Alcoa Earns 2002 ASM International Engineering Materials Achievement Award.

Business Editors

UPPER BURRELL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 2002

Alcoa announced today that ASM International(R) has named Alcoa the recipient of its 2002 Engineering Materials Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding developments in the application of materials in products that benefit industry, the consumer, and society as a whole.

ASM International(R) is the global society for materials engineers and scientists, a world renown network dedicated to advancing the understanding and application of engineered materials and their research, design, reliable manufacture, use, and economic and social benefits (www.asminternational.org). Previous winners include General Electric, General Motors, Boeing, IBM, 3M, Hewlett Packard and DuPont.

Alcoa was recognized for development and application of new aluminum alloy products for commercial aircraft. These alloys offer airframers enhanced strength, corrosion resistance, and fracture resistance allowing them to improve aircraft performance. They also set the standard for future aircraft design.

"Alcoa is extremely proud to receive this award. The development of these alloys exemplifies the breadth and depth of the fundamental understanding Alcoa's people possess in metallurgical composition, processing, structure, properties, and performance, as well as the type of organic product development that results from close customer working relationships," said John W. Collins III, Alcoa's executive vice president of science and technology.

Of the five alloy products recognized:

-- Four have become the industry standard for upper wing structures and fuselage structure supports due to their unique combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and fracture toughness; and

-- One has become the industry standard for fuselage skins due to superior damage tolerance.

These properties enhance aircraft safety while saving thousands of pounds of weight for airframers contributing to better fuel economy. Alcoa has been developing materials to improve the economics and performance of the aerospace industry since the dawn of flight and has developed more than 95% of all aluminum alloys flying today.

Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) products, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 38 countries.