The Dow Chemical Company and Lehigh Technologies Announce Collaboration to Create More Sustainable Materials for Tires

ATLANTA, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dow Chemical Company, manufacturer of industry-leading technology-based products and solutions in specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics, and Lehigh Technologies, manufacturer of sustainable, micronized rubber powders (MRP), announced today the two companies have partnered to conduct collaboration targeted at making tires more sustainable.

Dow and Lehigh will combine proprietary technologies to modify the rubber particles.  The program will combine Dow's expertise in polymer chemistry with Lehigh's expertise in sustainable rubber compound development and testing.  

"This collaboration is a great opportunity to continue leveraging our latex polymer technology for a sustainable cause.  Dow's 2015 Sustainability Goals include a focus on technologies that are advantaged by sustainable chemistry and this project is anchored in that same commitment," said Colin Gouveia, general manager, Dow Construction Chemicals. "Further, we're excited to work with Lehigh's unique market understanding and application expertise to develop solutions that bring value to the marketplace."

Lehigh Technologies' proprietary manufacturing process takes tire and other post-industrial rubber material and "upcycles" it into micron-scale, high quality, sustainable powders that are compatible with customers' existing formulations, making it easy to integrate into new or existing products. These sustainable powders help companies achieve sustainability goals, while helping manage the high cost of non-renewable raw materials.  Currently, there are over 100 million tires containing Lehigh's micronized rubber powder.  In June the company launched an industry-wide Road to One Billion Campaign to put one billion tires on the road manufactured with sustainable materials, to further reduce the carbon footprint of a tire.

"Our primary customer base, the world's leading tire companies, has been requesting advanced technologies to enable increased sustainable content in tires.  The Dow-Lehigh research program is part of a broader technology program at Lehigh, aimed at providing sustainable solutions without compromise," said Dr. Alan Barton, chief executive officer of Lehigh Technologies. "Our objective is to have one billion tires on the road manufactured with our alternative material - our collaboration with Dow is a critical step in realizing this significant milestone."  

About Dow

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.

ABOUT LEHIGH TECHNOLOGIES

Lehigh Technologies is a leading green materials manufacturer that turns end-of-life tire materials and other post-industrial rubber into sustainable powders that are used in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications. Lehigh Technologies is a World Economic Forum 2010 recipient of The Technology Pioneer Award for its visionary leadership and transformational technology. Headquartered in Tucker, GA, Lehigh Technologies is privately held and backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Index Ventures and NGP Energy Technology Partners. For more information, please visit www.lehightechnologies.com.

SOURCE Lehigh Technologies