Dow Epoxy Featuring “Tough” and “Trusted” at CompositesWorld 2008

Dow Epoxy, a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and its affiliates (“Dow”), will feature FORTEGRA™ Epoxy Tougheners and AIRSTONE™ Epoxy Systems from September 3-5 at the COMPOSITESWORLD Expo in Schaumburg, Illinois.

FORTEGRA Epoxy Tougheners are low viscosity materials for use in amine, DICY, anhydride and phenolic cured epoxy systems. Launched by Dow Epoxy late last year, they are suitable for a wide range of applications throughout the composites sector, including aerospace, marine, building and construction, piping, filament wound cylinders, sports and leisure, etc.

One of the key challenges in the use of conventional toughening agents is the need to accept tradeoffs in other properties like glass transition temperature and viscosity. With FORTEGRA Epoxy Tougheners from Dow, no big compromises are necessary; mechanical performance is enhanced without major changes to other system properties.

“FORTEGRA Epoxy Tougheners have the capacity to minimize the tradeoffs in other properties,” explained Julie Mongeluzi, global commercial leader for FORTEGRA Epoxy Tougheners and North American marketing manager for Dow Epoxy. “Plus, compared to other alternatives, less FORTEGRA Epoxy Toughener material may be required to achieve the desired toughness. For some fabricators, this can translate into more reasonable material costs.”

Also in the spotlight at Dow’s booth will be AIRSTONE Systems, a family of epoxy systems for use in fabricating wind blades. They include systems for infusion, hand wet layup, tooling and adhesives. Dow Epoxy Systems, a unit of Dow Epoxy, launched the AIRSTONE line in April this year at the JEC Composites Show in Paris under the banner of ‘trusted solutions’ and ‘trusted supply’.

“‘Trust’ is truly a key word to our offer,” said Jean Luc Guillaume, global market manager for wind energy solutions with Dow Epoxy Systems. “Wind blade makers need to have trusted materials and trusted suppliers on their side to ensure they are able to meet and keep up with global demand. We give them that peace of mind, not only with the quality of our materials, but also with Dow’s global manufacturing, local support and global supply chain capabilities.”

AIRSTONE Epoxy Systems for wind blades have received approval from the industry’s leading classification society and certification body, Germanischer Lloyd. Dow is working on new epoxy systems to help manufacturers improve cycle time and make longer blades.

Dow representatives will be available in booth #721 at the COMPOSITESWORLD Expo to talk with customers about solutions for their needs. In addition to FORTEGRA Epoxy Tougheners and AIRSTONE Epoxy Systems, Dow offers D.E.R.™ Liquid Epoxy Resins, D.E.N.™ Epoxy Novolac Resins and D.E.H.™ Epoxy Curing Agents for use in a wide range of composites applications.

About Dow Epoxy and Dow Epoxy Systems
Dow Epoxy is one of the world’s largest epoxy resins and intermediates manufacturers, with strong positions in a number of major application areas, including coatings, electrical laminates and civil engineering. Dow Epoxy, through a new business unit known as Dow Epoxy Systems, also serves as a formulator for users of specialty epoxy systems in many industries, including civil engineering and infrastructure, composites, wind energy and others. More information about products and solutions from Dow Epoxy is available at www.dowepoxy.com and www.dowepoxysystems.com.