MIDLAND, MICH. (April 15, 2014)
Dow Building Solutions, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), has successfully produced its first STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam product containing the new Polymeric Flame Retardant (PolyFR) technology in Europe. The material, branded IMPAXX, has been made for Michigan USA based Coastal Automotive, a supplier of energy absorbing materials to the automotive, motorsports and packaging industries.
IMPAXX is the first commercial XPS foam product containing PolyFR in Europe. It is produced at the Dow STYROFOAM plants in Lavrion, Greece and Drusenheim, France. Coastal Automotive will use the new IMPAXX material to produce pre-cut and custom molded parts for specific automotive applications. Dow's IMPAXX is designed for the automotive industry, and is used in applications such as overhead systems, doors and pillar trims to help absorb energy during impact.
Sustainable Solution
Dow introduced the new PolyFR technology in 2011. It is a stable, high molecular weight, non-PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) substance. This more sustainable additive enables XPS and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams to continue to meet the increasing demands of international sustainability regulations. Coastal Automotive has been working together with Dow Automotive Systems and Dow Building Solutions on improving product quality and performance. The new material containing PolyFR represents a great leap forward in the environmental profile of the product.
The new Polymeric FR technology has received a number of high-profile business innovation awards including the 2012 R&D 100 Award, the 4th Annual Michigan Green Chemistry Governor's Award, and the 2012 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Runners-up Award in the 'Materials and Other Base Technologies' category.
Conversion
Dow has made the PolyFR technology available to the global extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation industry through three manufacturing and marketing licensees. The international licensees, Chemtura, ICL and Albemarle have built commercial production capacity for the new polymeric flame retardant amounting to more than 14,000 MT at the end of 2013 which will be expanded to more than 25,000 MT by the end of 2014.
Dow Building Solutions will convert all of its STYROFOAM XPS foam plants in North America, Europe, Middle East, and Japan to the new Polymeric FR technology. Because of the vast number of plants, this is a phased process that started in Japan in 2013 and is followed by the conversion of plants in Europe and North America. This allows for a controlled conversion process that meets our quality requirements in every region and at the same time ensures product availability meeting global regulatory demands. All STYROFOAM plants in Japan were converted by the end of 2013.
About Dow Building Solutions
Dow Building Solutions has a 60+ year legacy of providing energy saving solutions to the global commercial and residential new construction and remodeling industry, which began with the launch of its flagship STYROFOAM Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation, one of the most recognized brands of insulation in the world. A market-facing business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Building Solutions offers insulation, air sealing and weatherization solutions backed by building science expertise to help builders, remodelers, designers, architects and home/building owners reduce energy costs and protect against wind, rain and moisture, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. More information about Dow Building Solutions can be found at www.building.dow.com.
About Dow Automotive Systems
Dow Automotive Systems, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, is a leading global provider of collaborative solutions and advanced materials for original equipment manufacturers, tier suppliers, aftermarket customers and commercial transportation manufacturers. Our materials focus includes structural, elastic and rubber-to-substrate adhesive solutions; polyurethane foams and acoustical management solutions; films; fluids; and innovative composite technologies. Offices and application development centers are located around the world to ensure regionalized technical, engineering and commercial support for customers and industry groups. For additional information, visit www.dowautomotive.com.
About Coastal Automotive
Coastal Automotive, formed in 2007, is a dynamic solutions provider which specializes in the design, fabrication and distribution of energy absorbing (EA) materials for the automotive, motorsports, and packaging industries. In 2010 Coastal Automotive became the distributor of IMPAXX, a Dow Automotive Systems product. Coastal Automotive strives to be a leader in the automotive market by providing high performance materials through efficient design, lean manufacturing, and on time delivery with zero defects. For additional information, visit www.coastal-automotive.com.
