reconstructed U.S. Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
For additional information about the Waldseemüller Map from the Library of Congress, visit http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0309/maps.html.
Media Contact:
Carolyn Schinsky
(314) 822-9784
# # #
NOTE TO EDITORS: Saflex is a registered trademark of Solutia Inc.
About Solutia Inc.
Solutia is a market-leading performance materials and specialty chemicals company. The company focuses on providing solutions for a better life through a range of products, including: Saflex® interlayer for laminated glass; CPFilms® aftermarket window films sold under the LLumar® brand and others; high-performance nylon polymers and fibers sold under brands such as Vydyne® and Wear-Dated®; and technical specialties including the Flexsys® family of chemicals for the rubber industry, Skydrol® aviation hydraulic fluid and Therminol® heat transfer fluid. Solutia's businesses are world leaders in each of their market segments. With its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the company operates globally with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 60 locations. More information is available at http://www.solutia.com/.
Source: Solutia Inc.
St. Louis
03/19/08
