Dow Construction Chemicals will turn to the Middle East to manufacture a new cool-roof coating material designed for the environmental rigors of that region.

Primal EC-4642 ME, a component in Cool Reflective Roof Coating formulations, is aimed at meeting the growing demand for those coatings in the region. The material will be manufactured at Dow’s facility in Jebel Ali, UAE.

Formulation and Performance

Designed to cope with surface temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit), the new product is a water-based acrylic polymer that was designed for the region's extreme heat, sun and dust.

Dow Construction Chemicals

Primal EC-4642 ME, designed for Middle Eastern roof exposures, will be manufactured in the UAE.

According to Dow, the binder offers long-term dirt pick-up resistance, which helps maintain solar reflectivity, and high UV resistance.

"Elastomeric roof coatings formulated with the new material from Dow can reduce the cost of cooling a building by as much as 20 percent," said Dow's Brown Joseph.

"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 ... [but] also support refurbishment and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings."

CRRCs can help protect roofs from environmental degradation and mechanical stress, Joseph said.

CRRC formulations based on this new polymer recently received ASTM Certification, and coatings formulated with Primal EC-4642 ME can achieve the relevant ASTM certification for liquid-applied acrylic coatings used in roofing applications, according to Dow.

More information: www.dowconstructionchemicals.com.