MIDLAND, Michigan - January 25, 2012
The license agreement between Dow and ICL was signed at Dow's office in Philadelphia (L to R):
Mr. Jerome Peribere, Executive Vice President of The Dow Chemical Company and President and CEO Dow Advanced Materials, Mr. Ilan Elkan, Vice President FRs ICL-Industrial Products, Mr. Mark Whiteman, President Dow Global Technologies
Dow Global Technologies LLC (DGTL), a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), today announced a second license agreement for its Polymeric Flame Retardant (Polymeric FR) technology with Bromine Compounds Ltd., a company within the ICL Industrial Products (ICL-IP) segment. ICL-IP is a global leader in the production of flame retardants and has been granted a license to produce and sell the Polymeric FR for use in extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation products. A second licensee confirms global supply of the Polymeric FR, validating and supporting the technology's position as the new global industry standard flame retardant in the production of XPS and EPS foams.
In March, 2011, DGTL announced the invention and development of the Polymeric FR — a stable, high molecular weight, non-PBT (Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic) substance with an enhanced Environment, Health & Safety profile compared to current alternatives. The additive provides a fire safety solution for XPS and EPS foams enabling these thermal insulation materials to continue to meet the increasing demands of global energy efficiency regulations and sustainable building design.
The Polymeric FR is poised to be the 'next generation industry standard' flame retardant for use in both XPS and EPS foam insulation applications globally. The development of the Polymeric FR is the result of years of research and development that leveraged Dow's polymer chemistry, process science, applications know-how, and Environment, Health & Safety expertise. The development is also driven by Dow's on-going journey to identify and develop more sustainable products and technologies designed to meet customer needs.
Securing global supply
The second licensing agreement will enhance global supply security and facilitate an industry conversion to the new technology as XPS and EPS manufacturers' transition to Polymeric FR. The Polymeric FR licensees have planned large plant constructions enabling commercial volumes to become available over the coming years. This will allow the global polystyrene foam insulation industry to make a smooth transition as regulations are implemented for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) around the world.
The development of Dow's Polymeric FR technology comes against the backdrop of an ongoing effort to develop and implement more sustainable products amid pending regulatory restrictions on HBCD initiated by the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical (REACH) substances program and several other national regulations.
About The Dow Chemical Company
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
For Editorial Information:
Erik van Oosten
The Dow Chemical Company
+1 989 636 5090