Univar Solutions Inc., a global chemical and ingredient distributor, announced today that it has been appointed the exclusive distributor of Vorasurf Silicone Polyurethane Additives from Dow across North America.
Dow’s silicone additives and surfactants enable improved foam properties by bringing a range of flexibility and rigidness to foam and complement Univar Solutions existing elastomers product line.
“With this exclusive authorization, we continue to strengthen our strong and deep partnership with Dow to meet the needs of customers in North America and drive new growth opportunities,” said Chris Fitzgerald, coatings, adhesives, sealants, & elastomers (CASE) industry director for Univar Solutions in the United States. “The versatility, performance, and adaptability of Vorasurf Silicone Polyurethane Additives makes them the ideal choice to use in a wide range of applications – from footwear and mattresses, to automotive interiors and spray foam insulation. By enhancing our collaboration with Dow as a dedicated supplier of high-quality silicone technologies like Vorasurf, we can continue to provide customers with a broad portfolio of reliable ingredients to solve their toughest challenges and develop more innovative products.”
Silicone surfactants bring various levels of flexibility and rigidness to products that use polyurethane foam formulation. These essential additives improve emulsification and nucleation; prevent coalescence; stabilize cell membranes; increase ingredient compatibility; and decrease surface tension in various types of foam. Applications include flexible molded foam used in car seats; rigid foam found in refrigeration and insulation; microcellular foam in shoes; and flexible slabstock foam commonly used in mattresses.
“This new partnership with Univar Solutions will allow even more customers in North America to benefit from Dow’s unique, industry-leading product development, technical support, and manufacturing experience of polyurethane materials and of silicone chemistry,” said Christian Velasquez, global strategic market director for polyurethane additives at Dow. “We continue to expand our portfolio to address strong market demands for additives and surfactants enabling customers to achieve emerging performance, sustainability, and profitability challenges in the polyurethane foam space.”
Dow’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. The company’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries, employs approximately 36,500 people, and delivered sales of approximately $43 billion in 2019.
Photo courtesy Univar Solutions
