| Late 1930s |
The world's first synthetic rubber plants were the Buna operations in East Germany, for which Buna rubber was named. These were operated by I.G. Farben, the German chemical conglomerate that was at one time the 4th largest company in the world |
| During World War II |
Dow-designed plants produced over 90% of the styrene monomer that was used in the U.S. to manufacture GR-S rubber -- which was considered critical to the war effort, when natural rubber supplies were cut off |
| 1940 |
A short-lived joint venture called Goodyear-Dow was established to support the U.S. government effort to produce Buna-type synthetic rubber in the U.S. However, this effort was not funded by the government, and the venture was dissolved |
| 1940s |
Dow developed a process to replace the binders, starch (in paper coating) and casein (in water-based paints) with modified latex - resulting in SB latex eventually revolutionizing the water-based paint industry, paper coating industry and carpet backing industry |
| 1946 |
Dow Emulsion Polymers enters the paper and paperboard industry |
| 1959 |
Dow Latex expands operations to Europe |
| 1965 |
Dow Latex enters the tufted carpet backings market and opens a new manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, USA |
| 1971 |
Dow opens its first pilot coating facility in Horgen, Switzerland |
| 1971-1972 |
Dow Latex expands operations to Asia-Pacific and Latin America |
| 1988 |
Dow builds a second high-speed pilot coating facility in Midland, Michigan, USA |
| 1990 |
Dow Emulsion Polymers builds seven new facilities in the 1990s (Finland, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia) |
| 1990s |
Functionalized Solution SB Rubber drives growth in high performance and ultra high performance tires |
| Early 1990s |
Following the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s, Dow was asked to participate in the privatization of former East Germany chemical facilities in Boehlen, Schkopau and Leuna. BSL was established in 1995. Today, Styron’s synthetic rubber and styrene monomer operations are located at this historic site |
| 1990-2000 |
Dow sees 95% increase in latex sold globally |
| 2002 |
Dow celebrates inauguration of new S/B latex plant in China |
| 2008 |
LOMAX™ Technology is developed, allowing carpet latex technologies in Dalton, Georgia to be produced with renewable energy |
| 2009 |
Dow's upgraded and rebuilt pilot coater and R&D testing laboratories in Samstagern, Switzerland become fully operational |
