Dexter Chemical L.L.C. Aqualon, A Business Unit of Hercules Incorporated
1313 N. Market Street - Wilmington, Delaware 19894
(877) 546-2782

Creative Chemistry • Intelligent Application

Hercules Acquires Specialty Surfactants Business of Dexter Chemical L.L.C.

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, August 28, 2007 Hercules Incorporated (NYSE: HPC) today announced it has completed the purchase of the specialty surfactants business of Dexter Chemical L.L.C. Under terms of the agreement, Hercules Incorporated is acquiring the business related to Dexter’s product portfolio of phosphate ester surfactants sold under the Strodex® and Dextrol® trademarks.

Dexter is a leader in phosphate ester surfactants utilized in paints and coatings where the products are used to enhance gloss retention, promote surface wetting and improve colorstability. Products have also been recently developed and optimized for use in low-VOC (volatile organic chemical) coatings formulations.

Commenting on the transaction, Craig Rogerson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hercules, said, “This business is an excellent fit for Aqualon’s Coatings Additives business. It will broaden Aqualon’s existing portfolio of products for the paint industry and strengthen its overall market position.”

Visit the Aqualon web site at www.aqualon.com for more information.

A world leader in phosphate ester chemistry, Dexter Chemical has been serving the Paint & Coatings, Emulsion Polymerization and Textile & Garment Wet Processing industries for more than 50 years.

» Paint & Coatings formulators use our STRODEX™ and DEXTROL® surfactants for truer color development plus enhanced dispersibility, gloss and surface wetting.

» Resin manufacturers rely on our DEXTROL OC® surfactants to aid in the polymerization of vinyl, acrylic and copolymer resin emulsions.

» Textile mills have come to us for over five decades for one of the industry's most extensive lines of textile and garment wet processing chemicals.

» Other industries where our products have found application include agricultural chemicals, cleaning products, printing inks and metalworking.

DEXTROL is a registered trademark and STRODEX is a trade mark of Dexter Chemicals L.L.C. with the USPTO. The information given on these pages is accurate to the best of our knowledge. It is intended to be helpful but no warranty is expressed or implied regarding the accuracy of such data. It is the user's responsbility to determine the suitability for its own use of the products described herein; and since conditions or use are beyond our control, we disclaim all liability with respect to the use of any materials supplied by us. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as permission or as a recommendation to practice any patended invention without a license from the patent owner nor as a recommendation to use any product or to practice any process in violation of any law or any government regulation .