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Rahu and OM Group announce global coatings and composites agreement

US based specialty chemicals producer OM Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMG) and Rahu Catalytics have agreed to develop a long term global licence and supply agreement for novel technology in the field of additives for coatings, inks and composites.

According to the agreement, OMG will acquire the rights to use Rahu’s new iron based FeONIX oxidation catalysts as driers in coatings and inks, and polymerisation additives for composites. Designed to meet future legislation relating to the use of transition metal based soaps in these markets, FeONIX complexes offer ultra low dosage to generate high performance in use. Extensive testing has demonstrated a range of major technical and commercial benefits for users in addition to an improved environmental profile.

OMG will introduce its new range of coatings and inks products at the European Coatings Show in Nuremburg in March 2009, presenting a technical paper at the parallel technical symposium.

According to Stephen D. Dunmead, vice president and general manager, specialties group of OM Group, the agreement supports OMG’s strategy to expand its product portfolio and technology base. “We are pleased to join with Rahu Catalytics to develop market-leading specialty chemicals for coatings and composites,” said Dunmead.

Rahu CEO, Paul Smith, welcomed the deal which confirmed commercialisation of a second major catalyst platform for Rahu, after recent successes with its manganese based Dragon complexes in the field of textiles, chemical synthesis and waste water treatment. He was particularly delighted to be working with a world leader in its field, “OMG is a company with a clear vision and we are excited about collaborating with such a great team of people to create real value for our customers”

About OM GROUP, INC.

OM Group, Inc. is a diversified global developer, producer and marketer of value-added specialty chemicals and advanced materials that are essential to complex chemical and industrial processes. Key technology-based end-use applications include affordable energy, portable power, clean air, clean water, and proprietary products and services for the microelectronics industry. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, OM Group operates manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.omgi.com.

About Rahu Catalytics

Rahu Catalytics Limited sells catalyst based solutions for reducing energy, water and waste costs in a range of industrial processes. Its technology is based on three families of oxidation catalysts acquired from the Unilever Group in 2006. These specialty chemical products contribute significantly to the development of clean technologies designed to reduce operating costs and meet current and future legislation, both in the developed world and the growing economies of Asia and Latin America. The company is headquartered in Nottingham, UK and operates laboratories in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Shanghai, China. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.rahucat.com.

Contact: Mr Glenn Fletcher, Finance & Operations Director, Rahu Catalytics Limited glenn.fletcher@rahucat.com

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