Dow Coating Materials (DCM), a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), announces a breakthrough series of products designed to significantly reduce paint customers’ dependence on a key raw material, Titanium Dioxide (TiO2).
In a series of customer trials, DCM showed it could leverage its opaque polymer technology to deliver up to 15 percent reduction in TiO2 in gloss and semi-gloss formulations of architectural solvent-borne alkyd paints, while maintaining or improving gloss and hiding properties. Opaque polymer technology was previously limited to standard water-borne latex paints, but will now expand to solvent-borne alkyd paints. The Dow solution offers an unprecedented combination of formulation performance, reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and better economics.
An important, but expensive, high carbon-footprint pigment, TiO2 is currently in short supply on the global market. This makes reformulation with DCM’s new generation opaque polymer technology a timely, cost-saving innovation.
“Our customers are reformulating their processes to incorporate our unique composite platforms because it means more efficient use of TiO2 in many of their gloss and semi-gloss products,” said Guillermo Novo, group vice president, Dow Coating Materials. “This represents a triple win for customers – lower cost, reduced carbon footprint, and a higher quality final product. This is precisely the kind of collaborative value we target in all of our existing and emerging technology platforms.”
New generation opaque polymer technology is just one of many technology platforms DCM is pioneering to deliver multiple-value solutions for the global paint and coatings marketplace. These include new technologies that are literally transforming the way the industry thinks and speaks about products – including new terminologies such as “smart coatings” and “active paints.” Some of the breakthroughs include:
- The VERSAIR™ ultra low-VOC/low-odor technology platform that was introduced earlier this year will generate its first commercial binder product later this month. This new all-acrylic binder is designed to help formulators develop high-performance flat to semi-gloss paints with very low-VOC content and barely perceptible odor profiles. It will enable a new generation of paint that can be applied in schools, hospitals, restaurants and other sensitive locations without disrupting daily operations.
- DCM’s next generation HEUR rheology modification technology will also generate a new product before the end of the year – a non-ionic, solvent-free associative thickener for the development of very low-VOC matte, semi-gloss, and high gloss paints and lacquers. For users, this means excellent brushability and minimal dripping or spattering.
- DCM formaldehyde abatement technology has already made headlines around the world as enabling the first “active paint.” Invented and commercialized by DCM in China in 2009, the first product from this platform converts formaldehyde and other formaldehyde compounds from the air and converts them into harmless water vapor. New products now under development will enable coatings which “clean” other toxins, odors and pathogens from the air.
- Designed Diffusion™ technology has yielded a series of acrylic/polyurethane polymers that significantly improve the early property development of waterborne latex industrial coatings for wood and metal surfaces. These polymers offer coatings formulators a good balance of cost-effective properties, including reduced VOC content, improved pigmented gloss, and improved hardness, block, print and mar.
“This is just a sampling of the technology platforms Dow Coating Materials is developing to create products and solutions that help customers meet their greatest challenges and open the door to new opportunities and applications they never imagined possible,” said Novo. “We are committed to remaining the most innovative supplier to the paint and coatings industry as we continue to inspire and collaborate with our customers around the world.”
Source: http://www.dowcoatingmaterials.com/