Arch Chemicals Completes Specialty Chemicals Expansion At Louisiana Facility to Serve U.S. and Asian Markets.

Business Editors

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2000

ARCH CHEMICALS, INC. (NYSE:ARJ) announced the completion of an expansion of its hydrazine hydrate commercial facility in Lake Charles, LA. This 12% capacity increase makes the Arch Lake Charles hydrate unit one of the largest operating plants of its kind in the world.

Arch's hydrazine hydrates are widely used as blowing agents in plastics and rubber and as an intermediate in agricultural chemicals, as an oxygen scavenger in water treatment and an intermediate in pharmaceuticals. Arch provides six grades of hydrazine hydrate (solution) including a high strength material, all of which it can customize to specifications as needed by its customers.

In making the announcement, John J. Margherio, vice president and general manager, Hydrazines and Acids at Arch, said: "This expansion will assist Arch in meeting growing market demands in the U.S. and abroad, primarily in Asia."

Arch continues to produce ultra pure hydrazine(TM), anhydrous hydrazine (AH, monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) for both commercial and military applications at its Lake Charles Raschig facility.

Arch Chemicals, Inc., headquartered in Norwalk, CT., has three business segments: Microelectronic Chemicals, Performance Chemicals, and Water Chemicals. The Performance Chemicals segment has strong market positions in biocides, specialty polyols, hydrazine propellants and hydrates (solutions), and sulfuric acid.

Arch Chemicals, spun-off from Olin Corporation in 1999, has an estimated three thousand employees in facilities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. In 1999, Arch reported revenues of approximately $900 million.