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The Evolution of Trinseo: A Look at Our History and Heritage

The rich Trinseo heritage is steeped in innovation, experience, and vision. Our success continues to grow from our ongoing dedication and commitment to collaborate to develop industry-leading materials solutions.

Trinseo, an independent company formed in 2010, was created by combining the technologies and capabilities of four businesses of The Dow Chemical Company:

  • Polycarbonate and Compounds & Blends
  • Paper and Carpet Latex
  • Synthetic Rubber
  • Styrenics (polystyrene, ABS/SAN resins, expandable polystyrene)

Choose a Timeline

2009 July Dow groups the four businesses together into a separate division (named Styron) in anticipation of forming an independent company.
2009 July through December Dow explores divestiture options for the new division.
2010 March Dow signs sale agreement with Bain Capital Partners.
2010 June Styron becomes an independent company.
2014 June Styron changes its name to Trinseo and completes initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “TSE.”
2015 February Styron changes names of all affiliated companies to Trinseo.
2017 July Trinseo Completes Acquisition of API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali S.p.A.
1930's Late The world’s first synthetic rubber plants are the Buna operations in East Germany, for which Buna rubber is named. These are operated by I.G. Farben, the German chemical conglomerate that, at one time, is the fourth largest company in the world.
WWII World War II Dow-designed plants produce over 90 percent of the styrene monomer used in the U.S. to manufacture GR-S rubber -- considered critical to the war effort when natural rubber supplies are cut off.
1940 A short-lived joint venture called Goodyear-Dow is established to support the U.S. government effort to produce Buna-type synthetic rubber in the U.S. However, this effort is not funded by the government, and the venture dissolves.
1940's Dow develops a process to use modified latex to replace binders, starch (in paper coating), and casein (in water-based paints. This results in SB latex, which eventually revolutionized the water-based paint, paper coating, and carpet backing industries.
1946 Dow Emulsion Polymers enters the paper and paperboard industry.
1959 Dow Latex expands operations to Europe.
1965 Dow Latex enters the tufted carpet backings market and opens a new manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, USA.
1971 Dow opens its first pilot coating facility in Horgen, Switzerland.
1971 Dow Latex expands operations to Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
1988 Dow builds a second high-speed pilot coating facility in Midland, Michigan, USA.
1990's Early Following the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s, Dow is asked to participate in the privatization of former East Germany chemical facilities in Boehlen, Schkopau, and Leuna. BSL is established in 1995. Today, Trinseo’s synthetic rubber and styrene monomer operations are located at this historic site.
1990's Early Dow Emulsion Polymers builds seven new facilities in the 1990s (Finland, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia).
1990's Functionalized Solution SB Rubber drives growth in high performance and ultra-high performance tires.
1990 Dow realizes a 95 percent increase in latex sold globally.
2002 Dow celebrates the inauguration of a new SB latex plant in China.
2008 LOMAX™ Technology is developed, allowing carpet latex technologies in Dalton, Georgia, to be produced with renewable energy.
2009 Dow’s upgraded and rebuilt pilot coater and R&D testing laboratories in Samstagern, Switzerland, become fully operational.
1839 Eduard Simon, a German apothecary, isolates a substance from natural resin. He does not realize, however, that he has discovered polystyrene.
1930 Eduard Simon, a German apothecary, isolates a substance from natural resin. He does not realize, however, that he has discovered polystyrene.
1937 The Dow Chemical Company introduces the first polystyrene products to the U.S. market and STYRON Polystyrene is born. During World War II, the U.S. government uses virtually all of the PS produced. The plastic is used in radio transmitters, receivers, altimeters, direction finders, homing devices, radar housings, and other military equipment.
1930's Several Dow researchers – including Dr. Sylvia Stoesser, Dow’s first female chemist – develop an inhibitor that is key to the commercial process for producing styrene at high purity and low cost. It enables the production of a polystyrene that was so clear, people say it looks like crystal. Dow names it STYRON™ Polystyrene (PS).
1940's Dow develops impact STYRON resins, heat resistant STYRON resins, and polystyrene used in extruded foams, films, and latexes.
1940's Dow invents Styraloy, a rubbery plastic that combines flexibility at sub-zero temperatures with excellent electrical properties and is used extensively by the military for telephone and radio facilities.
1941 Dow invents a process for extruding polystyrene, which achieves a closed-cell foam that resists moisture. This becomes the basis for STYROFOAM™ brand products.
1950's  Dow develops sheet extrusion and thermoforming with STYRON resins.
1959  The Koppers Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, develops expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam.
1960's Dow introduces STYRON resins containing flame retardant chemical additives.
1970's Dow introduces high-heat, high-impact STYRON resins; injection molding and extrusion of structural foam STYRON polystyrene; feedblock coextrusion with STYRON resins; scrapless forming with STYRON resins; and styrenic alloys.
1980's Dow pioneers improvements in processability and physical and chemical properties with STYRON resins.
1990's Dow introduces STYRON A-TECH™ Advanced Technology Polystyrene Resins with properties never before possible with high-impact polystyrene.
2009 Styron is the name chosen for a new company, which will be divested from Dow.
2010 Styron is established as an independent company. Its products include latex binders, synthetic rubber, and plastics, including polystyrene.
2015 Styron is established as an independent company. Its products include latex binders, synthetic rubber, and plastics, including polystyrene.
1930's Mid Dow researchers invent the “Dow styrene process” by passing ethylbenzene vapors into superheated steam to bring about partial dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene, using special low inventory stills.
1940 Through 1945 Dow’s first expansion outside the U.S. – into Sarnia, Ontario – is a styrene monomer plant to supply an SB rubber plant built for Canada’s war effort.
1990's Early Following the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s, Dow is asked to participate in the privatization of former East Germany chemical facilities in Boehlen, Schkopau, and Leuna. BSL is established in 1995. Today, Trinseo’s synthetic rubber and styrene monomer operations are located at this historic site.
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