Ashland Inc. operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Specialty Ingredients, Water Technologies, Performance Materials, and Consumer Markets. The Specialty Ingredients segment produces cellulose ethers; and specialty and functional ingredients for use in personal care, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, coatings, construction, and energy markets. This segment’s solutions offer an array of properties, such as thickening and rheology control, water retention, adhesive strength, binding power, film formation, conditioning and deposition, colloid stabilization, suspension, and ultraviolet light filtration and color. The Water Technologies segment provides paper-making chemicals and specialty chemicals. This segment offers deposit and scale control agents, defoamers, biocides, retention aids, frothers and collection aids, crepe and release additives, and other process additives for the pulp and paper manufacturing, mining and extraction, food processing, power, oil refining, chemicals processing, and general manufacturing industries; specialized chemicals and consulting services for the utility water treatment; and feed and control systems, proprietary monitoring devices, and remote system surveillance equipment. The Performance Materials segment produces polyester and vinyl ester resins, gelcoats, adhesives, coatings, and elastomers serving the construction, transportation, infrastructure, packaging and converting, marine, and energy markets; and offers chemicals and materials to the foundry industry. The Consumer Markets segment produces and markets packaged automotive lubricants and chemicals, as well as appearance, automotive reconditioning, and antifreeze products to the private passenger car, light truck, and heavy duty markets. This segment also operates and franchises Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Covington, Kentucky.

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