CLEAR GOLF CART TOP
Forty million golfers around the world will soon have the opportunity to enjoy an unobstructed view of their favorite course without sacrificing UV protection from the sun. Polymer Innovations Corporation has developed and commercialized SKY-VU®, a transparent, UV-protective golf cart top made from VIVAK UV® sheet supplied by DSM Sheffield, extruded from Eastman Chemical Company's SPECTAR® copolymer. There are over 20,000 golf facilities in existence and 40 million golfers predicted worldwide by the end of the century. Currently, there are 1.5 million golf carts in use and that n umber is expected to grow. Of the existing carts, an estimated 40,000 tops will need to be replaced each year. The introduction of the SKY-VU top gives golf cart manufacturers and refurbishers an alternative to standard opaque tops or "topless" carts. Opaque tops protect golfers from the sun but obstruct the view of a golf course's natural beauty as well as the flight path of balls hit by other players. Topless carts provide an unobstructed view but offer no protection from harmful UV rays. PIC founder, Ron Sanders, developed the concept for SKY-VU while on vacation at the acclaimed Samoset golf course in Rockport, Maine. The copolymer is used in applications calling for a crystal-clear appearance and impact resistance and will not become brittle in cold weather. It is not susceptible to hazing even after continued exposure to weather. Sanders wanted his tops to have built-in UV protection as well as clarity and toughness. DSM Sheffield Plastics, extruder and longtime Eastman customer, provides VIVAK UV to meet this need. The VIVAK UV sheet is produced by adding a cap layer of a proprietary UV material supplied by DSM Sheffield to sheet of SPECTAR copolymer.

For more information, contact: Re SKY-VU® - Ron Sanders, Polymer Innovations Corp., 2 Drury Ln., Great Neck, NY 11023, 516-466-3809, FAX 516-466-3559; Re VIVAK UV® - Jill McLean, DSM Sheffield Plastics, 119 Salisbury Rd., Sheffield, MA 01257, 413-229-8711, FAX 413-229-8717; Re SPECTAR® Copolymer - Sharon Jones, Eastman Chemical Co., P.O. Box 431, Kingsport, TN 37662, 423-229-2045, FAX 423-224-0044.