Chemetall Permatreat RPT 1903 for Aluminum Cans

Chemetall, a unit of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ROC) and a leading producer of specialty chemicals, has launched Permatreat RPT 1903 for the chemical treatment for aluminum can ends that will be a major contributor in making the manufacturing process of cans easier and more cost-effective versus traditional systems.

Aluminum cans are made from two pieces—the main can body and the can end. The metal used for can ends is a different aluminum alloy from the stock used for the can body and therefore has to be more resistant to corrosion, thus requiring a surface pre-treatment. Until the introduction of Permatreat 1903, the accepted technology for treating the can ends was causing intensive handling efforts and complicated process adaptations, especially in the use and the treatment of process materials.

"Chemetall has always been at the forefront of surface treatment technology,” said Joris Merckx, managing director of Chemetall Surface Treatment. "We strove to leverage our world class R&D in surface treatment technology to find a solution that would ensure safety and match, if not outperform, the existing, accepted technology. Backed by years of operational testing, the Permatreat 1903 not only provides an easier alternative to the traditional process, but offers additionally higher performance with regard to adhesion and corrosion.”

In addition to its safety aspects, the higher performance of Permatreat 1903 offers:

• Versatility: it can be used as either a conventional dip process or as a no-rinse pre-treatment;
• Flexibility: it has a great tolerance to changes in operating conditions and excellent results obtained with a wide variety of lacquer systems;
• Ease of testing and program control.

For more information about Permatreat RPT 1903, please visit www.chemetall.com.

About Chemetall

Chemetall, a unit of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ROC), is a global company committed to specialty chemistry with 3,000 employees worldwide. The group's activities focus on products and processes for the chemical treatment of metal surfaces and plastics, as well as selected fields of fine chemistry, including lithium and cesium compounds. For more information, please visit www.chemetall.com.

About Rockwood Holdings, Inc.

Rockwood Holdings, Inc. is a leading global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company. Rockwood has a worldwide employee base of approximately 9,500 people and annual net sales of approximately $3.0 billion. Rockwood focuses on global niche segments of the specialty chemicals, pigments and additives and advanced materials markets. For more information on Rockwood, please visit www.rocksp.com.

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