WILMINGTON, DE, MARCH 6, 2006 . . . Hercules Incorporated (NYSE: HPC) announced the March 1st commencement of operations of Hercules Tianpu Chemicals Co. Ltd. – a joint venture between Aqualon, a business unit of Hercules, and Luzhou North Chemical Industries Co. Ltd. and Jiangsu Feixiang Chemical Co. Ltd.

The joint venture will be the leading producer of methylcellulose (MC) in China and will have an initial combined capacity of 6,000 metric tons at the sites in Luzhou and Zhangjiagang. In addition, a new 12,000 metric ton MC facility, currently under construction in Zhangjiagang, is scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2006.

Aqualon will have global sales and marketing rights for the output of the venture and the new capacity will benefit from Aqualon's advanced technology, allowing it to supply the exacting requirements of the global markets.

"The venture will strengthen our position in a fast growing segment of the construction markets; our overall leading position in water soluble polymers; our expanded manufacturing base in China; and significantly improve our global supply capabilities for MC products," said Craig A. Rogerson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hercules.

About Methylcellulose:
Methylcellulose (MC) and its companion products hydroxypropyl- and hydroxyethyl- cellulose (MHPC and MHEC) are used in a wide variety of industries and applications, including tile cements and renders, joint compounds, gypsum plasters, emulsion paints, resins and catalytic converters. Specialized food grades and premium grades are used respectively as functional food ingredients and in the pharmaceutical industry in tablet coating and controlled release formulations.

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Hercules manufactures and markets chemical specialties globally for making a variety of products for home, office and industrial markets. For more information, visit the Hercules website at www.herc.com.


This news release includes forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflecting management's current analysis and expectations, based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected, stated or implied, depending on such factors as: business climate, business performance, economic and competitive uncertainties, higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer orders, changes in strategies, risks in developing new products and technologies, ability to expand production capabilities, ability to market products globally, ability to meet global product specifications and requirements, foreign exchange rates, adverse legal and regulatory developments, adverse changes in economic and political climates around the world, including terrorist activities, international hostilities and potential natural disasters. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. As appropriate, additional factors are contained in other reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking statements, which are not generally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change, and which the Company does not intend to update.