Mr. Paul Woodward reports

AETHER CATALYST SOLUTIONS, INC. ANNOUNCES SHIPPING OF CATALYST TO JDA PARTNER

Aether Catalyst Solutions Inc. has shipped the first batch of catalyst for integration with its development partner's innovative catalyst substrate.

Shipment of the catalyst material took longer than expected due to the need to synthesize the catalyst in a form and quantity outside the company's typical operating parameters. The synthesis process was scaled up nearly 100 times. In order to meet technical specifications outlined by the company's development partner, Aether had to acquire new equipment and develop entirely new procedures to reach the target quality metrics. Aether now has the capability to synthesize the catalyst of interest in a form and of a quality that is considered compatible with Aether's partner's process requirements. Aether anticipates development activities proceeding more fluidly in the future.

Aether's partner will integrate the catalyst into its substrate, perform various characterization analyses and then ship the product back to Aether for testing in the company's reactor. Once this initial calibration and benchmarking phase is completed, the refinement process will begin, with the end goal being an automotive part.

Taylor Procyk, Aether's chief operating officer, states: "The team put in a lot of hard work over the last few months to get here. The challenges are always significant when any kind of scale-up is involved. It's very exciting to be taking the first steps in a project with such high potential."

Aether is focused on providing an order of magnitude cost reduction in automotive catalytic converter catalyst, while meeting or exceeding government emission standards. Aether is working to quickly advance its technology through rapid screening of new materials directed at enhancing end of life conversion levels after accelerated aging. While Aether's primary focus has been automotive applications, the company is also developing catalysts to address small-motor emissions -- a significant contributor to urban air pollution.