Rockwood Press Release

For Immediate Distribution June 21, 2010

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Contact: Timothy McKenna tmckenna@rocksp.com Phone: 609-734-6430

Chemetall Permatreat RPT 1903 for Aluminum Cans

Surface Treatment Product is a World-Leading Pre-treatment for Can-End Stock

Princeton, NJ USA (June 21, 2010) – Chemetall, a unit of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ROC) and a leading producer of specialty chemicals, has launched Permatreat RPT 1903 for the chemical treatment for aluminum can ends that will be a major contributor in making the manufacturing process of cans easier and more cost-effective versus traditional systems.

Aluminum cans are made from two pieces—the main can body and the can end. The metal used for can ends is a different aluminum alloy from the stock used for the can body and therefore has to be more resistant to corrosion, thus requiring a surface pre-treatment. Until the introduction of Permatreat 1903, the accepted technology for treating the can ends was causing intensive handling efforts and complicated process adaptations, especially in the use and the treatment of process materials.

“Chemetall has always been at the forefront of surface treatment technology,” said Joris Merckx, managing director of Chemetall Surface Treatment. “We strove to leverage our world class R&D in surface treatment technology to find a solution that would ensure safety and match, if not outperform, the existing, accepted technology. Backed by years of operational testing, the Permatreat 1903 not only provides an easier alternative to the traditional process, but offers additionally higher performance with regard to adhesion and corrosion.”

In addition to its safety aspects, the higher performance of Permatreat 1903 offers:

• Versatility: it can be used as either a conventional dip process or as a no-rinse pre-treatment;
• Flexibility: it has a great tolerance to changes in operating conditions and excellent results obtained with a wide variety of lacquer systems;
• Ease of testing and program control.

For more information about Permatreat RPT 1903, please visit www.chemetall.com.

About Chemetall
Chemetall, a unit of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ROC), is a global company committed to specialty chemistry with 3,000 employees worldwide. The group's activities focus on products and processes for the chemical treatment of metal surfaces and plastics, as well as selected fields of fine chemistry, including lithium and cesium compounds. For more information, please visit www.chemetall.com.

About Rockwood Holdings
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. is a leading global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company. Rockwood has a worldwide employee base of approximately 9,500 people and annual net sales of approximately $3.0 billion. Rockwood focuses on global niche segments of the specialty chemicals, pigments and additives and advanced materials markets. For more information on Rockwood, please visit www.rocksp.com.

The information set forth in this press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning the business, operations and financial condition of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Rockwood"). Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "predicts" and variations of such words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although Rockwood believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that its expectations will be realized. "Forward-looking statements" consist of all non-historical information, including any statements referring to the prospects and future performance of Rockwood. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Rockwood's forward-looking statements due to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, the "Risk Factors" described in Rockwood's 2009 Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rockwood does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.