DowDuPont : Dow Heat Transfer Fluids to Help Keep Ice Quality High at Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018

MIDLAND, Mich. - January 04, 2018 - As construction of the ice venues for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 come to a close, the materials used to create the smooth ice surfaces are awaiting their performance debut. Heat transfer fluids from The Dow Chemical Company, are used in three of the Gangneung Coastal Cluster ice venues, as well as in the practice arena, to help maintain temperature precision of the ice and encourage peak performance during hockey and speed skating competitions.

DOWTHERM™ SR-1 Inhibited Ethylene Glycol-based is used in the ice rinks for the PyeongChang 2018 ice venues including the Gangneung and Kwandong Hockey Centres, the Gangneung Oval, and the practice arena for short-track skaters. The fluid is chilled by refrigeration equipment and then circulated through a network of pipes beneath the rink floor. The cold solution causes a layer of water to freeze into a smooth sheet of ice by extracting any heat that is collecting on the floor. Then the fluid is circulated back to the refrigeration system, where the heat is separated from the fluid and ejected. Used in ice rinks, as well as in food industry refrigeration and building HVAC systems, Dow heat transfer fluids offer fast freezing, lower operating and maintenance costs, as well as excellent corrosion protection for metal pipes.

'Winter sports require different ice temperatures so that the athletes can compete to the best of their abilities,' said Phillip Oh, Asia-Pacific commercial director for Dow Olympic & sports solutions. 'Our heat transfer fluids offer reliable, economical and sustainable solutions for long-term performance protection and ice rink efficiency.'

At the Gangneung and Kwandong Hockey Centres, the ice needs to be harder and more compressed than the typical skating rink so that it can withstand the constant back-and-forth from the players and referees. Long-distance speed skaters who will be competing at the Gangneung Oval also require harder ice in order to facilitate easier gliding with less resistance. On the other hand, at the practice arena, speed skaters on short tracks need softer ice so they can have proper grip. In addition to maintaining the temperature of the ice, inhibitors in DOWTHERM™ protect the pipes from corrosion and help lubricate the pumps, easing the maintenance and upkeep of the piping at the Olympic venues.

'Top-performing sporting venues are supported by the best of science and technology. Dow's game-changing solutions not only create some of the best conditions for athletes to perform at their best, these solutions also help in the long-term maintenance of the Olympic venues,' said Louis A. Vega, Dow's vice president of Olympic & sports solutions. 'Dow goes beyond business as usual to offer sustainable and innovative solutions at the intersection of science and sport.'

Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions is a global business unit of DowDuPont Materials Science Division and The Dow Chemical Company, a subsidiary of DowDuPont.

About Dow
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) combines science and technology knowledge to develop premier materials science solutions that are essential to human progress. Dow has one of the strongest and broadest toolkits in the industry, with robust technology, asset integration, scale and competitive capabilities that enable it to address complex global issues. Dow's market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of advanced materials, industrial intermediates, and plastics businesses deliver a broad range of differentiated technology-based products and solutions for customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, and consumer care. Dow is a subsidiary of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), a holding company comprised of Dow and DuPont with the intent to form three strong, independent, publicly traded companies in agriculture, materials science and specialty sectors. More information can be found at www.dow.com.