Ashland introduces Culminal™ Plus cementitious tile adhesive to European market

Schaffhausen, Switzerland - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), today introduced its Culminal^&#8482 Plus tile adhesive to the European market at the 2015 European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, Germany.

The demand for Culminal Plus modified methylcellulose (MC) was born out of the current trend for increasingly larger tile dimensions and tile weights used in construction. Along with that came increased demand for a secure way of fixing these tiles in varied weather conditions and to a variety of surfaces. Professional tile setters often judge the quality of tile cement by the visual open time - or the time period during which a worker is able to safely insert the tiles into the adhesive without losing strength performance. Culminal Plus offers the market an additive for premium cementitious tile adhesives that provide longer visual open times and increased strength, giving maximum flexibility to the tile setter and peace of mind to the quality of the adhesion.

"Often by increasing visual open time, you will negatively affect other properties such as sag resistance, workability and strength," said Torsten Busch, marketing manager for Ashland's industrial division in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "This is not the case with Culminal Plus, the product offers excellent workability and sag resistance, Ashland has a network of dedicated technical laboratories, in which we have thoroughly tested the product's performance. What is also important to our customers is security that their tiles will remain affixed, and with Culminal Plus we can see that higher strength values are achieved especially after a longer embedding time. I am excited to see how well this innovative product line is received by our customers and their customers."

Visit Ashland at Booth 4A-320 in Hall 4A at the European Coatings show to learn more.

About Ashland Specialty Ingredients

Ashland Specialty Ingredients is the leading global producer of cellulose ethers and a global leader in vinyl pyrrolidones. It offers industry-leading products, technologies and resources for solving formulation and product-performance challenges. Using natural, synthetic and semisynthetic polymers derived from plant and seed extract, cellulose ethers and vinyl pyrrolidones, as well as acrylic and polyurethane-based adhesives, Specialty Ingredients offers comprehensive and innovative solutions for today's demanding consumer and industrial applications. Key customers include: pharmaceutical companies; makers of personal care products, food and beverages; manufacturers of paint, coatings and construction materials; packaging and converting; and oilfield service companies. Visit ashland.com to learn more.

About Ashland Inc.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a global leader in providing specialty chemical solutions to customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Through our three commercial units - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Performance Materials and Valvoline - we use good chemistry to make great things happen for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com to learn more.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Media Relations
Michaela Neilson
Cell + 41 (0) 79 109 5840
mneilson@ashland.com