01/29/2025
Chemisty that Lets the Good Time Roll
Mardi Gras is a time of vibrant celebrations, dazzling floats, elaborate costumes, and unforgettable parades—but behind the spectacle is the Louisiana chemical industry, making it all possible. From the lightweight materials that shape towering floats to the colorful fabrics of festive costumes, the state’s chemical manufacturers provide the essential building blocks for the season’s most iconic traditions. The beads, throws, masks, and even the fuel powering the parade are all made with materials produced by Louisiana’s world-class chemical industry. Without these contributions, the magic of Mardi Gras simply wouldn’t shine as bright.
|
Float Decorations
Float decorations captivate with vibrant colors, thanks to paints enriched with pigments made by Arkema, and dazzle at night with LED lighting protected by polyvinyl chloride coatings that safely insulate electrical wiring.
|
|
Float Structures
Float structures are crafted using polyvinyl chloride from Shintech and styrene produced by Westlake, creating designs that are both lightweight and durable.
|
|
Tractors
Tractors, powered by diesel fuel produced by Louisiana’s local industry, proudly pull the floats along the parade route.
|
|
Costumes
Costumes worn by float riders are made of lightweight, colorful synthetic fiber like polyester and stretchy fibers like polytetrahydrofuran, which is produced by BASF.
|
|
Masks
Masks are made of fabrics and feathers dyed in the traditional purple, green, and gold colors of Mardi Gras thanks to color pigment produced by the Louisiana Pigment Company.
|
|
Beads
Beads are made of polystyrene produced by Dow and polyethylene manufactured by ExxonMobil.
|
|
LED Throws
LED throws rely on polyvinyl chloride from Formosa Plastics to coat the light filaments, allowing them to safely illuminate the night.
|
|
Doubloons
Doubloons are minted on aluminum blanks, made possible by alumina (aluminum oxide) produced by Atlantic Alumina.
|
|
Toys
Toys owe their soft and fluffy texture to polyester and other synthetic fibers made with mono-ethylene glycol from Lotte Chemical.
|
|
|
Click here to Download PDF