Materials & Packaging Materials & Packaging

'Oscars of Innovation' Award Dow with Most Wins of Any Packaging Developer

The 2015 winners of the annual R&D 100 Awards were announced on November 13 in Las Vegas. Often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the awards recognize technology inventions commercialized in the past year. The Dow Chemical Company had the largest number of nominations and winners of any single developer, with 21 nominations and six awards.The winning Dow products included two packaging solutions, a paint modifier, an adhesive, a power cable insulation, and a solder:

By Hannah Furlong | Published 8 years ago | About a 3 minute read

The 2015 winners of the annual R&D 100 Awards were announced on November 13 in Las Vegas. Often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the awards recognize technology inventions commercialized in the past year. The Dow Chemical Company had the largest number of nominations and winners of any single developer, with 21 nominations and six awards.

The winning Dow products included two packaging solutions, a paint modifier, an adhesive, a power cable insulation, and a solder:

PacXpertTM Packaging Technology: A flexible, lightweight alternative to rigid packaging that requires less material to manufacture and allows for more space-efficient shipping and storage. This product also won an award for “best weight reducing solution” at Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards in September;
Polyethylene (PE) Stand-Up Pouch: Packaging for frozen and dried foods that can be recycled and is eligible for the How2Recycle label, where PE film recycling is available;
ACRYSOLTM RM-725 Rheology Modifier: A paint modifier that enhances the surface appearance of a broad range of paint formulations;
BETAMATETM: A structural adhesive for lightweight aluminum that allows more weight-saving vehicle design, reducing fuel consumption and emissions as a result;
ENDURANCETM C4202 Insulation Compound: Formulation technology that is used in the construction of medium-voltage power cables, extending cable life through improved performance and reliability while reducing total life-cycle cost; and
SOLDERONTM BP TS6000 Tin-Silver: A lead-free solder for chip packaging with better productivity and reliability than alternatives with lead content.

A seventh product, the PURINZETM UltraFiltration Module, received special recognition in the Green Technology category. PURINZE removes 99 percent of common bacteria to enable the safe reuse of water in eco-washing machines, reducing water consumption by 30 percent.

“I am very proud of Dow’s world-class engineers and scientists who developed these products as a direct response to our customers seeking high-performing, more sustainable solutions,” said Diego Donoso, business president for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.

“As evidenced by our 2025 sustainability goals launched earlier this year, Dow has made a strong commitment to creating more sustainable innovations that not only meet customer needs but also benefit society. It’s an honour to have these important innovations recognized with an R&D 100 award.”

Dow has continued to release innovative, more sustainable products since the 2015 finalists were announced in July. For example, just last month, Dow launched a new line of resins that boast “unmatched stiffness-toughness balance, processing ease and improved sustainability profiles.” Five Dow products received R&D 100 Awards in 2014, and three received them in 2013.

Dow was also represented at the 2015 Green Building and Design (gb&d) Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards this month. Dow Building & Construction’s Business President, Jane Palmieri, and DuPont’s Director of Sustainable Development, Dawn Rittenhouse, were among the 20 women who received awards.