MIDLAND, Mich. - Union Carbide Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., announced that it will undertake a multiyear spending program to make capital improvements in support of Dow's Solvents & Intermediates business. The modernization will improve the reliability of the isopropanol and oxo production facilities at the site and increase isopropanol capacity by 40 million pounds.

"Our Solvents & Intermediates business is not only a significant supplier to the paints and coatings industry, it also supplies important raw materials used in the production of a variety of Dow products," says Ted Cosse, vice president for Acrylics, Solvents & Intermediates. "This investment represents a long-term commitment to our industry, our customers and Texas City."

"As a result of this investment, we will be able to further improve the reliability of our operations," says Pat Gottschalk, global business director, Solvents & Intermediates. "The resulting 40-million-pound isopropanol capacity increase is needed to satisfy the growing needs of our customers."