Industry Special: Dow materials make Games sustainable

Ever wonder what makes stadium seats so durable yet comfortable? How do lines on the field stay clear and visible despite the glare from overhead lights? How can the artificial turf maintain its vibrancy after rough play?

All this is made possible by the magic of chemical materials. As a worldwide partner, The Dow Chemical Company is committed to the sustainability of the Olympic Games through advanced materials science.

Dow's Styrofoam insulation and roofing materials have been used in many of the Olympic venues of multiple Games, supporting the Olympic Movement's sustainability goals.

For the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, most of the major venues were certified LEED buildings, which is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or approved by the Canadian Green Building Council for a certain LEED Grade. Styrofoam played a positive role in achieving this recognition.

At the ongoing London 2012 Olympic Games, Dow's advanced technologies have been adopted in many areas.

For the iconic London Olympic Stadium, Dow specifically developed a sustainable fabric made up of 336 individual panels to wrap around the venue. Made of high-performance resin, the fabric is 35 percent lighter than conventional materials while reducing its carbon footprint by 20 percent.

Another benefit is that the fabric is completely reusable. Dow's Dowlex polyethylene resin is used to make soft artificial grass for the field hockey pitches, thereby creating safe, world-class playing surfaces.

Non-competition venues also use Dow solutions. The parking area of the Westfield Shopping Center uses Dow's strong and durable insulation material to ensure the areas are safe and slick resistant.

Dow is also actively preparing for future Olympic Games and continuing the sports legacies of host countries.

For the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, Dow's wire and cable components will be used in the electrical solutions for facilities such as hotels, stadiums and broadcast centers.

China's General Administration of Sports developed a roadmap for the 12th Five-Year Plan, highlighting the continuation of a nationwide fitness program. It also set a goal to increase the total number of sports venues from 1 million to 1.2 million by 2015.

With a proven record of supporting the Olympic Games since 1980, Dow has the experience and technology to construct sustainable, high-performance sports facilities throughout China.

Host cities also benefit from Dow's products and solutions as they look to build infrastructure and upgrade facilities in preparation for millions of visitors to the city.

Sustainability

Traffic is a major issue and Dow offers environmentally friendly paint solutions for road markings. The water-based paint uses 40 percent less energy than solvent-based coating, which amounts to 50 percent less carbon dioxide emissions. When compared with hot-melt coating, Dow's paint uses 35 percent less energy and amounts to a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

Since 1996, the International Olympic Committee has emphasized reducing its environmental impact and increasingly stressed the urgency of promoting the sustainability of the Olympic Games.

With its long-standing commitment to global sustainability, scientific excellence and addressing world challenges, Dow said it is proud to bring its materials science solutions to the Olympic movement. Products and solutions across Dow's 30 businesses are available to help the Olympic Games achieve these goals.

The Dow Chemical Company serves as a worldwide partner of the Olympic Games from 2010 to 2020, and it is proud to provide innovative and sustainable solutions for the Olympic Games.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Olympic Stadium, the Riverbank Arena, the International Broadcasting Center, the Olympic and Paralympic Village and the Westfield Shopping Center, among others, are all using Dow products and solutions.

Athletes, spectators and TV audiences around the world will be able to experience and see how materials science truly improves their performance and daily lives.

liujie@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/08/2012 page14)