Lucite International Assumes Operation of DuPont’s Beaumont, Texas Acrylonitrile Facility

20 Sep 2005 Cordova, TN

Lucite International, the world’s largest producer of methacrylates, today announced it has entered into an agreement with DuPont to operate the company’s Acrylonitrile (AN) and Site Services facilities in Beaumont, Texas. As part of the agreement, Lucite will also invest in expanding the Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) capabilities at the Beaumont facility. By expanding HCN production in Beaumont, Lucite will also be able to reduce expenses associated with shipping HCN from Lucite’s Memphis facility to the facility in Beaumont.

“This move clearly represents a win/win situation for both companies,” said Jeff Davis, president, Lucite International, Inc. “This agreement will allow Lucite to enhance its competitive position in the U.S. market by improving efficiencies while at the same time allowing DuPont to continue to service its customer base. We look forward to a successful relationship under this new agreement.”

The parties anticipate that Lucite will take over operations October 31, 2005. Financial terms were not disclosed. Under the agreement, Lucite International will employ most of the employees currently working in the Acrylonitrile and Sites Services units of the Beaumont facility.

About Methacrylates, AN, and HCN

Methacrylates are the foundation for a wide range of acrylic products and are used in applications from coatings, appliances, electronics, adhesives, corporate imaging, through to baths, spas, kitchen work surfaces and construction.

Acrylic combines the unique properties of durability, weatherability, UV and scratch resistance with benefits such as light performance, optical clarity, shape and form, and color flexibility.

The Acrylonitrile (AN) process generates HCN, or hydrogen cyanide, as a by product which is a building block in the production of Methacrylates.

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