Dow minds the ozone (May 2009)

The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., has converted its first facility that manufactures STYROFOAM Brand Insulation in Dalton, Ga., to its new zero ozone-depleting, no-VOC foaming agent technology. Dow is positioning itself to completely convert its plants in advance of the Montreal Protocol, which requires the phase-out of the hydrochloro-fluorocarbon 142b, an ozone depleting compound, by Jan. 1, 2010. “Whenever you change the formulation for a trusted and proven brand like ours, absolutely no compromise on performance can be tolerated,” said Torsten Kraef, vice president and general manager of Dow Building Solutions. “With our tests completed and our ICC-ES report now in hand, we are following through on the commitment we made a little over a year ago to our customers—that the best and broadest portfolio of extruded polystyrene foam solutions in the industry will continue to be available after the Montreal Protocol deadline.”