Nalco Chemical Company (ticker: NLC, exchange: The New York Stock Exchange) News Release - Monday, June 28, 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------NAPERVILLE, Ill., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Nalco Chemical Company (NYSE: NLC) will receive the 1999 U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in a ceremony tonight at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., for its development of ULTIMER(R) technology, a water-based approach to treating industrial water, wastewater treatment and papermaking processes.
ULTIMER is an advanced water-soluble, liquid polymer technology that can replace conventional polymer chemistry, some of which uses environmentally harmful hydrocarbon-based oils and surfactants. Since 1997, ULTIMER has
prevented several million pounds of oils and surfactants from entering the world's waterways. Sales of ULTIMER have more than quadrupled over the last four years with more than 60 million pounds utilized in customer plants worldwide.
ULTIMER technology has application in basic, middle market, and small industries that require process, water and waste treatment programs be run at optimal levels with minimum environmental impact. ULTIMER polymers are currently used in many key global industries including papermaking, petroleum refining, oil production, mining and mineral processing, steel production, metalworking, automotive, food and beverage.
Commenting on the award, Nalco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ted Mooney said, "The development of this water-soluble polymer technology is an example of the commitment, innovation and creative thinking Nalco uses to seek out new and advanced water and wastewater treatment solutions that meet the environmental needs of customers today. This award recognizes the achievements of our research and marketing staffs that make ULTIMER
technically viable and commercially successful."
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge was established in 1995 to recognize technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use; promote fundamental and innovative
chemical methodologies that accomplish pollution prevention; and have broad application in industry. The awards program is a partnership of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the American Chemical Society, and the Council for Chemical Research.
Nalco was recognized because ULTIMER is applicable to a large and broad-based segment of industry and users throughout the world; offers a realistic approach to solving a real environmental problem; and is innovative and of scientific merit.
Award winners were selected by an independent panel of experts representing the scientific, industrial, governmental, educational and environmental communities. More than 120 nominations, representing academia,
small business, industry and government, were judged on criteria including health and environmental impact, innovation and industrial applicability.
Nalco Chemical Company is the largest provider of water treatment and process chemicals, services and systems in the world with annual sales of nearly $1.6 billion. With 3,000 sales engineers in more than 120 countries, Nalco serves industries where water, energy and efficiency are of primary
importance. These industries include electronics, food and beverage processing, aerospace, medium and light manufacturing, paper, chemical, petroleum, steel, power generation, metalworking, refining, health care and education.
For more news about Nalco, visit website at: www.nalco.com.
For more information about the U.S. EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge Award, visit the website: www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/presgcc.htm.
SOURCE Nalco Chemical Company
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Nalco Chemical Company's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
Why ULTIMER polymer technology is unique
Polymers are widely used for water treatment to remove suspended solids, organic matter and other materials from water prior to industrial use. They are also used as a process aid and in wastewater treatment. Traditionally, polymers have been produced either as emulsions or dry powder forms. Oil-based emulsion polymers introduce approximately 90 million pounds of oil and surfactant into the environment annually as a consequence of their use. Dry powder forms present exposure hazards and are energy-intensive to use.
To overcome these disadvantages, Nalco developed a series of new polymer products: ULTIMER technology. The ULTIMER dispersion polymers are manufactured in water-based salt solutions. No oil or surfactants are released into the environment when the ULTIMER polymers are used in the water treatment application. In addition, the manufacturing process utilizes a waste by-product (ammonium sulfate) from another industrial process. ULTIMER won the Presidential award under the Alternative Reaction Conditions category.
Nalco ULTIMER recognized by State of Illinois
On December 7, 1998, Nalco ULTIMER technology was recognized by the State of Illinois for its pollution prevention efforts at the 12th annual Governor's Pollution Prevention Award ceremony.
Source Nalco web site
