For Immediate Release

World Market for Hard and Superhard Materials Projected to Grow 7.5% per year from 2007 to 2012

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Tool Steels Expected to Lead in Market Demand from 2009 onward

New York City, NY, February 2009 – Dedalus Consulting (www.dedalusconsulting.com) recently released new research on Hard and Superhard Materials as part of its Advanced Materials Series. The report contains data on the world market by product type in the following end-user industries: Aerospace, Automotive, Chemical/Environmental, Communications, Construction/Building, Defense/Military, Electronic, Equipment/Machinery, Medical/Research, Metal Working, Optic, Opto-Electronic, Paper & Pulp, Power Generation, and Textile. The product scope encompasses the following sectors: industrial diamonds, boron nitride (CBN/PcBN), advanced ceramics, cemented carbides and tool steels.

There are a number of important market drivers for hard and superhard materials. Broken out by product sector, some trends are as follows: increased use of diamond tools, coatings and abrasives in defense and medical/research applications, and the recent use of diamond tools in the manufacturing of precision parts, such as opto-electronics, and cutting tools, such as saw blades (industrial diamonds market); increasing demand for superabrasive products and the use of boron nitride and diamond products as coatings for wear parts, cutting tools and custom/precision parts used in harsh environments. (cBN/PcBN market); the development of new applications within electronics and custom/precision parts (advanced ceramics market); industrial growth (cemented carbides market); and industry and machining (tool steels market).

Industrial diamonds and boron nitride materials are expected to show the most impressive growth year over year during the forecast period, followed by ceramics, cemented carbides and tool steels respectively.

Using 2007 as the base year, the report assesses the overall growth potential for hard and superhard materials and products and forecasts growth by product type and end-use market through 2013. It includes extensive information on the competitive environment, including recent market entrants, types of suppliers, differentiation points, general warranty standards, service contracts and barriers to market entry.

Exhibit One: Global Hard and Superhard Materials Demand by Product Type ($MM): 2009

Source: Dedalus Consulting

For more information, please contact DCI at info@dedalusconsulting.com, call (718) 622-0830 or fax (718) 622-0831. The 306-page report, which contains 400 tables and charts, is priced at USD$2,995 (PDF format).

Dedalus Consulting Inc. (DCI) is a privately owned and independently operated market research publisher and consultancy. Our research focuses on both emerging and mature markets in high-technology sectors, including advanced materials, life sciences, nanotechnology, electronic components, mobile communications and photonics. Research is continually updated through a methodology that is based on primary interviews with market participants, including research institutions, equipment suppliers, distribution channel representatives and service providers.

Our clients range from Fortune 500 companies to academic research organizations engaged in the research, development and manufacturing of advanced technology products and services.

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