Dow teams up to contribute carbon savings from anti-corrosion steel coatings to Official Carbon Partnership with IOC

Announcing the latest contributor under Dow’s Official Carbon Partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dow is teaming up with PPG to reduce the carbon impact of anti-corrosion coatings for steel commercial infrastructure.

The collaboration between Dow and PPG, a global supplier of paints, coatings and speciality materials, aims to deliver reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions though improved coatings for commercial and industrial buildings, infrastructure, such as bridges and marine vessels, while helping to lessen costs associated with structural metal corrosion.

As an alternative to traditional coating solutions, PPG’s two-coat PSX system, based on Dow polysiloxane technology, requires fewer coats to achieve the same level of protection than a competitive three-coat system.

This results in less energy-intensive production and application, and therefore, a potential reduction of GHG emissions.

"From the skyscrapers that shape our skylines, to the bridges that connect our roads in the transportation networks, to marine vessels that transport goods and people, steel is the backbone of modern society,” said Dr Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi, Circular Economy Market Director for Dow and Global Technology & Sustainability Director for Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions.

"As a leading materials science company, we can offer solutions that help extend the life span of infrastructure and reduce the environmental impact of steel manufacturing and maintenance over the long-term.

"Together with PPG, supported by the Dow-IOC Official Carbon Partnership, we are providing paint and coating formulators with the ability to offer architects and property developers a next-generation steel coating solution that encourages partners across the value chain to adopt technologies with a lower carbon impact.”

Compared to alternative systems, PPG PSX technology can deliver better long-term adhesion, toughness, corrosion and chemical resistance under even the most aggressive exposure conditions.

Whereas other coating technology often requires three coats, including a primer, an intermediate layer and a topcoat, PSX is a simple two-coat system with a zinc primer and polysiloxane topcoat.

Polysiloxane requires fewer re-coats over time compared to traditional topcoat technologies, resulting in lower maintenance costs for the building owner and a lower associated environmental impact.

The estimated reduction in carbon impact from this technology has been validated through a life cycle assessment.

"Through this collaboration, we’re combining PPG and Dow expertise to drive measurable change through carbon mitigation projects,” said Christopher Welch, PPG Global Business Development Director, Protective and Marine Coatings.

"Together, we have the common goal of protecting one of the world’s strongest building materials, while contributing to a more sustainably built environment for the future.”

Within Dow’s Sustainable Future Program, this agreement is one of several projects under the Official Carbon Partnership with the IOC.

Initiated in 2017 to balance the operational carbon footprint of the IOC and beyond, the partnership encourages organisations outside the Olympic movement to adopt programmes for reducing carbon emissions while catalyzing change across value chains.

For more information on Dow’s sustainability programmes and the Dow-IOC Carbon Partnership, visit www.dow.com/en-us/sports/sustainability.