Dow Attains Sustainability Milestone with BETAMATE Structural Adhesives

MIDLAND, Mich. -- -- BETAMATE Structural Adhesives have been named Dow’s (NYSE:DOW) third “Breakthrough to World Challenges,” meeting a milestone set by the Company as part of its 2015 Sustainability Goals. A recent recipient of a 2014 R&D 100 Award and two 2014 PACE Awards, BETAMATE Structural Adhesives are used to bond the body structure of automobiles during assembly which enables improved vehicle safety and durability while optimizing weight reduction and providing greater design flexibility.

ith its newest “Breakthrough” Dow delivers on a target established in 2006 as part of Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, an aggressive set of 10-year targets that seeks to improve sustainability in seven core areas: Sustainable Chemistry; Addressing Climate Change; Energy Efficiency and Conservation; Product Safety Leadership; Contributing to Community Success; and Local Protection of Human Health and the Environment. Dow’s “Breakthrough” commitment identifies products and technologies that deliver significant contributions to society over time.

“Today, we celebrate a milestone in Dow’s sustainability journey ? fulfilling our commitment to deliver at least three Breakthroughs to World Challenges in areas like food and nutrition, fresh water, and energy and climate change,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow Corporate Vice President, EH&S and Sustainability. “As our society faces these increasingly complex challenges, Dow is proud to be part of the solution ? putting our science and technology expertise to work to deliver real, high-impact innovations in these essential areas for society.”

To be selected, each of Dow’s three breakthrough technologies ? Omega-9 Oils, DOW FILMTEC ECO Reverse Osmosis Elements and, now, BETAMATE Structural Adhesives ? were subjected to a rigorous evaluation process. The process evaluates many candidates in Dow’s business portfolio against a variety of criteria, from positive impact on millions of human lives, to minimal environmental impact throughout the product’s lifecycle.

BETAMATE Structural Adhesives

A challenge of enhancing fuel efficiency in vehicles by replacing heavy steel structures with lighter weight materials like aluminum and composites is maintaining the strength of the vehicle structure. BETAMATE Structural Adhesives are an enabling technology for optimized steel structures and dissimilar material assembly, where traditional joining techniques such as welding and riveting are limited in their applicability.

“BETAMATE Structural Adhesives address energy and climate change, as well as safety and health ? two of the pressing world challenges that Dow has committed to help solve as a part of the 2015 Sustainability Goals,” said Steve Henderson, president of Dow Automotive Systems. “Since their introduction in 1999, BETAMATE Adhesives have already contributed to an estimated 23.3 billion kilograms (kg) of CO2 emission avoidance and 2.65 billion gallons of gasoline savings.”

“As customers around the world purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles and more rigorous emission standards are implemented, sustainability has increasingly come to the forefront as a key consideration in vehicle design and production,