NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 24, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Nalco Company (NYSE:NLC), the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications, today announced the commercialization of its new patent-pending EXTRA WHITE(tm) Brightness Technology to the global pulp and paper industry. This innovative, environmentally friendly technology enables papermakers to cost-effectively raise paper or pulp brightness and whiteness attributes. The technology enables papermakers to either lower production costs for current paper grades or to produce new paper grades not previously possible.
The novel technology has delivered proof of its value to papermakers such as Copamex, one of Mexico's largest paper producers. "Combining efforts and resources, Copamex and Nalco Company have succeeded in developing and commercially launching a new generation of high-brightness paper using EXTRA WHITE Brightness Technology," noted Margarito Cepeda Rodriguez, Chief Operations Officer, Copamex.
"Given the current demands for improved optical characteristics in the marketplace, we believe that EXTRA WHITE Brightness Technology provides customers benefits in a number of ways," said John Yimoyines, Paper Services Division President, Nalco Company. "EXTRA WHITE Brightness Technology delivers cost-effective brightness and whiteness development to the papermaker. It does so in a very environmentally friendly and safe manner that improves overall operational efficiency while significantly reducing the overall cost of brightness/whiteness development."
The primary benefit of EXTRA WHITE is that it allows papermakers in many cases to recognize a one- to two-point increase in ISO brightness while simultaneously reducing Optical Brightner Agent consumption by up to 50 percent.
Through trials conducted with leading industry innovators, EXTRA WHITE Brightness Technology has been commercially and technically proven on a global scale to provide enhanced paper and pulp brightness and to provide a viable alternate method for cost-effective brightness/whiteness development in coated and uncoated woodfree (freesheet) grades, wood-containing (mechanical) paper grades and in certain pulp applications.
About Nalco
Nalco currently serves more than 70,000 customer locations representing a broad range of end markets. It has established a global presence with more than 11,000 employees operating in 130 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers. In 2006, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.6 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.
The Nalco Company logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1135
This news release includes forward-looking statements, reflecting current analysis and expectations, based on what are believed to be reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected, stated or implied, depending on many factors, including, without limitation: ability to generate cash, ability to raise capital, ability to refinance, the result of the pursuit of strategic alternatives, ability to execute work process redesign and reduce costs, ability to execute price increases, business climate, business performance, economic and competitive uncertainties, higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer orders, changes in strategies, risks in developing new products and technologies, environmental and safety regulations and clean-up costs, foreign exchange rates, the impact of changes in the regulation or value of pension fund assets and liabilities, changes in generally accepted accounting principles, adverse legal and regulatory developments, including increases in the number or financial exposures of claims, lawsuits, settlements or judgments, or the inability to eliminate or reduce such financial exposures by collecting indemnity payments from insurers, the impact of increased accruals and reserves for such exposures, weather-related factors, and adverse changes in economic and political climates around the world, including terrorism and international hostilities, and other risk factors identified by the Company. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking statements, which are not generally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change, and which the Company does not intend to update.