PRESS RELEASE FORWARD INQUIRIES TO:

Dr. Geoff Irvine

SAFC Hitech
+978.374.5200 Ext. 287
geoff.irvine@sial.com

MEDIA INQUIRIES TO:

Mark Button
Impress Public Relations
+ 408.852.1789
mark@impress-pr.com

SAFC HITECH™ WIDENS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS

PORTFOLIO WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF
SCINTILLATION CRYSTAL GROWTH HALIDES

New Materials Target Medical and Security Detection Applications

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – October 15, 2008 – SAFC HitechTM, a focus area within SAFC®, a member of
the Sigma-Aldrich Group (NASDAQ: SIAL), today announced that it is widening the scope of its
electronic materials offering with the launch of a comprehensive line of high-purity halides.
These new raw materials enable the growth of scintillation detector crystals, used extensively in
energy detection devices across a range of security, medical, and astrophysical applications,
and will enable improved performance in the detection of X-rays, γ-rays and radioactive
particles for homeland security devices, X-ray and emission tomography, and particle detection
in high-energy physics and astronomy.

While the use of scintillation crystals in energy detection applications is not a new development,
the technological and performance demands placed on detectors have evolved. There is a
growing requirement to replace or supplement the traditional doped alkali halide materials used
in crystal growth with newer, advanced materials to meet these changing conditions. SAFC
Hitech’s portfolio includes several rare earth and alkali earth halides specifically designed to
tackle these challenges and offer improved performance characteristics for future generations of
detection devices.

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“As a premier supplier of high-purity halide raw materials for scintillation crystal growth, we have
developed a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to support the commercial
development and manufacturing of halide detector crystals”, stated Sean Dingman, Market
Segment Manager for SAFC Hitech. “The Crystal Growth Halides product line includes thallium
iodide (TlI), a key activating dopant in scintillation crystal technology. SAFC Hitech also offers
high-purity sodium and cesium iodide (NaI and CsI) providing a one-stop service for key crystal
growth materials.”

“Since the new SAFC Hitech offering was launched in July 2007, we have been actively building
on our core competencies in the supply of advanced chemistries to the silicon and compound
semiconductor markets to expand into other areas in which we see significant commercial
potential,” added Dr. Geoff Irvine, Director, Commercial Development and Marketing, SAFC
Hitech. “In terms of our new high-purity halides, we are reinforcing our offer with value-add
services designed to improve our customers’ throughput, reduce total cost of ownership and
address environmental concerns. SAFC Hitech will blend halide compositions, package
materials to customizable customer specifications and provide a reprocessing service to remove
off-cut thallium doped material and repurify the materials.”

“Looking ahead,” continued Dr. Irvine, “we anticipate an increase in demand for rare earth
halides as the technology for crystal growth continues to improve. For example, in Radioactive
Isotope Identification Devices (RIIDs), which are hand-held security detectors, cerium-doped
lanthanum bromide (LaBr3:Ce) shows a higher resolution of several radioactive isotopes and
detects these materials more efficiently than thallium doped sodium iodide.”

Lanthanum and cerium bromides (LaBr3 and CeBr3) are available from SAFC Hitech, as well as
barium, strontium and europium halides in addition to thallium, sodium and cesium iodides as
part of their Crystal Growth Halides premiere product offer. “We have a broader portfolio of high
purity halides available beyond our premiere products and would like to partner with leaders in
the crystal growth community to deliver solutions that employ these materials.” concludes
Dingman.
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SAFC Hitech will be discussing their scintillation materials offering at the IEEE Nuclear and
Plasma Sciences Society — Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference - to
be held in Dresden from October 19-25. Further information on SAFC Hitech’s Crystal Growth
Halides can be found at www.safchitech.com.

About SAFC Hitech: SAFC Hitech provides a unique chemistry service translating application
understanding into performance materials worldwide. Through collaborative partnerships and an
integrated approach from research and development, process development and scale up to commercial
manufacturing, SAFC Hitech invests in innovation and manufacturing enabling current and future
technology needs. Further information can be found at http://www.safchitech.com.

About SAFC: SAFC® is the custom manufacturing and services group within Sigma-Aldrich that focuses
on high-purity inorganics for high technology applications, cell culture products and services for
biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biochemical production and the manufacturing of complex, multi-step
organic synthesis of APIs and key intermediates. SAFC has manufacturing facilities around the world
dedicated to providing manufacturing services for companies requiring a reliable partner to produce their
custom manufactured materials. SAFC has four focus areas – SAFC Pharma™, SAFC Supply Solutions®,
SAFC Biosciences™, and SAFC Hitech™ – and had annual sales of nearly $600 million in 2007. SAFC is
one of the world’s 10 largest fine chemical businesses. For more information about SAFC, visit
www.safcglobal.com.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its
biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research,
biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in
pharmaceutical and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science
companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists
and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 36 countries and has 7,900 employees
providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success
through Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-
Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.

SAFC®, SAFC Supply Solutions® and Sigma-Aldrich® are registered trademarks and SAFC Pharma™, SAFC Biosciences™ and
SAFC Hitech™ are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.

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