Dow Corning

Dow Corning Corporation

Company type	Joint venture (historically), subsidiary (later)
Industry	Chemical manufacturing
Founded	1943
Headquarters	Midland, Michigan , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Dr. E. C. Sullivan (first president), Dr. William R. Collings (first general manager and later president), Gregg Zank (CTO in 2011)
Products	Silicone materials including sealants, adhesives, rubbers, lubricants, silicon oils, solvents; over 7,000 products under DOWSIL™ brand
Owner	The Dow Chemical Company (since 2016)
Parent	Dow Silicones Corporation (since 2019)

Dow Corning Corporation was a U.S.-based multinational enterprise with headquarters located in Midland, Michigan. It originated as a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated. In 2016, Dow purchased Corning's shares, transforming Dow Corning into a fully owned subsidiary of Dow. After a short period under DowDuPont, Dow separated the silicone-centric unit on April 1, 2019, establishing Dow Silicones Corporation. This wholly owned Dow subsidiary stands as the largest global manufacturer of silicone materials. The brand DOWSIL™ represents Dow Corning’s extensive range of over 7,000 silicone-related products and solutions.

History

Established in 1943 through a partnership between Dow Chemical and Corning Glass to advance silicone technology, Dow Corning commenced operations with its initial manufacturing facility in Midland, Michigan by 1945. Early company leadership featured Dr. E. C. Sullivan as president and Dr. William R. Collings as general manager; Collings later served as president from 1954 until 1962. By 1948, the firm had expanded its footprint internationally to include Canada and Europe, subsequently entering South American and Japanese markets by 1961.

A vital subsidiary is Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, where Dow Corning owns a controlling interest of 62.5%. Hemlock is recognized as a leading worldwide supplier of ultra-pure polycrystalline silicon utilized in semiconductor wafers and photovoltaic solar cells.

In November 2014, Corning declared its plan to exit the joint venture after more than seven decades. Following the announcement of Dow’s merger with DuPont in December 2015, Dow agreed to purchase Corning’s share in Dow Corning for $4.8 billion in cash while providing Corning with an approximate 40% ownership in Hemlock Semiconductor. Full ownership by Dow was finalized on June 1, 2016. The company underwent rebranding to become Dow Silicones Corporation in 2018.

Products

Dow Corning offered an extensive portfolio exceeding 7,000 products such as sealants, adhesives, rubbers, lubricants, silicon oils, and solvents. Around 2,100 items were available via its online distributor Xiameter, including fluids, gels, and resins. Its product range catered to multiple sectors including electronics, automotive manufacturing, construction, and healthcare industries. A major growth area was solar cell manufacturing fueled by its majority ownership in Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, which produces over $1 billion annually in polysilicon sales. In 2011, CTO Gregg Zank emphasized the company’s dedication to developing products that address broad societal trends like energy shortages and urban expansion.

Challenges related to breast implants

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dow Corning was embroiled in numerous class-action lawsuits claiming that its silicone breast implants were responsible for systemic health complications, including autoimmune disorders. These legal disputes culminated in a $3.2 billion settlement in 1998 and resulted in the company undergoing bankruptcy protection for nine years, until 2004. This phase considerably affected Dow Corning’s position within the clinical market.

Although independent evaluations by organizations such as the Institute of Medicine found no definitive evidence linking silicone breast implants to significant illnesses, the FDA released a warning in 2017 highlighting a "very low but increased risk" of developing a rare cancer—anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL)—associated specifically with textured breast implants. The FDA connected this cancer to nine fatal cases, which led to an increase in surgical procedures to remove implants.