ANGUS AMP™ multifunctional additive granted VOC-exempt status from Environment Canada

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — June 20, 2016 — ANGUS Chemical Company today announced that AMP™, a multifunctional specialty chemical that is widely used in paint formulations, metalworking fluids and personal care products, is no longer classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC) by Canada’s Department of the Environment (Environment Canada).

Following on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) exemption of AMP in 2014, Environment Canada finalized an order to remove AMP from the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 due to the compound’s negligible effect on the formation of ground-level ozone.

“As global VOC regulations continue to proliferate, AMP has become an even more powerful tool for environmentally-conscious customers to formulate more sustainable products,” said Mark Henning, president and chief executive officer of ANGUS Chemical Company. “AMP’s Canada VOC-exemption marks a huge win not only for our customers in Canada, who now have broader formulating flexibility, but also for consumers who will benefit from the desirable features AMP imparts in low- and zero-VOC paints, metalworking fluids and personal care products.”

AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol) offers formulators comprehensive benefits including low odor, effective pH control, and a positive safety and handling profile. The compound, which is already being used as a key ingredient in a majority of water-based paints, now allows Canadian paint companies to avoid reformulating with less-favorable neutralizers, such as caustic soda or ammonia.

VOCs are compounds that react with other chemicals and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, and ultimately, harmful smog. ANGUS submitted a VOC-exemption petition to the EPA in October 2012 after tests performed at an independent lab confirmed that AMP meets or exceeds the agency’s zero-VOC benchmarks. The compound has low global warming potential, low ozone-depleting potential, a favorable toxicology profile and is not considered a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or toxic under other federal rules. The EPA added AMP to its list of exempt compounds in June 2014.

“Environmental impact has become a significant factor in the consumer decision-making process,” said Mike Lewis, business vice president, United States and Canada for ANGUS. “It’s no longer enough for a product to perform at a high level; it must provide sustainability benefits as well. AMP’s VOC-exemption satisfies the demand of our increasingly eco-minded customers in Canada without sacrificing functionality.”

AMP, a flagship molecule for ANGUS, is used in multiple industries, including paint and coatings, metalworking fluids and personal care. AMP has been the industry standard in architectural coatings for decades, as it yields many process enhancements and product performance benefits that cannot be achieved with other commercial alternatives. To learn more about ANGUS’ AMP multifunctional additive, visit www.angus.com.

 About ANGUS Chemical Company

‪ANGUS Chemical Company (“ANGUS”) is a specialty and fine chemical company dedicated to the development of novel chemistry that helps customers deliver enhanced product and process performance. ANGUS is committed to constantly improving products and services by mastering science and technology. The company innovates through its unique nitroalkane chemistry, which harbors the reactivity to create complex molecules for use in a wide variety of applications. The innate characteristics of this chemistry enable multifunctional additives which improve performance, reduce reaction steps and cut synthesis costs.