Kraton Polymers Delivers a One-Two Punch

New Formulating Solutions Offers Lower VOC`s and Cost Savings for Contact
Adhesives
HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--
Kraton Polymers LLC (Kraton), a leading global producer of engineered polymers,
announces a series of new formulations designed to support lower Volatile
Organic Compound (VOC) requirements and reduce costs associated with contact
adhesives. The unique structure of the styrenic block copolymers (SBCs) provides
key advantages to formulators; the end block enables cohesion, good load bearing
properties and temperature resistance, while the center block promotes adhesion
and elongation.

Kraton Polymers offers several product grades that can be tailored to work with
higher solid content vs. conventional polychloroprene (PCR) without sacrificing
lower viscosities needed for sprayability, roll coating or brushing. In
addition, Kraton polymers are available in pellet form, they are easy to handle
and offer rapid dissolution into high solid formulations. These formulations can
be applied at lower viscosities with the added value of faster drying times. The
exclusive structure of the SBC`s allows for formulating flexibility to work with
solvent blends that are VOC exempt and reduce odor.

These innovative offerings are particularly relevant in light of recent VOC
legislation which requires contact adhesive manufacturers to reformulate their
materials. "Our new formulations not only meet the recent VOC legislation
requirements, but they also offer a cost savings alternative to
polychloroprene," commented Jim Smith, Vice President of Adhesive, Sealants and
Coatings at Kraton Polymers. "We are excited about our multi-million dollar
investment in a new state of the art R&D facility located in Houston, Texas. The
new Kraton Innovation Center is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to
push our innovation to create products that are environmentally and economically
sustainable."

Kraton D and Kraton G polymer grades are engineered to offer manufacturers a
one-two punch of cost savings and lower VOC`s. Kraton D1175BT polymer features a
tailored structure which translates into a wider formulating window and supports
sprayable /low VOC contact adhesives. In addition, Kraton D1155BJ, D1162 and
D1164 polymers are highly suitable for lower cost formulations as well as
enhanced compatibility with VOC exempt polar solvents.

Kraton G polymers provide increased adhesion for high performance applications
where a combination of long-term thermal stability and compatibility with lower
VOC solvents are required. Kraton G1726 polymer and Kraton FG1901 polymer are
exclusive grades that can assist formulators who need even lower viscosity and
compatibility with more polar VOC exempt solvents. As an added bonus, Kraton
FG1901 polymer permits cross linking at ambient conditions for applications that
require a higher level of performance.

Kraton Polymers product lines include more than 1000 grades, allowing for a wide
range of tailored adhesive formulations. As a result, Kraton polymers offer
contact adhesive formulators and manufacturers custom formulations in
construction, furniture and woodworking, footwear, carpet installation, foam and
fabric, automotive aftermarket and graphic arts applications that will meet the
new "green" requirements.

For more information on Kraton polymers, visit our website at www.kraton.com or
email us at info@kraton.com. In addition, customer questions and other direct
inquiries may be addressed to the applicable Kraton sales representative, or to
the applicable Kraton market development manager: for the US
jim.haselman@kraton.com and for Europe peter.migchels@kraton.com.

About Kraton

Kraton is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and, we believe, the
world`s largest producer of styrenic block copolymers (SBCs), a family of
products whose chemistry was pioneered by us over forty years ago. SBCs are
highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of
numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater
flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Kraton
polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives,
coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants, lubricants, medical,
packaging, automotive, paving, roofing, and footwear products. Kraton has the
leading position in nearly all of its core markets and is the only producer of
SBCs with global manufacturing capability. Its production facilities are located
in the United States, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Brazil and Japan.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, and the "Giving Innovators their Edge"
tagline are trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements," which are statements
other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use
of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will,"
"intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, plans or
intentions.All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based
on management`s current expectations and estimates, which involve risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially
from those expressed in forward-looking statements.Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to
update such information.

Kraton Polymers LLC
Media:
Richard A. Ott, 281-504-4720

Copyright Business Wire 2009