Dow Elastomers upgrades hydrocarbon rubber products

ERJ staff report (RD)

Midland, Michigan - Dow Elastomers has implemented “significant upgrades” to its Nordel hydrocarbon rubber products to “enable higher compound quality at better economics, the company said 14 Oct.

The company said new tighter specifications for the Nordel product line such as new polymer Mooney and total product Mooney limits provide more batch-to-batch extrusion parameters, “reducing both start-up time and scrap in the process.” The process improvement reduces the amount of carbon black in the product, therefore giving the customer more polymer in each product, the company added.

Dow Elastomers has also introduced new gel contamination testing by installing new measuring equipment for real-time testing and reporting of every batch of Nordel.

“Recent changes in the Nordel product family represent a benchmark in quality and performance that translates into cost savings, enhanced productivity and better quality for compounders,” said Tim Clayfield, global technology leader for Nordel at Dow.

Dow Elastomers also announced 14 Oct that it has a new online performance tool to measure potential cost benefits of using Nordel in comparison with other EPDM elastomers. The online economic calculator allows customers to input the type and price of the incumbent elastomer in use, the desired tensile strength, and to calculate the potential cost benefits of switching to Nordel.

“Dow's performance tool illustrates to customers that looking at enhanced performance and total system cost is a better approach to material selection than strictly considering the per-pound price. The distinct design and properties of Nordel can significantly reduce the overall system cost, which is a real benefit in these unstable times,” concluded Clayfield.

To use the performance tool visit www.dow.com/elastomers/products/nordel_performance_tool.htm

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Nordel Press release from Dow Elastomers

Online performance tool Press release from Dow Elastomers