Dow Corning and Heraeus to Present at AWA Conference

MIDLAND, Mich.—At the 2008 Global Release Liner Industry Conference, Dow Corning Corporation and Heraeus Metallhandelsgesellschaft will offer a joint presentation titled Platinum Challenges: Trends and Developments, Wednesday, February 6, at the Hilton Amsterdam Hotel in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Dow Corning’s Global Release Segment Team Leader Norm Kanar and Heraeus’ Head of Marketing and Sales Wolfgang Wrzesniok-Rossbach will discuss trends in pressure sensitive release markets and how they have influenced recent development activities by market segment and by technology.

“Platinum is an important component in silicone release systems,” Kanar said. “Although the cost of platinum metal continues to increase, efforts within the release liner value chain are minimizing the consequences. One example is

Syl-Off® Advantage Series from Dow Corning. As the only group of low-platinum, solventless silicone release products, the Advantage Series enhances line speed and improves coating performance, while reducing platinum usage to 35 ppm or lower, with robust operation on high-speed coaters.”

The presentation will include an overview of the silicone release market fundamentals that are driving the historic rise in the price for platinum metal and the effect on release coating costs. Kanar and Wrzesniok-Rossbach will also discuss new approaches to low platinum, potential trade-offs, and purchasing options, as well as the future of platinum metal.