Pantheon Chemical's PreKote(R) Surface Pretreatment Selected by Continental= Airlines(R) =0A=0A =0A=0AWednesday February 21, 6:01 AM EST =0A=0A=0APHOEN= IX, Feb 21, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Pantheon Chemical's non-toxic surface p= retreatment, PreKote, has been selected by Continental Airlines for use in = its aircraft repainting program. The airline's decision to use hexavalent c= hromium-free PreKote marks a shift in the aerospace industry to eliminate t= oxins used in the pretreatment of aircraft.=0AContinental Airlines was the = first commercial airline to test the technology following the United States= Air Force's success with PreKote. A twenty-two month performance analysis = validated the in-service performance of PreKote, showing excellent adhesion= and paint quality results. In addition, the PreKote process used on Contin= ental aircraft at Leading Edge Aviation Services cut process time, eliminat= ed hazardous chemicals, improved worker health and safety conditions and re= duced waste water.=0A=0APantheon Chemical CEO, Laura Roberts, said, "We are= proud to partner with Continental Airlines and Leading Edge Aviation Servi= ces. We commend the companies' forward thinking leaders for their efforts i= n improving the environment. Their decision to use PreKote highlights the w= ay in which companies can implement safe technology that improves performan= ce and their bottom-line."=0ASafety and performance in a surface pretreatme= nt merge at an important time. OSHA issued a ruling this year that reduced = the permissible exposure limit for hexavalent chromium by 52% in the aerosp= ace painting industry. In the final ruling OSHA states the primary health i= mpairments from workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium are lung cancer, = asthma, and damage to the nasal epithelia and skin. Airlines, paint facilit= ies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are quickly responding by i= mplementing solutions that are high performance, non-toxic, and hexavalent = chromium-free.=0APreKote is a non-chromium surface pretreatment utilizing s= afe, hazard-free technology for use in the painting and coating industries.= PreKote offers superior adhesion, improved paint flexibility, and advanced= corrosion protection on painted surfaces when used as part of a coating sy= stem. PreKote replaces both chromium and non-chromated conversion coating s= ystems, replacing acid etches, solvent washes and other toxic substances on= metal and composite substrates prior to priming and painting.