In December 2007, The Dow Chemical Company delivered and installed 900 gallons of pure DOWFROST™ HD fluid to the Nordic Ski Jump venue, currently under construction for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Games will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Dow Chemical Canada Inc. is the official supplier of Heat Transfer Fluids.

“We are very proud of our association with the Vancouver Olympics and happy that chemistry from Dow will play a part enhancing the performance of athletes in this sliding event,” said Steven Stanley Ph.D., global business director of Dow Performance Fluids.

Vancouver Olympic officials have committed to having all construction for the 2010 games completed before the 2008 Beijing Summer Games are underway, a feat never before accomplished.

Tubes under the sliding ramp carry DOWFROST HD as the refrigerant for freezing the sliding surface. DOWFROST HD under the sliding surface maintains the temperatures of the surface to plus or minus one degree. DOWFROST HD was selected since it removes much of the worry and because it provides corrosion protection that traditional fluids do not.

Maintaining the integrity of the sliding surface of the ski ramp requires exact temperatures. Ski jumping is a sport where skiers slide down a long ramp and propel themselves as far as possible. To get the most distance from a jump, the skis need a smooth surface on the ramp. The smoother the surface, the less drag on the skis and more distance possible. When the surface of the ramp has temperature fluctuations, part of the ramp can be “slushy” if it is too warm. The warmer slush will grab the ski, slow progress, and cost the jumper distance. That is why it is so important to keep the ramp frozen.

“It is in this way, through the use of chemistry that Dow can contribute to Olympic performance,” Stanley concludes.

Read more about Dow’s support of the Winter Olympic Games:

• Dow Canada becomes official sponsor of Canada’s bobsleigh, luge and skeleton teams
• Dow Canada’s official supplier relationship with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games