"
Lyondell acquired the TDI plant as part of its 1998 acquisition of ARCO
Chemical Company. PolyOne will continue to
market its Nanoblend(R) product lines and Nanocor will be its exclusive
nanoclay supplier. Nanocor will also be free to market its nanoclays to other
manufacturers of compounds in this market space.

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The decision to suspend production at this plant
is based on poor financial results. We are evaluating the long-term prospects of the
facility. The company has manufacturing facilities in the industrial
corridor adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel and operates product
terminals in Baytown, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana .

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Unfortunately, at this time, we do not
believe these results will change in the near term, making it commercially
impracticable for us to continue production of TDI at the Lake Charles plant,"
said Ed Dineen, senior vice president, Chemicals and Polymers. The company has a 58. in Chemistry from Michigan State University in 1995 and subsequently
completed a post-doctoral assignment with a concentration in plastic
nanocomposites.

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It also is a significant producer of gasoline
blending components.

Lyondell is a global company operating on five continents and
employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide.

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at 50th St. Tie Lan, currently technical director of Nanocor, will become General
Manager and report directly to Larry Washow.com .

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"We do not
believe that the costs associated with suspension of production will be
material in the near term.
Washow commented, "With his in-depth knowledge of the industry,
organization, and focus on creating value for customers, Tie is the right
person to lead our nanocomposite business as we move forward. AMCOL's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol "ACO.

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Lyondell to Suspend Production at Lake Charles TDI Plant

AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO) Announces Modifications to Nanocomposite Group

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Nanocor has appointed ColorMatrix Corporation and its licensee,
ColorMatrix Europe, to be exclusive worldwide distributors of its Imperm(R)
product line for the beverage and food container markets. The appointment was effective January 1, 2006.
Effective January 12, 2006, PolyOne Corporation will no longer have an
exclusive marketing and manufacturing agreement for nanocomposites made from
polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride and related polymers. The
company operates in three industry segments, minerals, environmental and
transportation.

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HOUSTON, Lyondell Chemical Company
(NYSE: LYO) announced today that it will indefinitely suspend production at
its 300-million-pound per year Lake Charles, Louisiana, toluene diisocyanate
(TDI) plant. ARCO Chemical had purchased the plant from Olin Corporation
in December 1996.

ABOUT LYONDELL
Lyondell Chemical Company, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North
America's third-largest independent, publicly traded chemical company.

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, general partner of
Texas Petrochemicals LP (OTC: TXPI), announces today that it will hold an
Institutional Investor Presentation on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at the
Palace Hotel, 455 Madison Ave.

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For more
information about the company's products and services , visit the Company
online at www.

"
Dr.

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Washow noted, "Pete has been an integral part of both the management team
and the development of Nanocor.

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Presenting
will be Charlie Shaver , President and CEO, accompanied by Ruth Dreessen,
incoming CFO and Fred Pevow, interim CFO.com., AMCOL
International Corporation (NYSE: ACO) announced today that it has modified the
sales structure and operations of the nanocomposite group, Nanocor.

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,
Millennium and Equistar Chemicals, LP are wholly owned subsidiaries of
Lyondell. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. D.amcol.

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TDI also is used in the manufacture of coatings, sealants,
adhesives and elastomers.

PRESS RELEASE Texas Petrochemicals Inc. to Hold an Institutional Investor Presentation on December 14 2005

txpetrochem. Maul, who first joined AMCOL in 1976, and became president of Nanocor
in 1995, will remain with the company as a consultant . Dr. Lan received his
Ph."

AMCOL International Corp.

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In a related development , effective December 31, 2005, Nanocor reached
agreement with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to convert their manufacturing and
marketing alliance to a raw material supply and licensing agreement. Mitsubishi will also receive a license for film, thermoformed sheet and
fuel tank applications on a non-exclusive basis.

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Lyondell is a major global manufacturer of basic chemicals and derivatives
including ethylene , propylene, titanium dioxide, styrene, polyethylene,
propylene oxide and acetyls.
Texas Petrochemicals , Inc. ColorMatrix
specializes in the supply of liquid colorants and performance additives to the
plastic container industry. Our new
agreement with ColorMatrix better positions Nanocor to broaden its marketing
and sales efforts, particularly for plastic container market applications." The Company 's website is http://www.

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As a result of
Lyondell's November 30, 2004, acquisition of Millennium Chemicals Inc.
Larry Washow, AMCOL president and chief executive officer, said, "We had
excellent partnerships with both PolyOne and Mitsubishi and look forward to
our continued work with each of them on a non -exclusive basis."

MANGEMENT CHANGES
Peter Maul, president of Nanocor, has resigned effective the end of March
2006.

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"The TDI business in North America has not improved as we hoped it would
with the economic recovery. Nanocor
will assume full responsibility for sales , marketing and manufacture of
Imperm(R) and Mitsubishi will supply to Nanocor a key polymer resin , nylon
MXD6. Dr. He holds nearly three dozen
patents in polymer-clay nanocomposite technology areas.

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75 percent interest in Lyondell-
Citgo Refining LP, a refiner of heavy, high-sulfur crude oil .

Texas Petrochemicals LP is a producer of quality C4 chemical products
widely used as chemical building blocks for synthetic rubber, nylon
carpets, adhesives, catalysts and additives used in high -performance
polymers.

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Toluene diisocyanate is used in the production of polyurethanes for
flexible foam applications, including consumer goods, transportation and
packaging.

To obtain further details or RSVP, please contact Mel Lara at 713-475-5219. Lan joined Nanocor in 1996
and in 2002 was promoted to technical director.

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in New York City. We wish Pete well in all his endeavors and
know that he has exciting plans for his future. produces and markets specialty mineral products
used for industrial, environmental and consumer-related applications.