November 7, 2002 -- Crompton Corporation and Basell announced today that Crompton has acquired Basell’s Interloy business assets and the nonexclusive worldwide rights to Basell’s Hivalloy technology, effective immediately.

"This transaction broadens Crompton’s polymer modifier product offering and improves our global market position in plastics additives," said William Murrell, Vice President of Crompton’s Olefins and Styrenics business. "Customers will benefit from this natural extension of our product line, in part by regaining access to Interloy products, which have been absent from the market but are expected to be available through Crompton before the end of the year."

"We are pleased that we have successfully concluded our negotiations with Crompton," said Sergio Danesi, President of Basell’s global Advanced Polyolefins Business. "This action enables us to further concentrate on a unique portfolio of specialty products comprised of compounded materials, Catalloy process resins, Polybutene-1 and specialty PE’s."

Crompton plans to produce, market and supply Interloy products worldwide and will license the compounding technology used to make Hivalloy products. Current commercial Interloy products are methyl methacrylate grafted polypropylene and styrene grafted polypropylene, which are used to compatibilize polypropylene with other polymers for applications requiring long-term weatherability, gloss and color retention on UV exposure, low-temperature impact and scratch/mar resistance. Crompton Corporation, which is headquartered in Middlebury, Connecticut, is a $2.7 billion global producer and marketer of specialty chemicals and polymer products and equipment, providing the solutions, service and value its customers need to succeed. Additional information is available at www.cromptoncorp.com.

Basell, with annual revenues of $6.5 billion, develops, produces and markets polypropylene, polyethylene, advanced polyolefin materials and polyolefin catalysts, and also develops and licenses polyolefin processes. Basell's corporate centre is located in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands; the company has regional offices in Wilmington, Delaware. USA; Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Hong Kong, as well as manufacturing facilities and sales offices in the major markets around the globe. Basell’s Internet address is www.basell.com.

For further information, please contact Paul Hinckley at Crompton at +1 203-573-2088 or Michelle Talmo of Basell at +1 302 996 6073 or michelle.talmo@basell.com