Dow has formulated a breakthrough option of polyolefin elastomers (POE) based artificial leather - a solution to address the automotive

industry’s need to shift towards increasingly animal-free product alternatives to leather.

The POE alternative leather option has been commercialized by HIUV Materials Technology, a China-based partner and qualified by an electric car manufacturer in their auto seatings application.

Key benefits of Dow’s POE leather option include:

• An ultra-soft tactility with better color stability, empowering designers with more flexibility on the choice of color, especially light colors.

• Good aging and low temperature resistance, meeting the strict requirements of the automotive industry.

• Elimination of hazardous chemicals, plasticizers, and heavy-metals materials.

• Low volatile organic compounds (VOC) and odor.

• 25% to 40%lighter weight than PVC leather due to lower density.

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“With Dow’s long-standing expertise in materials science, we are thrilled to bring this high performance animal-free leather option to market.” said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president of Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “We look forward to more value-chain collaborations with forward-looking brands to discover new possibilities for our POE leather option in the automotive market and beyond.”

Beyond automotive, this innovative option can be applied in other applications including sporting goods, furniture, and fashion and accessories, fulfilling brand owners’ requirements for a new option that meets the stringent demand for product appearance and customer experience with cost-effective positioning.

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