Ashland to showcase innovative solutions at the 2012 American Coatings Show

WILMINGTON, Del. – Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., will present a wide range of innovative application solutions for the paint and coatings industry at this year’s American Coatings Show, May 8-10 in Indianapolis.

“In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for products that combine high performance with an ability to meet strict regulatory requirements,” said Dale MacDonald, group vice president, Coatings Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. ”Waterborne coatings are the materials of choice. Our complete additive solutions, which include rheology modifiers, specialty surfactants, foam control agents and biocides, help pave the way for eco-friendly coatings solutions.”

At the Ashland Specialty Ingredients booth, No. 823, visitors will experience a wide range of products and services that address unmet coatings market needs. Products being highlighted at the show include: Natrosol™ hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), the most widely specified thickener for waterborne architectural coatings; Aquaflow™ nonionic synthetic associative thickeners (NSATs), which are APEO-free liquid additives for the highest performance paint and coatings; Advantage™ and DrewPlus™ foam control agents; Dextrol™ and Strodex™ specialty surfactants, Nuosept™ in-can preservatives and Fungitrol™ dry-film fungicides.

Ashland will also make the following presentations at the show:

● A Novel, Cross-linkable Polymer and Application in Functional, Curable Coatings, presented by David K. Hood, Surya Kamin and Karyn B. Visscher (Session 3: Monday, May 7 at 2:30-3 p.m.)

● Improving Application Properties of High-Gloss Alkyd Emulsion Paints with Nonionic Synthetic Associative Thickeners, presented by Hans Vonhögen, Arjan Schaeffer, Sjaak Dijksman and Hilbert Esselbrugge (Session 5: Tuesday, May 8 at 10 a.m.)

● Foam Control in Low-VOC Waterborne Architectural Coatings, presented by Sowmitri Tarimala, Bruce Fillipo, Courtney Usher and Andre Smokers (Session 9: Tuesday, May 8 at 2:30-3 p.m.)

● Novel HEC for Direct Powder Addition to Waterborne Coatings, presented by Prachur Bhargava and Abe Vaynberg (Session 11: Tuesday, May 8 at 5-5:30 p.m.)

“We have a proven record of success with paint and coatings manufacturers globally, and we are committed to long-term growth with our customers,” commented Shruti Singhal, global marketing director, Coatings Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. “With our recent acquisition of International Specialty Products Inc., Ashland’s product portfolio for the coatings industry has been enhanced. The combined resources in production networks, staff experience and technical know-how position us strongly as a preferred partner within the industry.”

About Ashland Specialty Ingredients
Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers industry-leading products, technologies and resources for solving formulation and product performance challenges in key markets including personal care, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, coatings and energy. Using natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic polymers derived from plant and seed extract, cellulose ethers and vinyl pyrrolidones, Ashland Specialty Ingredients offers comprehensive and innovative solutions for today's demanding consumer and industrial applications.

About Ashland Inc.
In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units –Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets.

™ Trademark of Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Media Relations
Lisa Porter
+1 973 628 3898
lporter@ashland.com