Ball Licenses Plastic Oxygen Barrier Technology to INVISTA
PRNewswire-FirstCall
BROOMFIELD, Colo.

Ball Corporation has granted a license under its oxygen scavenger patents to INVISTA, a leader in PET barrier packaging and producer of PolyShield® barrier resins.

"Ball develops and utilizes a variety of barrier technologies to provide enhanced packaging solutions for food and beverage products," said Mike Vaughn, vice president, packaging innovation, Ball Corporation. "This agreement represents our willingness and ability to make this technology available to others."

PolyShield® resins are modified PET copolymers that provide active oxygen barrier, carbonation retention and clarity in colored monolayer containers when blended with up to five percent MXD6 at the preform injection machine. Containers made from PolyShield® resin/MXD6 blends have been shown to effectively and reliably protect oxygen sensitive foods such as beer, wine and juice in commercial applications around the world.

INVISTA is one of the world's largest integrated fibers and polymers businesses with a global presence. The company delivers exceptional value for customers through market insight, technology innovations, and a powerful portfolio of some of the most recognized global brands and trademarks in their respective industries. Built on a heritage of innovation, INVISTA owns more than 700 unique pending or granted U.S. patents, with corresponding patents in almost all of the countries where INVISTA has a business presence. INVISTA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc., Wichita, Kan.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products for beverage, food and household customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 15,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 sales of $7.4 billion.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions, including our beverage can end project; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the current global credit squeeze; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: Ball Corporation

CONTACT: Investors, Ann. T. Scott, +1-303-460-3537, ascott@ball.com, or
Media, Jennifer Hoover, +1-303-460-5541, jhoover@ball.com, both of Ball
Corporation