Accelerating a Sustainable Future in Construction Chemicals
Helping you lead with more sustainable and durable construction materials.
Make your construction materials future-proof
Construction manufacturers and contractors are caught between rising expectations and real-world constraints. Materials need to meet high performance standards while complying with evolving regulations.
At Dow, we’re constantly innovating our construction chemicals to help our customers respond to these challenges and stay ahead of industry sustainability regulations.
Our portfolio of bio-based, resource efficient and lower-carbon solutions fit into existing manufacturing processes and will enable you to deliver high-performance materials that are built for the future of construction.
Looking to reduce the carbon footprint of your products?
Our solutions are designed to help you lower Scope 3 emissions and formulate high-performance, low-CO₂ materials.
Whether driven by customer expectations, ESG commitments, or evolving regulations, we support you in bringing lower-carbon products to market faster, without compromising on performance.
Reduce carbon without requalification or performance compromise
Lower the embodied carbon of your cement-based applications with our low-carbon WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers. They deliver the same performance of our standard range, with a verified 18% reduction in fossil carbon footprint.
Develop low carbon cement without the hydration challenges
The WALOCEL™ X-LIS Cellulose Ethers portfolio is designed to reduce the impact on cement hydration and deliver advanced performance features in low-CO₂ cements with reduced clinker content.
Develop products using materials derived from nature
Stay ahead of growing industry demand for high-quality, bio-based products with enhanced sustainability and safety throughout their lifecycle. We support your formulations with a range of acrylic emulsions incorporating renewable feedstocks, as well as cellulose ethers manufactured from wood pulp sourced exclusively from PEFC or FSC certified, deforestation-free suppliers.
Cellulose Ethers
Discover our range of inherently bio-based cellulose ethers, with approximately 78% bio-based carbon content. They are manufactured from deforestation-free certified wood or cotton linters.
Acrylic Emulsions
Formulate with bio-based acrylic binders containing typically 20–30% renewable feedstock (up to 37% for select grades). Available for specific caulk, sealant, and fiber-bonding applications, these PRIMAL™ and RHOPLEX™ acrylic emulsions deliver performance comparable to conventional binders.
Want to develop more resource efficient construction materials?
Maximize the performance and durability of your products while improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Dow’s range of solutions for dry-mix applications, binders, and silicones helps reduce material usage in your manufacturing processes - while enhancing the performance of the final product.
Low-Clinker Cement
Looking to reduce clinker content in your cementitious adhesive formulations? Discover how our WALOCEL™ X-LIS Cellulose Ethers range can help you develop lower CO₂ emission cements while offering temperature stability, water retention, good workability and adhesion strength.
Cool Reflective Roof Coatings
Looking for an elastomeric cool roof coating designed to reduce building cooling energy needs and prolong roof system life? Our portfolio of RHOPLEX™ Binders and PRIMAL™ Binders help reduce cooling energy needs by up to 20% and deliver long-lasting reflectivity for a durable roofing system.
Drymix Mortars
Want to reduce raw material resource consumption in mortar applications? Dry-mix additives enable up to 75% less sand and cement in thin-set mortar applications, reduce water consumption, and use up to 70% less raw materials by weight. Discover our WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers and DOW™ Latex Powders.
Tile Adhesives
Would you like to use less cement in your formulations without sacrificing end-product quality? Our innovative WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers and DOW™ Latex Powders additives help to maintain end-product performance in your formulations when less cement is used.
Fiber Cement
Looking to enhance the lifetime of your fiber cement without compromising on aesthetics? Discover our high-performance DOWSIL™ Silicone and PRIMAL™ Acrylic emulsions developed to extend the weatherability, aesthetic performance and service life of your fiber cement products.
Improving the energy efficiency of buildings
Cool reflective roof coating reflect solar radiation, helping to lower ambient temperatures and reduce cooling energy costs.
This technology is particularly suited for renovation projects and non-insulated buildings such as warehouses and factories.
Discover how our innovative binders enable the development of durable elastomeric roof coatings that help lower CO₂ emissions while improving comfort and living standards.
FAQs
To reduce the embodied carbon of construction products, start by switching to low-carbon raw materials with verified footprint reductions.
Dow's low-carbon WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers deliver an independently verified 18% reduction in fossil carbon footprint compared to standard options, while maintaining the same performance in cement-based applications.
For lower-clinker or low-CO₂ cement systems, WALOCEL™ X-LIS Cellulose Ethers are engineered to address performance challenges associated with reduced clinker content in cementitious adhesive formulations.
Yes. Dow offers bio-based acrylic emulsions incorporating renewable feedstocks within selected PRIMAL™ and RHOPLEX™ product range.
Available for specific caulk, sealant, and fiber-bonding applications, these emulsions are designed to deliver equivalent performance to conventional acrylic binders -providing a more sustainable material choice without compromising end-product quality.
Dow’s cellulose ethers are also manufactured from wood pulp sourced exclusively from PEFC- or FSC-certified, deforestation-free suppliers.
Meeting green building certification standards requires reducing embodied carbon, ensuring responsible sourcing, and minimizing environmental impact.
Dow Construction Chemicals supports these goals through:
Low-carbon cellulose ethers with verified emissions reduction
Bio-based acrylic emulsions partially derived from renewable feedstocks
Cellulose ethers with certified sourcing (PEFC/FSC) for traceability and sustainability compliance
These solutions help improve your product’s environmental profile and certification readiness.
Reducing cement content while maintaining performance is possible with advanced formulation additives.
In thin-set mortar applications, Dow’s WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers and DOW™ Latex Powders enable up to 75% reduction in sand and cement, lower water consumption, and use up to 70% less raw materials by weight.
These product ranges are also suitable for tile adhesive formulations, helping manufacturers maintain strength, adhesion, and workability - even in low-cement systems.
Sustainable cellulose ether solutions depend on your formulation goals:
Lower carbon footprint: Low carbon WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers range delivers a verified 18% fossil carbon footprint reduction for cement-based applications.
Low-clinker cement optimization: WALOCEL™ X-LIS Cellulose Ethers range delivers temperature stability, water retention, good workability and adhesion strength in premium cementitious adhesive formulations.
Both options support high-performance, low-CO₂ construction materials.
Cool roof coatings significantly improve building energy efficiency by reflecting solar radiation.
Dow’s PRIMAL™ and RHOPLEX™ binders enable coatings that:
Reduce cooling energy demand by up to 20%
Lower surface and ambient temperatures
Extend roof lifespan through durable reflectivity
These solutions are particularly well suited for renovation projects and non-insulated buildings such as warehouses and industrial facilities where cooling loads are significant.
To verify sustainability claims, choose suppliers that provide independently verified data and certifications.
Dow Construction Chemicals provides solutions that ensures traceability, compliance, and reliable input for sustainability reporting:
Low carbon WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers carry a verified 18% fossil carbon footprint reduction
Cellulose ethers sourced from PEFC or FSC certified suppliers.
Bio-based content in PRIMAL™ and RHOPLEX™ acrylic emulsions, incorporating renewable feedstocks.
Circular economy in action
At Dow Construction Chemicals, we are continuously seeking better ways to make, use, and reuse materials to keep them out of the environment and retain their value.
Watch the video to learn how.
Discover our efforts to accelerate sustainability
Construction chemicals drives social impact in Kenya and Alaska through collaborative projects.
Delivering Sustainable Science Solutions
Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals & Targets
Our sustainability commitments
We are creating high-performing, durable and novel solutions that help our customers do more with less.
We are advancing technologies to manufacture our products with lower GHG emissions, helping decarbonize value chains all the way down to the consumer.