SIPERNAT^® 820 A: Climate protection for greenhouses

• Synthetic aluminum silicate helps retain heat in greenhouses at night

• Also an aid for ripening products more quickly and for “out of season” harvests

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Greenhouse films retain most of the heat produced by solar radiation during the day in a greenhouse. The product that is responsible for this “climate protection” is the synthetic aluminum silicate SIPERNAT^® 820 A, according to specialty chemicals manufacturer Evonik Degussa GmbH. At the K 2007, the company positioned its product as an infrared absorber in greenhouse films, pointing to its in-house research.

Greenhouse films are now considered indispensable in modern agriculture. They create an ideal climate for plant growth, enabling products to ripen more quickly. They also make it possible to harvest crops outside of the usual (natural) harvest times, referred to in the industry as "out-of-season" production.

The Evonik Degussa product absorbs radiated heat, so higher temperatures can be achieved in greenhouses. Without this add-on, greenhouses would cool off more at night. Thus, SIPERNAT^® 820 A has two - strictly speaking, three - advantages. First, as much sunlight reaches the plants as before - practically unrestricted light transmission is a given. At the same time, the light dispersion of the very fine silicate particles produces a certain amount of diffusion, preventing too much direct sunlight. And third, the stored heat is retained in the greenhouse longer (high thermicity).

SIPERNAT^® 820 A is produced by the Advanced Fillers & Pigments Business Unit in Turkey, and at the German plant in Wesseling (near Cologne).

Company information

Evonik Industries is the creative industrial group which operates in three highly profitable, promising business areas: Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate. Evonik is a global leader in specialty chemicals, an expert in power generation from hard coal and renewable energies, and one of the largest private residential real estate companies in Germany. Our strengths are creativity, specialization, continuous self-renewal, and reliability.

Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2006 around 43,000 employees generated sales of €14.8 billion and an operating Profit (EBIT) of over €1.2 billion. Evonik plans to enter the capital markets in the first half of 2008.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release and where our forward-looking statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations and statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Evonik Industries AG assumes no obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.