Dow’s Broad Artificial Turf Solutions

Horgen, Switzerland - April 25, 2006

Changing the Game in Artificial Turf
Technology is revolutionising the quality of artificial playing surfaces, turning around perceptions of artificial turf among professional sports people, regulatory bodies, and the wider public. Today's advanced artificial turf systems are the first choice for many professional sports venues around the world.

With its complementary and closely integrated portfolio of materials and technologies, Dow has emerged as a key player. Today, the company is a strategic raw material supplier for artificial turf components that are at the heart of some of the most effective systems on the market and that have been an important factor in achieving artificial turf's recent success.

Dedicated Team for Tailored Components
Getting quality components working together is the secret for maximising artificial turf performance. This demands expertise in all the polymer materials that make up its constituent parts in order to guarantee optimal playing characteristics equal to natural grass.

To help customers create long-lasting and high quality performance artificial turf systems, Dow has combined the expertise of four of its specialist units, Base Plastics, Specialty Plastics & Elastomers, Polyurethane (PU) Systems and Latex, to create an artificial turf team with skills developed from Dow's wealth of experience in the polymer market and ten years' experience of producing specialist resins.

Integrated Product Solutions
The specialist team helps customers make the right decision on every component of artificial turf, developing compatible combinations of raw materials for yarn, infill, backing and shock absorption tailor-made to help meet the requirements of the end-application, be it playing surfaces for football, golf, rugby, hockey or a town's recreation ground.

Dow's solutions for Yarn
Technical advancements in the raw materials and types of yarn have helped to create softer, higher quality playing surfaces.

Modular elastomer products that combine Dow's linear low-density polyethylene (PE) fibre grade resins, such as DOWLEX™ PE and ELITE™ PE, with AFFINITY™ polyolefin plastomers, are particularly suited to create fibres that provide an excellent combination of softness, resilience and mechanical toughness. The result is a product suitable for play at professional level, one which aims at preventing nasty abrasions to players and which achieves a durable, consistent playing surface.

Because of their excellent UV-resistance, weatherability and yarn resilience, turf made using DOWLEX PE resins is suitable for use at the highest level of professional football.

Dow's solutions for Infill
Dow's elastomer materials are a good choice for artificial turf that needs to perform just like real grass.

Lower cost options, where infill material consists of a combination of fillers and additives, such as Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) granulate, allow more cost-conscious customers to strike a better balance between price and performance.

However, products for infill made from NORDEL™ Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) and polyolefin elastomers clearly provide improved performance characteristics and are excellent materials to bridge the gap between plastic and rubber. They provide good energy absorption, excellent ultra violet (UV) stability and high wear resistance, which together give long-term performance.

No matter what product solution customers are looking for, Dow's products are designed to complement each other so that they offer great flexibility to select styrene-butadiene copolymers (SBCs) and other ethylene elastomers to help achieve the right characteristics for the desired application.

Dow products for infill include AFFNITY™ GA Polyolefin Plastomers, VERSIFY™ and ENGAGE™ Polyolefin Elastomers, and NORDEL™ EPDM.

Dow's solutions for Backing
Artificial turf has specific and stringent requirements for its backing. Second-generation binders for fixing the backing to synthetic grass have made a real difference by increasing production speed and improving fibre anchorage.

Dow's product solutions for polyurethane and latex backings for artificial turf offer safety and durability on the field.

Latex binders help to improve tuft bind, flexibility, water resistance and dimensional stability that extend the durability and appearance of the pitch while creating a highly stable and predictable playing surface which gives the players the necessary safety and support.

Polyurethane flooring systems provide a range of benefits, including:

Stable, uniform playing field
Improved durability
Strong tuft bind even when wet
Appearance retention
Aggressive wear and tear
Ease of installation and maintenance
Minimized distortion and shrinkage
Attached cushion for added shock absorption and performance

Dow products for backing are: ENFORCER™ Sport Polyurethane Systems for durable backings, ENHANCER™ Sport Polyurethane Foams for cushioned backings, LATEX DL 552 functional SB latex binder.

Dow's solutions for Shock absorption
ENHANCER™ Sport polyurethane systems, VORAMER™ polyurethane binders, and polyolefin solutions are central to Dow's shock absorption materials. By blending them, their composition can be tailored for excellent performance of the system to provide the right amount of give to meet the specific needs of the players.

About Dow and Artificial Turf Solutions
Dow's Artificial Turf Solutions offer a broad range of complementary raw materials for artificial turf components. Yarn, infill, backing and shock absorption components are individually tailored to the needs of each system by combining the expertise of Dow's specialist business units, Base Plastics, Specialty Plastics & Elastomers, PU Systems and Latex. More information about Dow's Artificial Turf Solutions can be found at www.dowartificialturf.com.

