“This new fire resistance classification for ALUCOBOND® demonstrates the quality of our product and opens the door to new market opportunities", said Claus Leyting, President of Alcan Composites’ Product Market Unit Architecture.

Alcan’s ALUCOBOND® is a composite material made of two aluminium sheets with a polyethylene or high density mineral centre that is non-flammable and produces little heat while in combustion. In order to attain the MO certification, ALUCOBOND® successfully passed industry fire tests under extreme conditions.

The resistance to fire and combustion is a new, value-added characteristic for ALUCOBOND® a product that is already resistant to bad weather, shocks, fractures and vibrations. ALUCOBOND® is also totally recyclable: the centre and the aluminium sheets can be melted and used for the production of new material.

Alcan’s ALUCOBOND® aluminium composite material was developed to supply a light and flexible material for facades. Available in different designs, it addresses all architecture applications outside and inside and enables to create a style and an appropriate image for every building. Prescribed by architects, ALUCOBOND® is used all over the world and millions of square meters have been sold since 1969.

Alcan Inc. (NYSE, TSX: AL) is a leading global materials company, delivering high quality products and services worldwide. With world-class technology and operations in bauxite mining, alumina processing, primary metal smelting, power generation, aluminium fabrication, engineered solutions as well as flexible and specialty packaging today’s Alcan is well positioned to meet and exceed its customers' needs. Alcan is represented by 65,000 employees in 61 countries and regions, and posted revenues of US$23.6 billion in 2006. The Company has featured on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index consecutively since 2003.