Horgen, Switzerland - February 12, 2004

Revolutionary catalyst technology is at the heart of VERSIFY* Plastomers and Elastomers, a new range of specialty propylene-ethylene copolymers from Dow.  The polymers are designed to improve optics, sealing and hot tack performance, elasticity, flexibility, and softness for flexible and rigid packaging producers, manufacturers of thermoplastic elastomers and olefins, and converters in the consumer products sector.

New catalysts will be combined with Dow’s proprietary INSITE* Technology and Solution Process to offer a highly versatile family of olefinic polymers which offer a unique balance of performance combinations for producers of films, fibers, and molded parts.  The range also offers customers the opportunity to explore new application areas thanks to their good processability and compatibility with other polymers.

“VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers provide further proof of our commitment to innovation and to delivering winning solutions to fill market gaps and meet our customers’ needs,” said Romeo Kreinberg, Senior Vice President, Plastics.  “We’ve combined the company’s strength in catalyst and process technology, material and polymer science, as well as fabrication and market expertise, in order to help our customers go beyond what has been possible in the past - we’re now really looking forward to seeing how far we and our customers can take the range in the future.”

“VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers have a unique molecular architecture,” explained Kurt Swogger, Vice President Research & Development, Plastics.  “It is this structure that differentiates our new range of polymers from typical Ziegler-Natta catalyst-based and metallocene catalyst-based copolymers of propylene.

“The new narrow molecular weight distribution and broad crystallinity distribution result in improved temperature performance against comparable metallocene products.  The broad crystallinity distribution results in broad melting behaviour; a high melting shoulder is maintained even as the overall crystallinity of the polymer decreases. It is the combination of these factors that we believe delivers the range of application benefits we are seeing.”

VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers will be appreciated by producers in a range of sectors:

• For film producers, VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers have low modulus, good heat resistance and excellent optics, generating film with excellent clarity and ‘sparkle’ that will appeal to consumers.  They create a soft-touch feel, which is dry and non-rubbery, and have low-noise characteristics.  Finally, the products have excellent adhesion to ethylene and propylene polymers – meaning producers can build cost-effective and feature-rich parts;
  
  
• For producers of rigid packaging and consumer durables, the range additionally provides low heat seal initiation and a broad sealing window, resulting in flexible, transparent and heat sealable parts, improving security and aesthetics in the end-product.  The soft-touch feel, for example, will be of interest to manufacturers of soft-touch surfaces for bottles;
  
  
• Producers of thermoplastic elastomers and thermoplastic olefins such as coated fabrics, artificial leather, soft-touch grips and flexible roofing membranes, will appreciate fundamental qualities such as soft-touch feel and ability to mold, form or blend with other polymers, as well as the excellent elastic recovery and exceptionally high filler loading VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers can bring.  Application benefits range from reduced material costs to increased sound-deadening capability, and from better comfort fit to improved durability;
  
  
• Consumer product manufacturers will benefit from the excellent elastic recovery that VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers offer in films and fibers and, in the search for increased comfort, from the softness and reduced noise characteristics of the new polymer family.

“With VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers, we will be able to expand the possibilities for propylene-ethylene copolymers and deliver wide-ranging but specific benefits for many processors,” said Ralf Brinkmann, Director of New Business Development.  “Our hope now is that, as our customers’ customers begin to see the benefits these specialty products bring to their end-use applications, the range will increasingly represent the product of choice in many markets.” 

Dow currently has developmental projects underway with several customers in a range of market segments.  It has plans to convert existing facilities in order to produce VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers on a commercial scale in the second half of 2004, as more customers become aware of the versatility and key benefits of the new polymers.

 

Notes to editors:
To seek an interview with a Dow spokesperson on the launch of VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers, please contact Porter Novelli: Kirsten Davies/Inge Boets (Europe (32) 2 413 03 40) or Drew Lumm (United States (312) 856 8816). 'Developmental Plastomers and Elastomers: Resin Technology, Performance and Application', will be presented by Diane Sexton, Director Research & Development for Polypropylene, at International Polyolefins 2004, taking place in Houston, Texas between February 22-25. Please visit http://www.4spe.org/semconf/conferences/0402poly.htm for details. Please visit www.dowversify.com for more information on Versify Plastomers and Elastomers.

About the Dow Chemical Company: Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $33 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 180 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its approximately 46,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. For further information, visit www.dow.com.

Dow at K2004: VERSIFY Plastomers and Elastomers will be featured by Dow at the K trade show which takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany from 20-27 October.  Dow invites all its business partners to visit the Dow stand, which can be found in the new Hall 8 located near the North exit of the exhibition site.  K is the leading international trade show for the plastics and rubber industry.  Held every three years, the 2001 event attracted 2,900 exhibitors and around 230,000 attendees from across the world.


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

For Editorial Information:

Alexandra von Holzing
Business Communications
Dow Europe
(41) 1 728 2155
avonholzing@dow.com

Kirsten Davies
Porter Novelli Brussels
(32) 2 413 03 40
kirsten.davies@porternovelli.be

Inge Boets
Porter Novelli Brussels
(32) 2 413 03 40
inge.boets@porternovelli.be

Drew Lumm
Porter Novelli Chicago
(312) 856 8816
andrew.lumm@porternovelli.com