ESTO 2018 Innovation Award for Dow Solutions

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This year’s ESTO Innovation Award recognized Dow for its two breakthrough solutions set to transform the user-friendliness and durability of artificial turf.

The solutions – developed in collaboration with multiple partners in the value chain – have been specially designed to address two very important performance criteria: skin injury reduction and longer term durability of pitches.

Two functional polyethylene resins:
The first, a so-called friction resin, was developed in partnership with a long term customer who is a yarn producer, alongside a global OEM machine manufacturer and tested by a leading certifying body, Labosport.

“Application relevant tests showed that the yarn produced with this new resin offered the pitch as much as 20% reduction in friction tester temperatures, meaning the risk of player injuries from skin burns is also drastically reduced,” explained Eduardo Alvarez, Technical Service & Development Engineer, EMEA Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “Furthermore, better friction management allows faster ball roll and less watering of the pitch in some sports like hockey, a sustainability aspect we should not forget.”

“With the artificial turf industry demanding improved performance when it comes to skin health, we believe this new development will be yet another major step forward, enabling further market acceptance of artificial pitches which have already made leaps and bounds in the last decade,” he adds.

The award also went to a new polyolefin additive, recently launched to the market, with some European pitches already featuring the breakthrough development. The new tuft lock polyolefin additive can help increase adhesion of PE yarn to Polyurethane backing sheets by up to 60%, extending pitch lifetime, helping to maintain original quality and contributing to a more sustainable carpet.

“Both of these developments are being made available to the artificial turf industry worldwide, as we believe that by working in close collaboration with partners across the global value chain we will support positive future development of the sector as a whole,” added Abby Turner, EMEA Marketing Manager.  “The fact that ESTO has given its endorsement to these latest innovations is a great source of pride not just to us, but to the partners we work closely with on such new and exciting developments.”

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Dow Introduces New ENFORCER Sport System for Artificial Turf

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Low temperature catalyzed system enables energy savings and improved turf durability

Horgen, SWITZERLAND – February 18, 2014 – Dow’s new ENFORCER™ Sport polyurethane backing system enables turf producers to increase yarn yield and consume less energy during production, while maintaining line speed and productivity. Turf field owners benefit from the
system with less thermal stress resulting in an improvement of yarn durability.
Tufters utilizing the new system can process polyurethane on existing equipment with minimal modifications and the innovative technology allows for easy implementation. Stop by Dow’s booth at the AMI Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum 2014 in Barcelona to learn how this new system can benefit you.

Lower Processing Temperatures – Improved Yields

While conventional coatings require processing temperatures of up to 150 °C for
curing, the new polyurethane system can be cured at temperatures of 85 -100 °C, depending on oven efficiency. The typical properties of polyurethane backing such as excellent tuft lock and increased stiffness will be further improved.

Standard coating materials require the yarn to be tufted longer than the final specification due to shrinkage caused by high processing temperatures. The yarn length may vary, resulting in  reduced turf performance. Running cooler with the new low temperature catalyzed system will help improve yarn yield, reduce yarn tips and prolong turf life.

Benefits of Polyurethanes

Compared to conventional backings, polyurethanes offer several production and end-product
advantages. The process is run solvent-free, i.e. no water or solvents are used to evaporate, allowing for faster line speeds than other coating materials, and less make-up air is required to cure, leading to energy savings.

In addition, the polyurethane system can be tailored to the existing production process, enabling strong tuft lock while at the same time retaining tuft lock properties when wet, due to the hydrophobic nature of polyurethane coatings. During installation, polyurethane backings provide excellent bond to the polyurethane seam adhesives, enabling longer durability.

Dow has a proven track record of offering an innovative portfolio of high-quality resins and technologies for artificial turf system components. From polymer yarn, to elastomeric granules, backing technologies, binders and adhesives, Dow solutions are custom-made to enable sports professionals to create tailor-made surfaces that meet the specific requirements of their respective disciplines.

Learn more about Dow’s new polyurethane system for artificial turf at the ‘Advances in Polyurethane & Its Synergy with the Turf Yarn’ presentation, by Dr. Barbara Bonavoglia, application technology leader at Dow, and Mr. Miguel Uriarte Hernandez, business development leader at Dow, on February 19, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. at The Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum 2014 in Barcelona. Visit the conference website for more information.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately
innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving
innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and
biological sciences to help address many of the world’s most challenging
problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and
conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s integrated,
market-driven, 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 180
countries and in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water,
coatings and agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57
billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more
than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 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

Dow® and ENFORCER™ Sport are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow.