Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

W. R. Grace & Company, established in 1854, is one of the world s leading specialty chemicals and materials companies. Its chemicals division offers digital media coatings for ink jet papers, silica-based materials and chromatography columns, instruments, consumables and accessories used in life and analytical sciences applications, and specialty catalysts used in a variety of industrial, environmental and consumer applications. The division also offers catalysts and chemical additives used by petroleum refiners, including fluid catalytic cracking catalysts that help to crack the hydrocarbon chain in distilled crude oil to produce transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fuels, and other petroleum-based products. The company s performance chemicals division provides construction materials and systems, including concrete admixtures and fibers, additives used in cement processing, waterproofing materials used in commercial and residential construction and renovation, and fireproofing materials used to protect buildings from structural failure in the event of fire. W. R. Grace & Company is headquartered in Columbia, Md.