Research Triangle Park, North Carolina – April 20, 2007 – Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex has announced that the company’s polymer technology for producing thermomolded floor fabrics for automotive interiors has been put into use by a major customer. The process, which relies on the unique performance properties of a Dow Reichhold polymer, enables raw material cost savings and reduced cycle time during manufacturing.

“This product technology represents a significant advance in thermomolding textiles for automotive applications,” noted Douglas Reid, marketing manager for Dow Reichhold. “We have been able to reduce the adhesive components from three products to one, and help our customer reduce the total number of process steps at the same time.”

The thermomolding process is used to adhere textile “heavy layer” to a nonwoven face floor fabric. The heavy layer provides both thermal and sound insulation for the interior vehicle cabin, and contributes shape retention to the floor fabric. The Dow Reichhold polymer functions as an adhesive between the heavy layer and face floor fabric, and imparts strength that enhances shape retention in the final molded product.

Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex LLC is a 50/50 joint venture of The Dow Chemical Company and Reichhold, Inc. The joint venture is the world’s largest producer of specialty latex. The company is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, U.S.A.

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