Purista 'Fresh Finish' for Textiles Secures EPA Registration; Commercial Launch Underway in United States

Based on polyhexamethylenebiguanide hydrochloride (PHMB),Purista(R) treatments protect clothing and other textiles fromodor-causing bacteria, providing a long lasting "fresh finish."Drawing on rigorous product safety and chemistry data, the U.S. EPArecently accepted a registration amendment to include the use ofPurista(R) treatments on apparel and other textiles. The treatmentproduct behind the Purista(R) brand is manufactured in the U.S. andUnited Kingdom (UK), and the business's marketing teams are located inSmryna, Georgia and Manchester, England.

Since first launching its freshness-enhancing finish in the UK,Purista(R) is now used by more than 30 retailers on items such assocks, suit linings, towels and linen. In many cases, these textileproducts feature a Purista(R) label that consumers have come toassociate with cleanliness, purity and freshness. With its attractiveaquamarine logo and design cues, Purista(R) can easily be incorporatedinto existing packaging as a co-brand.

Peter Cowey, International Business Manager of Arch's textiletreatment business, comments, "The EPA acceptance opens a major growthopportunity for the Purista(R) brand in the sizable U.S. clothing andhome textiles market. The Purista(R) treatment is very cost-efficientand offers consumers and textile suppliers real and useful performanceadvantages."

"While the EPA registration process was underway we continued tobuild the brand in the UK and across Europe, working with retailerssuch as GEORGE(TM), a clothing brand of Wal-Mart, the UK fashionretailer NEXT, Moss Bros and Tesco. Growing the business further inthe U.S. apparel and home textiles market is a very exciting prospectfor us."

Arch Scientist to Introduce Purista(R) at AATCC Conference

As part of Arch's U.S. textiles' program, Dr. John Payne, an ArchBusiness Research Associate, will be addressing the AmericanAssociation of Textile Colorists and Chemists (AATCC) InternationalConference and Exhibition, Boston, on October 27th. He will bediscussing aspects of the technology behind the Purista(R) brand suchas performance standards, durability and the overall benefits ofincluding antimicrobial treatments in textiles. He will also discusshow computational and analytical chemistry methods can explore bindingof an active antimicrobial to fibers, and the impact of ionic versuscovalent bonding of the antimicrobial agent on properties such asactivity and durability.

According to Mr. Cowey, "The conference and exhibition should givePurista(R) an excellent introduction to key technical and commercialpeople in the U.S. textiles market and provide all attendees with thechance to learn more about our unique 'freshness enhancing' concept."

Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, Arch Chemicals, Inc. is aglobal specialty chemicals company with approximately $1.3 billion inannual sales. Arch and its subsidiaries have market leadershippositions in the Treatment and Performance Products business segments,where they serve leading customers with forward-looking solutions tomeet their chemical needs. Together with its subsidiaries, Arch hasapproximately 3,000 employees and manufacturing and customer-supportfacilities in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.