Dow Automotive BETAFOAM for cavity-filling went into large-scale production for the first time in Europe in late 2005 on the Chrysler 300C built at the Magna Steyr production facility in Graz, Austria. This makes DaimlerChrysler the first OEM in Europe to use this foam technology for acoustic management in mass production. In North America BETAFOAM already has been successfully launched in the automotive market and has been used in mass production for several years on models including the Dodge Durango and the Cadillac SRX.

BETAFOAM, a family of two-component polyurethane foams, offers a wide range of application opportunities and can be used for acoustical body treatment solutions and to improve the structural and crash performance of a vehicle. It is typically injected into cavities of the automotive body. Due to the high reactivity, the foam system cures almost immediately after it is applied. High expansion rates ensure excellent reliable sealing without the need for tooling. The ability to conform to all the cavity shapes reduces the logistics and engineering cost of the sealing solution significantly and accommodates easily model or platform changes. BETAFOAM is available in different formulations and densities and can be applied in a fully automated method as is done on the Chrysler 300C.

The large scale application on the Chrysler 300C demonstrates the long term commitment of DaimlerChrysler to this solution from Dow Automotive in Europe. DaimlerChrysler began using this application as far back as 1996 on other models, but on a small scale.

Dow Automotive anticipates an increase in the use of BETAFOAM for cavity sealing on other European vehicle platforms due to the large-scale application properties demonstrated on the Chrysler 300C.

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centers around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.