TAINAN, Taiwan, February 18, 2006 - Nanopolymer Composite Company (NCC) announces full-scale commercial production of nano-PA6 resins in their newly completed production facility in Tainan, Taiwan. NCC was founded in late 2004 in Tainan Science Park, a special high-tech industrial area in Taiwan. Currently, NCC operates two production lines with an annual capacity of 13,000 metric tons. With the completion of a planned third production line, its annual capacity will reach 23,000 metric tons.

NCC's nano PA6 contains nanoclay. It chose the in-situ production process to fully utilize the nanoclay potential since this process achieves maximum nanoclay dispersion. Nanocor, Inc., a leader in clay nanocomposite technology, has worked closely with NCC to optimize the production process. Mr. Philip Chen, President of NCC said, "Nanocor is one of the most important partners in our nano-PA6 product development, from nanoclay products to product evaluation and development."

NCC's nano-PA6 resins are designed for engineering and flexible film packaging applications. Products are sold under the Cress-Alon¨ trademark and distributed worldwide exclusively by Cresset Powers Ltd. Cress-Alon nano-PA6 is the first fully commercialized nanoplastic. Orrin Addis, President of Cresset Powers, noted, "It features excellent property enhancement and provides economical benefits for many commercial applications. Our current capacity will enable us to serve a wide variety of customers, from film manufacturers to compounders."

"The operation scale of NCC is very significant for the plastic industry to move the nanoplastic technology from research and development to commercial applications," added Larry Washow, President and CEO of AMCOL International Corp., the parent company of Nanocor.

Tie Lan, General Manger of Nanocor commented, "We are very pleased to work with NCC in processing and product development. Nano-PA6 can be used as a feedstock for many applications. It can also be used as a starting material for advanced plastics, such as lightweight engineering plastics and fire retardant compounds."

Nanocor was formed in August 1995 to capitalize on a patented technology that disperses nanoscale particles of chemically modified clays into plastic resins, improving mechanical, thermal and barrier properties. Nanocor sells its Nanomer products to the packaging, transportation, industrial and performance coatings markets.

Nanocor's parent company, AMCOL International Corp., produces and markets specialty mineral products used for industrial, environmental and consumer-related applications. The company operates in three industry segments, minerals, environmental and transportation. AMCOL's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACO." The company's web site is
www.amcol.com .

For more detailed information, please visit company websites:

www.nanopolymer.com.tw

www.nanocor.com

Copyright © 2006, Nanocor

Cresset, partners producing nano-nylon

By Frank Esposito

TAINAN, TAIWAN (Jan. 25, 5:35 p.m. EST) - In the realm of diversification, it's hard to top the investment that resin exporter Cresset Powers Ltd. has made in a nanotechnology-based nylon resin plant in Taiwan.

Since 1986, Pasadena, Calif.-based Cresset has exported off- and wide-spec grades of nylon and other engineering resins from the United States to Asia . The firm's customers include DuPont Co., GE Plastics and Bayer Corp. Cresset employs 43 and operates warehouses in Los Angeles; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Belpre and Little Hocking, Ohio.

But in recent years, Cresset founder and owner Orrin Addis has seen the writing on the wall.

"The major manufacturers are reusing their own material, Addis said in a recent phone interview. "That's driving secondary prices up. The business is eroding to the point where it won't be here anymore. I realized we had to be in a new business."

With that goal in mind, Cresset and about a dozen other investors established Nanopolymer Composites Corp., an independent firm that has built a nylon resin plant with 20 million pounds of annual capacity in Tainan. The plant, which employs 50, began producing commercial quantities of material in mid-2005.

At the plant, standard nylon 6 is combined with nanoparticles during the polymerization process. The resulting material has a much higher oxygen-barrier rate than standard nylon 6 and can compete with glass-filled nylon in injection molding applications, Addis said.

Injection molded parts can be made with the nano-nylon using only 80 percent of the material needed from a standard nylon resin, he added.

In the film market, NCC's nano-nylon material can be used in stand-up pouches and frozen-food packaging. The materials are being tested by large film extrusion firms, such as Bemis Co. Inc. of Minneapolis and Toyoba Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan .

"Other companies like BASF and Honeywell and Ube are making this material, but they're not making it accessible to the regular Joe," Addis said. "We want to get samples to everyone."

Cresset is the exclusive global distributor of the NCC product. To date, all the firm's commercial sales have been in Asia, but Addis said he hopes to add North America soon.

NCC uses its own proprietary technology to produce the nano-nylon. Addis declined to provide a cost estimate for the project, but said 2006 sales are expected to be more than $40 million.

Displayed with permission of Plastics News, Copyright Crain Communications, Inc. Originally published in Plastics News Daily Newsmail (January 26, 2006 ).