Betamate Structural Adhesives have been named Dow’s third “Breakthrough to World Challenges” winner, meeting a milestone set by the company as a part of its 2015 sustainability goals. With heavy steel structures in vehicles being replaced with lighter weight materials, such as aluminum and composites, Dow’s structural adhesives are designed to serve as a bond where traditional joining techniques such as welding and riveting are limited in their applicability, according to officials.
The “Breakthrough” award was designed by the company to identify products and technologies that deliver significant contributions to society over time.
“Today, we celebrate a milestone in Dow’s sustainability journey—fulfilling our commitment to deliver at least three ‘Breakthroughs to World Challenges’ in areas like food and nutrition, fresh water and energy and climate change,” says Neil Hawkins, Dow’s corporate vice president of EH&S and sustainability.
“As our society faces these increasingly complex challenges, Dow is proud to be a part of the solution—putting our science and technology expertise to work to deliver real, high-impact innovations in these essential areas for society,” he adds.
“Breakthroughs” are subjected to a “rigorous evaluation process.” This process evaluates many candidates in Dow’s business portfolio against a variety of criteria from positive impact on millions of human lives to minimal environmental impact throughout the product’s lifecycle, according to officials.
“Betamate structural adhesives address energy and climate change, as well as safety and health—two of the pressing world challenges that Dow has committed to help solve as a part of the 2015 sustainability goals,” says Steve Henderson, president of Dow Automotive Systems.
“As customers around the world purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles and more rigorous emission standards are implemented, sustainability has increasingly come to the forefront as a key consideration in vehicle design and production,” Hawkins points out. “Betamate Structural Adhesives are a game-changer for lightweight vehicle assembly, using existing manufacturing processes to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.”
