May 21 2010
Dow Coating Materials, a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, recently introduced two new technologies designed to meet very specific application needs without compromising performance – RHOPLEX/PRIMAL™ EZ Clean series of products for coatings requiring outstanding stain resistance and INVIZIPRO™ technology that enables protective top coatings for high value surfaces (murals, faux finish) and high traffic areas in residential / commercial setting.
“Innovation cannot take place in a vacuum,” Shruti Singhal, marketing director for Dow Coating Materials, North America, explained. “We rely on our highly collaborative relationships with formulators and others in the industry to identify and address specific application needs. VERSAIR™ and INVIZIPRO™ are two examples of how we are taking that knowledge to develop solutions that will help our customers grow their business by adding desired attributes, such as low odor without compromising performance or by introducing materials that have new functionality to spur new demand.
These new technologies address very clear market needs, as outlined below:
RHOPLEX/PRIMAL™ EZ Clean is a new technology used in the development of premium performance interior paints with very high resistance to household stains. Paints based on Rhoplex/PRIMAL™ EZ Clean 100, 200 and 300 series of products introduced worldwide exhibit excellent stain repellency combined with good stain removal properties. Tests have shown coatings made with these materials to not only resist stains such as wine, tea, coffee, inks, but also that the liquid forms into beads on the paint film and rolls down the wall, making paint surfaces easier to clean.
INVIZIPRO™ technology is a new formulation toolkit that enables the formulation of clear coatings with a matte look, excellent optical clarity and resistance properties. Key additional features of this technology include soft touch and burnish resistance. Still in the early product phase, Dow researchers have found tremendous interest from across the industry. Coating prototypes made with this technology are finding interest in variety of applications such as protecting high value surfaces and high traffic areas in commercial and high end residential applications.
“Following Dow’s acquisition of Rohm and Haas, we have, arguably, the most experienced team in the coatings raw materials industry today,” Jonathan Hastings, strategy and new business development director for Dow Coating Materials, said. “This depth of knowledge and resources allows us to take a unique approach to new coating technologies, leveraging lessons learned across many different industry segments to meet very specific customer demands for attributes such as low odor and stain resistance. Technology platforms like RHOPLEX/PRIMAL™ EZ Clean and INVIZIPRO™ are among the first innovations resulting from this new found strength.”