Dow Develops Chromium-Free Etch for Sustainable Plating on Plastic Manufacturing

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Dow Electronic Materials, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company DOW, has developed a novel chromium-free ECOPOSIT™ etching solution to replace chromic acid etching used in the pre-treatment of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and PC-ABS in the plating on plastics (POP) industry, to help manufacturers to meet the September 21, 2017 sunset date set by REACH to eliminate the use of chromium trioxide.

The selection of a replacement etchant species was the result of many years of research to find a candidate and associated process parameters, with the stability, performance and process window to substantially fit into existing POP equipment. Dow's novel ECOPOSIT™ Etch becomes an integral part of the ECOPOSIT CF-800 Chrome-Free pre-treatment, utilizing the stable and regenerable MnIII species to replace the incumbent hexavalent chromium oxidant. Dow has been granted a US patent for this novel chrome-free etch (CFE), laying the platform for the move towards commercialization and the road to the elimination of hexavalent chromium in POP pre-treatment.

“Dow Electronic Materials' investment in sustainable technology is evident in this novel POP development,” said JR Chen global business director at Dow Electronic Materials. “Dow continues to invest in value added products as our customers face many challenges in support of the increased performance demands, whilst being safer for people and the environment”

The building of industrial performance data in different market segments has begun in order to provide pathways for customers to test and qualify Dow's technology and implement in advance of the 2017 deadline.

About Dow Electronic Materials

Dow Electronic Materials, a global supplier of materials and technologies to the electronics industry, brings innovative leadership to the semiconductor, interconnect, finishing, photovoltaic, display, LED and optics markets. From advanced technology centers worldwide, teams of talented Dow research scientists and application experts work closely with customers, providing solutions, products and technical service necessary for next-generation electronics. These partnerships energize Dow's power to invent. Its key end-use applications include a broad range of consumer electronics from personal computers, to television monitors, smartphones and tablets, and other mobile devices as well as electronic devices and systems used in a variety of industries. More information about Dow Electronic Materials can be found at http://www.dowelectronicmaterials.com.

About Dow

Dow DOW combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, 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 180 countries and in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 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.