CEM STARTS INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH OF NEW MICROWAVE-BASED INSTRUMENT; SYSTEM TO SERVE AS MAJOR PLATFORM FOR FUTURE PRODUCTS.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 1997--CEM Corporation (Nasdaq/NM:CEMX) today announced the introduction of a new microwave- based instrument with revolutionary capabilities that is the result of an intensive two-year development program. The MARS system, which is an acronym for "Microwave Accelerated Reaction System," is an instrument that will allow laboratories worldwide to conduct many critical procedures faster, more easily and with greater precision than is now possible even through other microwave-based systems. CEM began introducing the MARS system in key European, Asian and Latin American markets last month. The announcement today signals the start of a series of seminars throughout the United States to introduce this system which eventually may serve as a replacement for many of the approximately 7,000 existing CEM digestion systems now in use. The extensive marketing support for this launch will extend through the Company's current fiscal year which ends next June.

Michael J. Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "We expect shipments of MARS to contribute positively to the Company's revenue starting in our second fiscal half. Our goal in this major research program was to develop a new technological platform that would solidly enhance our leadership in the worldwide market for closed-vessel microwave chemistry. This system was developed entirely by CEM and incorporates numerous advanced features not available on any other systems. Faster throughput, much higher testing pressures and sample vessels that incorporate sophisticated electronic sensors position MARS as a technically superior system that we believe will become the new industry standard."

Collins added, "The initial application for this new technology will be digestion procedures that involve using acids or other solvents to prepare product samples for many vital tests such as the amount of trace metals and other inorganic matter in water and soil. We eventually plan to integrate the basic equipment platform developed for MARS into other instruments including those used for procedures that extract organic compounds from environmental plastics and food samples."

CEM manufactures microwave-based instrumentation for testing and analysis. The Company's products are used worldwide in the general analytical laboratory market and in many manufacturing industries, including chemical and food processing.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 contains a safe-harbor provision for forward-looking statements. This document may contain forward-looking statements and assumptions. Further events could differ materially from the forecasts and assumptions referenced in this document, as described in the cautionary statements included in CEM's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: CEM Corp., Charlotte

Michael J. Collins, 704/821-7015