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 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, and suspension. The Water Technologies segment provides process 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 market; and feed and control systems, proprietary monitoring devices, and remote system surveillance equipment. The Performance Materials segment produces polyester and epoxy vinyl ester resins, gel coats, adhesives, coatings, and elastomers for the construction, transportation, infrastructure, boatbuilding, and packaging and converting markets; and offers metal casting consumables and design services for foundry management. The Consumer Markets segment produces and distributes packaged automotive, commercial, and industrial lubricants and car-care products, as well as appearance and antifreeze products. This segment also operates and franchises approximately 860 Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers; and owns and operates 336 Valvoline Express Care stores. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Covington, Kentucky.

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