Albemarle Introduces New Catalyst to Improve Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Production

New technology improves hydrotreating refinery unit performance by up to 35
percent without capital expense

BATON ROUGE, La., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Albemarle Corporation
(NYSE: ALB), a leading global supplier of petroleum refining catalysts and
additives, has developed and produced a new catalyst that can help improve the
performance of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) units by up to 35 percent over the
current most active catalysts in the hydroprocessing marketplace.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050801/ALBEMARLELOGO )
The new product, Ketjenfine(R) 770 hydrodesulfurization catalyst, built on
patented STARS(TM) technology, will enable ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD)
refiners to improve their operating margins substantially by increasing
catalyst cycle length; increasing throughput; or running cheaper, lower
quality feed stocks, all without additional, new capital expenditure.
"Our global hydroprocessing R&D and marketing teams have scored a winning
goal with this exciting new catalyst," said John Nicols, vice president of
Albemarle's catalysts segment. "This innovative product is already helping
Albemarle and its customers meet the rising global call for clean energy
solutions. Ketjenfine 770 catalyst is a breakthrough product that delivers
real value to the marketplace at a time when refiners are being stretched by
increasing diesel demand and more stringent fuels specifications."
Ketjenfine 770 HDS catalyst is the latest in a long line of groundbreaking
catalysts from Albemarle, a longstanding leader in hydroprocessing catalyst
product performance, technical innovation, product quality and technical
service.
"Albemarle's Ketjenfine 757 catalyst has been the benchmark product in
ULSD refining for close to a decade," said Stephane Leclef, division vice
president of Albemarle's hydroprocessing catalysts (HPC) business. "We believe
that our new Ketjenfine 770 will surpass the success of KF757. It demonstrates
that Albemarle remains at the top of the pack, helping refiners worldwide
improve their operations considerably at a time when ULSD fuel is in
increasing demand."
The new technology was developed by Albemarle's R&D team in Amsterdam and
will be available from production sites in the Netherlands and the United
States. The product is already being sold in Europe, and is commercially
available to refiners worldwide. For more information, contact Albemarle's
catalysts division at (281) 480-4747 in the Americas; at +31 33 44 53 500 in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa; or at +86 21 6103 8666 throughout Asia.
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a
leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly engineered
specialty chemicals for consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical
processing; transportation and industrial products; pharmaceuticals;
agricultural products; and construction and packaging materials. The Company
operates in three business segments-Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine
Chemicals-and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Learn more
about Albemarle at www.albemarle.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Portions of this release constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although
Albemarle Corporation believes its expectations reflected in the release are
based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its
business and operations; there can be no assurance that actual results will
not differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from
expectations include, without limitation, the inability to pass through
increases in costs and expenses for raw materials and energy; competition from
other manufacturers; changes in demand for our products; the gain or loss of
significant customers; fluctuations in foreign currencies and increased
government regulation of our operations or our products. Additional factors
that could cause Albemarle's results to differ materially from those described
in the forward-looking statements can be found under "Risk Factors" in item 1A
of our Annual Report for the period ended December 31, 2007.
SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Stephanie Dixon, +1-225-388-7904, Stephanie_Dixon@albemarle.com, or Rene
Milligan, +1-225-388-7106, Rene_Milligan@albemarle.com; Investor Relations:
Sandra Rodriguez, +1-225-388-7654, Sandra_Rodriguez@albemarle.com