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

®™^* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow

For Editorial Information:

Shanna Wendt
Base & Specialty Plastics
41 44 728 2082

Janet Hansen
PU Floorings
1 678 269 1246

Teresa Hak
Latex
41 44 728 3187

	Artificial Turf Solutions
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Today's advanced artificial turf systems are the first choice for many professional sports venues around the world. With its complementary and closely integrated portfolio of materials and technologies, Dow has emerged as a key player. Today, the company is a strategic raw material supplier for artificial turf components that are at the heart of some of the most effective systems on the market and that have been an important factor in achieving artificial turf's recent success. Dedicated Team for Tailored Components Getting quality components working together is the secret for maximising artificial turf performance. This demands expertise in all the polymer materials that make up its constituent parts in order to guarantee optimal playing characteristics equal to natural grass. To help customers create long-lasting and high quality performance artificial turf systems, Dow has combined the expertise of four of its specialist units, Base Plastics, Specialty Plastics & Elastomers, Polyurethane (PU) Systems and Latex, to create an artificial turf team with skills developed from Dow's wealth of experience in the polymer market and ten years' experience of producing specialist resins. Integrated Product Solutions The specialist team helps customers make the right decision on every component of artificial turf, developing compatible combinations of raw materials for yarn, infill, backing and shock absorption tailor-made to help meet the requirements of the end-application, be it playing surfaces for football, golf, rugby, hockey or a town's recreation ground. Dow's solutions for Yarn Technical advancements in the raw materials and types of yarn have helped to create softer, higher quality playing surfaces. Modular elastomer products that combine Dow's linear low-density polyethylene (PE) fibre grade resins, such as DOWLEX™ PE and ELITE™ PE, with AFFINITY™ polyolefin plastomers, are particularly suited to create fibres that provide an excellent combination of softness, resilience and mechanical toughness. The result is a product suitable for play at professional level, one which aims at preventing nasty abrasions to players and which achieves a durable, consistent playing surface. Because of their excellent UV-resistance, weatherability and yarn resilience, turf made using DOWLEX PE resins is suitable for use at the highest level of professional football. Dow's solutions for Infill Dow's elastomer materials are a good choice for artificial turf that needs to perform just like real grass. Lower cost options, where infill material consists of a combination of fillers and additives, such as Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) granulate, allow more cost-conscious customers to strike a better balance between price and performance. However, products for infill made from NORDEL™ Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) and polyolefin elastomers clearly provide improved performance characteristics and are excellent materials to bridge the gap between plastic and rubber. They provide good energy absorption, excellent ultra violet (UV) stability and high wear resistance, which together give long-term performance. No matter what product solution customers are looking for, Dow's products are designed to complement each other so that they offer great flexibility to select styrene-butadiene copolymers (SBCs) and other ethylene elastomers to help achieve the right characteristics for the desired application. Dow products for infill include AFFNITY™ GA Polyolefin Plastomers, VERSIFY™ and ENGAGE™ Polyolefin Elastomers, and NORDEL™ EPDM. Dow's solutions for Backing Artificial turf has specific and stringent requirements for its backing. Second-generation binders for fixing the backing to synthetic grass have made a real difference by increasing production speed and improving fibre anchorage. Dow's product solutions for polyurethane and latex backings for artificial turf offer safety and durability on the field. Latex binders help to improve tuft bind, flexibility, water resistance and dimensional stability that extend the durability and appearance of the pitch while creating a highly stable and predictable playing surface which gives the players the necessary safety and support. Polyurethane flooring systems provide a range of benefits, including: Stable, uniform playing field Improved durability Strong tuft bind even when wet Appearance retention Aggressive wear and tear Ease of installation and maintenance Minimized distortion and shrinkage Attached cushion for added shock absorption and performance Dow products for backing are: ENFORCER™ Sport Polyurethane Systems for durable backings, ENHANCER™ Sport Polyurethane Foams for cushioned backings, LATEX DL 552 functional SB latex binder. Dow's solutions for Shock absorption ENHANCER™ Sport polyurethane systems, VORAMER™ polyurethane binders, and polyolefin solutions are central to Dow's shock absorption materials. By blending them, their composition can be tailored for excellent performance of the system to provide the right amount of give to meet the specific needs of the players. About Dow and Artificial Turf Solutions Dow's Artificial Turf Solutions offer a broad range of complementary raw materials for artificial turf components. Yarn, infill, backing and shock absorption components are individually tailored to the needs of each system by combining the expertise of Dow's specialist business units, Base Plastics, Specialty Plastics & Elastomers, PU Systems and Latex. More information about Dow's Artificial Turf Solutions can be found at www.dowartificialturf.com. Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. ®™^* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow For Editorial Information: Shanna Wendt Base & Specialty Plastics 41 44 728 2082 Janet Hansen PU Floorings 1 678 269 1246 Teresa Hak Latex 41 44 728 3187
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