The Tao of Dow Chemical is its integrated production of plastics, chemicals, hydrocarbons, and agrochemicals. The largest chemical company in the US and #2 worldwide behind BASF, Dow also makes performance plastics (engineering plastics, polyurethanes, and materials) for Dow Automotive. It uses chlorine-based and hydrocarbon-based raw materials to make more than 6,000 finished chemical products at 179 sites in 35 countries. The maker of Styrofoam insulation also is the world's #1 producer of chlorine and caustic soda, and a top maker of ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer. Dow also owns silicone products maker Dow Corning. In late 2015 Dow agreed to merge with rival Dupont.