Dow Microbial Control, a business group of The Dow Chemical Company, has expanded its family of Bioban solutions in specified regions to include Bioban 655 Antimicrobial for in-can preservation. Bioban preservatives help protect a wide range of paints and coatings formulations from microbial contamination. Bioban 655 is a broad-spectrum solution specifically designed for the in-can preservation of high pH systems. Based on the synergy of active ingredients BIT(1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one) and EDHO (7a-Ethyldihydro-1H,3H,5H-oxazolo{3,4-c}oxazole), the preservative contributes to long-lasting paints and coatings protection against a large variety of bacteria, molds and yeasts. Bioban 655 helps close the performance gap of BIT with a complementary activity spectrum and increased speed-of-action. In addition, the controlled use of Bioban 655 by formulators enables head-space protection, generation of minimal odor and requires no added solvents. Soluble in both aqueous and oil-based systems, the preservative’s low freezing point achieves excellent thermal and alkaline stability, according to Dow. Both active ingredients in Bioban 655 are supported by Dow under the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD), with EDHO a substance unique to Dow. The product is in varied stages of being commercially available across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. For Europe, Bioban 655 is currently being offered in Austria, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. It will be available in Germany and the UK within two weeks, and in Central and Eastern Europe in 2011.