Thursday, November 13, 2003

Innovative, Environmentally Advanced Fastrack™ Binder from Rohm and Haas Meets New U. S.Federal Specifications for a More Durable Highway Paint

Innovative, Environmentally Advanced Fastrack™ Binder from Rohm and Haas Meets New U. S.Federal Specifications for a More Durable Highway Paint

Philadelphia, PA (Vocus) November 2, 2007 -

Rohm and Haas’s (NYSE: ROH) Paint and Coatings Materials business announced that its innovative acrylic binder, Fastrack™ HD-21A (http://www. rohmhaas. com/wcm/information/industries/transportation/fastrack_hd21a/index. page), meets new Federal Specification TT-P-1952E for waterborne traffic paint with increased durability. With growing emphasis among state DOTs on durability and wet night visibility, the new specification will assist states to achieve their goal of improved highway safety.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), unlighted rural roads are among the most dangerous in the nation. Many years of research have demonstrated improved and more visible centerlines and edge line markings help reduce accidents and fatalities.

While there are several commonly used materials for putting those white and yellow lines on roads, waterborne traffic-marking paints have gained increasing respect and support over solventborne coatings among industrial and government purchasers for several important reasons. First, waterborne coatings are more environmentally advanced. They do not emit the level of potentially unhealthy and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that solventborne coatings emit. This is better for the environment and health of the workers who mark approximately 4 million miles of vital, heavy-use U. S. roadways under NHTSA oversight

Fastrack™ HD-21A binder is a 100% crosslinking acrylic that is being used currently by traffic paint manufacturers to produce high-build, durable water-based markings. It has excellent glass bead retention, excellent adhesion to concrete and asphalt highways, and provides exceptional durability. Traffic paints based on Fastrack HD-21A binder are currently being used at Cape Canaveral on the landing site for the space shuttle, on high-speed racetracks, on airport runways, on federal and state highways, and on bridges, and tunnels.

Federal Specification TT-P-1952E, supersedes TT-P-1952D, and includes requirements for a Type III material, specifically 100% crosslinking acrylic as evidenced by infrared peaks at wavelengths 1568, 1624, and 1672 cm-1 with intensities equal to those produced by an acrylic resin known to be 100% crosslinking. The specification also suggests the use of this type of paint at higher film thicknesses for use with larger glass beads which can impart a high level of wet night retroreflectivity to the paint.

Fastrack™ HD-21A binder is one of many innovative “firsts” from Rohm and Haas for traffic paint. In 1985 Rohm and Haas introduced the first water-based binder designed specifically for traffic paint; in 1990, the first in a series of fast-drying binders; 1995 saw improved performance with the second-generation of fast-drying water-based technology; in 1999 the company introduced the first high-build binder for durable water-based markings; and in 2006 the first fast-drying water-based binder for cold weather application was introduced.

For more information about Fastack™ HD-21A binder or other innovative technologies from Rohm and Haas, visit www. FastrackRoadMarkings. com or www. rohmhaas. com.

Fastrack is a trademark of the Rohm and Haas Company.

About Rohm and Haas Company

Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company’s technologies are found in a wide range of industries including: Building and Construction, Electronics and Electronic Devices, Household Goods and Personal Care, Packaging and Paper, Transportation, Pharmaceutical and Medical, Water, Food and Food Related, and Industrial Process. Innovative Rohm and Haas technologies and solutions help to improve life everyday, around the world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $8.2 billion in 2006. Visit www. rohmhaas. com for more information. imagine the possibilities™

Contact:

Andrew Crane

Rohm and Haas

215-641-7633

ACrane @ rohmhaas. com

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