MIDLAND,  MI—(October 11, 2007) – SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free Insulation, made by The Dow Chemical Company, was honored with a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award for product innovation at a ceremony on Wednesday, October 10, at the Hearst Tower in New York City. The Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards, now in their third year, were created to recognize products that set new benchmarks in design, creativity, and engineering as well as individuals and teams that are helping to improve lives and expand possibilities in the realms of science, technology and exploration.

“Popular Mechanics is, at its core, devoted to recognizing innovations that re-imagine the role that technology and science play in our lives,” said James Meigs, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics. “All of this year’s group of Breakthrough Product Award winners do just that – and demonstrate the wide range of industries that can be transformed through smart, creative engineering.”

SAFETOUCH won a Breakthrough Award because it solved a long-standing problem for those installing home insulation. Do-it-yourselfers have long avoided installing home insulation because of the itchiness and glass dust associated with fiberglass. SAFETOUCH Fiberglass-Free Insulation is non-irritating to bare skin. The product is manufactured from the same type of fibers used to make clothing and bedding, and it is engineered to have a soft, itch-free feel.

Available exclusively at Lowe’s, SAFETOUCH does not contain formaldehyde binders or borates found in traditional fiberglass and cellulose insulation products. SAFETOUCH is a thermo-acoustic batt manufactured from polyester fibers (PET fibers). Through careful selection of the fibers and a propriety manufacturing process, Dow has produced an insulation material that home users can install without itch, gloves, masks or other special protection.

SAFETOUCH™ Fiberglass-Free Insulation has the same insulating properties as fiberglass-based products, with batts available in both R-13 and R-19. R-value insulation ratings are used to measure the material’s ability to resist heat flow; the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

SAFETOUCH can be used for insulating exterior stud walls, floors, ceilings and crawlspaces.  It also can be installed in interior walls for sound control. 

Award Criteria and Evaluation

In selecting the candidates and winners of the 2007 Breakthrough Awards program, the editors of Popular Mechanics canvassed a large range of experts and academics to come up with a list of worthy nominees.  PM’s Board of Advisors then reviewed the nominations to help the editors of Popular Mechanics choose the final winners. 

A complete report of the Breakthrough Awards and a full list of winners is online at www.popularmechanics.com.

About Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics (www.popularmechanics.com) is a magazine that helps readers master the modern world. In addition to providing hands-on coverage of personal technology, cars and home improvement, PM reports in depth on the science and technology behind major issues -- including such stories as disaster planning, hydrogen fuel and other energy alternatives, military expenditures, and digital privacy. Each month, nearly 9 million readers turn for advice and news to the magazine’s editors and contributors, including the likes of Jay Leno, astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Tom Jones, and roboticist Daniel H. Wilson. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Popular Mechanics publishes 12 editions around the world. Popular Mechanics is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world’s largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 19 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited.  Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines (74.1 million total adults, according to MRI, spring 07).

About Dow

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of innovation, science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow offers a broad range of products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs 43,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com. For further information, please call 1-866-583-BLUE (2583).

For more information:
Bill Anderson
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banderson@blattnerbrunner.com