Oct 2 2014
New product specially designed to meet the critical quality requirements for "Cool Roofs" to perform in hot weather conditions.
Dow Construction Chemicals , a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, will launch a new technology this week that meets the growing demand for energy efficient Cool Reflective Roof Coatings or "cool roofs" in the Middle East region. The new material will be manufactured at Dow's state-of-the-art production facility in Jebel Ali, UAE and is a critical component in cool reflective roof coating (CRRC) formulations.
When applied to exterior roof surfaces, cool roofs coatings help reduce the amount of air conditioning required in hot climates by reflecting solar heat rather than absorbing. To introduce their new cool roof material and make clear the sustainable benefits of 'cool roof' coatings, Dow has planned a series of events this week in Dubai aimed at the building and construction sector.
The new product is a water based acrylic polymer which was designed specifically for the conditions in the Middle East of extreme warm temperatures, sun and dust. It is the latest development from Dow Construction Chemicals which has years of experience in developing products for elastomeric roof coatings.
"Elastomeric roof coatings formulated with the new material from Dow can reduce the cost of cooling a building by as much as 20 percent," explains Brown Joseph, DCC Business Development Manager for Middle East & Africa. "We believe functional coatings such as CRRCs can not only help developers increase the value of their properties in the Middle East thanks to better building performance, this technology can also support refurbishment and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings."
"Durable Cool Reflective Roof Coatings can also protect the roof from environmental degradation and help reduce the effect of peak temperatures and resulting mechanical stress, leading to an expanded life time for the roof," Joseph continues.
CRRC formulations based on this new polymer recently received ASTM Certification. This gives peace of mind and valuable independent endorsement that technical claims have been audited by a third party. Coatings formulated with the new material from Dow, PRIMAL™ EC-4642 ME, can achieve the relevant ASTM certification for liquid applied acrylic coatings used in roofing applications.
As an added benefit, applying CRRCs can also help Middle East buildings achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation, thanks to the energy saving capabilities. LEED certification is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building.
"LEED certification is increasing in the region as governments and the construction industry increasingly embrace the financial, performance and environmental advantages of sustainably-designed buildings, and CRRC technology has an important role to play in achieving that," said Klairie Gounaridi, Strategic Marketing Manager for Dow Construction Chemicals for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The new product from Dow is designed to cope with surface temperatures in excess of 80⁰C. In addition, the binder offers long term dirt pick-up resistance - essential for maintaining the solar reflectivity which is key to achieving energy savings - and high UV resistance, critical for an application constantly exposed to harsh, Middle East sunlight.
"We're proud that we can bring decades of experience and technical know-how in CRRCs to this market, and believe our new material can genuinely help enable a step change in Cool Reflective Roof Coating technology in the Middle East, " concluded Joseph.
For more information on cool roofs and new PRIMAL™ EC-4642 ME (www.rooftopics.com).