Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., announced that the company plans to expand its Fombio, Italy, facility to manufacture uniform particle size (UPS) copolymers used in the company’s ion exchange resins. The new capacity will make use of manufacturing technology from both Dow and Rohm and Haas for production of the UPS copolymer.
Producing UPS gel copolymer for the first time in Europe is the latest step in the transformation of Dow’s ion exchange asset grid to a more streamlined, competitive configuration. DOWEX and AMBERJET include a broad line of products for water purification, health care, food and industrial processes.
"Currently, we manufacture UPS gel copolymer in the U.S. and ship to major markets in France, China and Japan," said Ian Barbour, general manager, Dow Water & Process Solutions. "Creating an advanced manufacturing presence for copolymers in Europe allows us to provide higher quality product more quickly and at a reduced transportation cost."
The acquisition of Rohm and Haas’ ion exchange businesses in April 2009 has allowed Dow to develop a UPS manufacturing technology based on the best practices of both Dow and Rohm and Haas. The Fombio manufacturing facility is certified to the ISO 9001 standard for quality systems and the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management.
“We have always been committed to providing customers with the ultimate combination of performance, reliability and efficiency in our products,” said Tom Bass, business operations leader, Dow Water & Process Solutions. “By increasing the efficiency of our manufacturing process, Dow is also reducing inter-regional freight and having a positive impact on our carbon footprint.”
Copolymer manufacturing at Fombio is expected to begin in the second half of 2010.
Source: Dow Water & Process Solutions
