GLCC LAUREL COMPLETES CONSOLIDATION OF ANTIMONY TRIOXIDE MANUFACTURING INTO REYNOSA, MEXICO FACILITY

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — GLCC Laurel, LLC today announced completion of the manufacturing transition for FireShield® and Thermoguard® flame retardants and PetCat® catalyst grades of antimony oxide from its facility in LaPorte, Texas, to its ISO 9001:2000 certified facility in Reynosa, Mexico.

GLCC Laurel, LLC is a 50-50 joint venture between Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (NYSE: GLK) and Occidental Petroleum Corporation’s (OxyChem) Laurel Industries unit. The venture was formed in April 2004 to develop, produce, and market antimony-based flame retardants, synergists, and catalysts.

“Consolidation of our antimony production capacity into our Reynosa site is an important milestone in the success of GLCC Laurel and makes our Reynosa site the largest and most versatile antimony processing facility in the world,” said Tom Bellanti, general manager of GLCC Laurel. ”This move enables GLCC Laurel to offer an expanded range of antimony-based products that are produced according to our high quality standards and sold at a competitive price.”

The company’s antimony trioxide, sold under the trade names FireShield®, Thermoguard®, TMS®, Timonox®, Trutint®, Microfine®, and UltraFine®, is used as a synergist, along with brominated flame retardants, in flame retardant polymer formulations widely used in electrical and electronics applications. The catalyst grade antimony trioxide, sold under the tradename PetCat, is used as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Antimony trioxide is also an effective flame retardant in high performance PVC applications.

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