SILICONE MAKER SHOWS OFF EXPANSION.(BUSINESS)

Byline: AMANDA LEVIN Special to the Times Union

Rhone-Poulenc Inc., the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical and chemical company, unveiled its expanded Rensselaer Technology Park manufacturing site Thursday as its response to an increased demand for silicone technology.

``Silicone is a young area of science, so it's extremely important, and it will continue to be in the future,'' said David Eckert, president of Rhone-Poulenc Inc. and Rhone Poulenc North American Chemicals.

Rhone-Poulenc, with headquarters in France, operates in 160 countries and employs 75,000 in total. In the United States, the company employs 6,000. The North American …