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Within the entire food ingredients market, there are a relatively large number of suppliers, due principally to the broad spectrum of chemistries employed. Segment leadership, global position and investment in technology are key factors to sustaining profitability. In addition compared to our business, larger suppliers may often provide a broader product line and a range of services to food companies including functional systems or blends. The top suppliers of TSPS ingredients include FMC, DuPont, J.M. Huber Corporation, Kerry Group plc and Cargill Incorporated. 

## pharmaceutical ingredients 

Our BioPolymer business sells formulation ingredients to the pharmaceutical industry. Our raw materials function as binders, disintegrants, suspending agents, and control release compounds in the production of both solid and liquid pharmaceutical products. 

Competitors tend to be grouped by chemistry. Our principal MCC competitors include J. Rettenmaier & Sôhne GmbH, Ming Tai Chemical Co., Ltd., Asahi Kasei Corporation and Blanver Farmoquimica Ltda. While pricing pressure from low cost producers is a common competitive dynamic, companies like us offset that pressure by providing the most reliable and broadest range of products and services. Our customers are pharmaceutical firms who depend upon reliable therapeutic performance of their drug products. 

## industrial Chemicals 

## Financial information (in Millions) 

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## overview 

Our Industrial Chemicals segment, which represents 34 percent of our 2010 consolidated revenues, has low-cost positions in high volume inorganic chemicals including soda ash and hydrogen peroxide, complemented by high value, niche positions in specialty alkali and peroxygen products. Through December 31, 2010, we also held a niche position in phosphorous chemicals products, however, in November 2010, we made the decision to exit the phosphate business and have shutdown our Huelva facility in Spain. Our strategic intent for the Industrial Chemicals Group is to create a portfolio of high performing businesses exhibiting greater top and bottom line growth with significantly higher margins and reduced 

We also supply alginates, MCC and carrageenan into oral care, cosmetics and health care markets. Highly refined extracts from selected seaweeds provide a broad range of alginate functionality, including uses in antireflux, dental impressions, control release of drugs and wound dressings. Special grades of carrageenan extracts are used in liquid cough medicines, toothpaste and a variety of skin care products. 

## lithium 

Lithium is a highly versatile metal with diverse end-use markets including both rechargeable and disposable batteries, polymers, pharmaceuticals, greases/lubricants, glass/ceramics and aluminum production. The markets for lithium chemicals are global with significant demand growth occurring outside the U.S. in Japan, China and South Korea. We market a wide variety of lithium-based products ranging from upstream commodity lithium carbonate to highly specialized downstream products such as organolithium compounds and high value materials for batteries. 

There are only three key producers of lithium: FMC, Rockwood Holdings, Inc., and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A., all of which produce lithium carbonate. FMC and Rockwood are the primary producers in downstream lithium specialties. 

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volatility than in the past. We will achieve this by enhancing our leadership position in natural soda ash and specialty peroxygens, while restructuring our Spanish Foret subsidiary to its profitable core. We expect steady organic growth in our soda ash business due to consistent growth in global demand. We anticipate significant organic growth in environmental applications over the next five years, and we see opportunities to expand our environmental technology platform through targeted acquisitions of complementary technologies. In addition to solid revenue growth, we expect improved profit mix stemming from increased specialty market participation and the benefits of restructuring actions. 

