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                                [HERCULES LOGO]

                                 November 2000

                                   [GRAPHIC]
   2
SOURCES AND USES

($ in millions)



SOURCES
                                  
Senior Notes                         $  375

Term D Loan                             375

Food Gums Net Proceeds                  318
                                     ------

TOTAL                                $1,068
                                     ======




USES
                                 
Repay RHINOS                        $  200

Repay Trust VI                         170
Preferred

Repay Revolver                         256

Repay Term Loan A                      101

Repay Term Loan C                      318

Fees & Expenses                         23
                                    ------

TOTAL                               $1,068
                                    ======


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THE COMPANY



HERCULES
                                     
Market Capitalization:                  $    1.9bn
LTM 6/30 Sales:                         $    3.1bn
LTM 6/30 EBITDA:                        $    638mm




PULP & PAPER               BETZDEARBORN                   AQUALON                      BUSINESSES FOR SALE
                                                                              
- -  Performance and         -  Water & process             -   Water-based              -  Resins
   process chemicals          treatment chemicals             systems for oilfield
   for pulp & paper           for industrial,                 services, personal
   industry                   commercial,                     care, construction       -  FiberVisions
                              petroleum and
                              chemical markets

Sales:       $882mm        Sales: $843mm                  Sales:    $628mm             Sales:   $715mm

EBITDA:      $199m         EBITDA: $187mm                 EBITDA:   $183mm             EBITDA:  $104mm


Note:  LTM figures pro forma for sale of Food Gums

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   4
COMMITMENT TO DELEVERAGING



ASSET SALES           COMPLETION                 EXPECTED                  EBITDA
IN 2000-01            DATE                       PROCEEDS                  MULTIPLE
                                                                  
FOOD GUMS             September 2000             $395 million                  >9x

RESINS                Announced / Q1-2001        $500-$550 million         8x - 9x

FIBERVISIONS          Q1/2-2001                  $250-$300 million         7x - 9x


- -    Focus on returning to investment grade rating


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   5
 ... WITH DIVERSIFIED CUSTOMER BASE

- -    DIVERSE CUSTOMER BASE

     -    No customer accounts for more than 1% of 1999 total sales

     -    Over 10,000 end-customers in hundreds of industries


- -    STRONG CUSTOMER ORIENTATION

     -    Selling the "process" not the chemical


- -    BROAD PRODUCT OFFERING

     -    "River-to-reel" in paper industry

     -    Water and process treatment chemicals in BetzDearborn

                               SALES BY END-MARKET

                                  [PIE CHART]


                                                       
                   Pulp & Paper                           38%
                   Architectural Paints                    5%
                   Construction                            5%
                   Refining                                6%
                   Chemicals                               9%
                   Personal Care                           3%
                   Oil Field Services                      3%
                   Other                                  31%



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SIGNIFICANT STABLE FREE CASH FLOW

- -    Capital expenditures of approximately $120 million

- -    Adjusted for 1999 USD/EUR exchange rate levels, LTM EBITDA is higher by
     approximately $26 million

                                  [BAR CHART]




($ in millions)
                                          1997          1998           1999           LTM          LTM ADJUSTED
                                                                                     
Pulp & Paper                              $212          $187           $206          $199              $203
BetzDearborn                              $175          $214           $199          $187              $191
Aqualon                                   $218          $200           $186          $183              $200
FiberVisions                               $43           $55            $54           $43               $43
Resins                                     $73           $66            $59           $62               $62

Note: Pro forma to exclude Food Gums and nitrocellulose -- before corporate
      expenses.


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   7
[HERCULES LOGO]


                                  BETZDEARBORN


                                                                       [GRAPHIC]
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POSITIVE TRENDS

- -     Business is becoming more contract-based, increasing revenue visibility

      -     40% of U.S. sales by contract

      -     BetzDearborn win/loss ratio in bids has increased 100% since 1999 to
            4:1

- -     Pricing pressure caused by competitive bid situations has softened over
      last two quarters

      -     5% price increase in July

      -     Competitors followed suit

- -     Restructuring of supply chain nearly complete

- -     Significant market and share growth in Asia

      -     Hercules sales growing by 15-20% annually in
            China/India/Asia-Pacific



                                  2000 EBITDA

                                  [BAR CHART]



                                       
Q1                                        $42
Q2                                        $45
Q3                                        $53



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[HERCULES LOGO]



                                    AQUALON


                                                                       [GRAPHIC]
   10
THE BUSINESS

- -     Products modify the physical properties of water-based and solvent-soluble
      systems

      -     Examples include oilfield drilling fluids, paint thickening, pharma
            tablet binders

- -     Products primarily produced from natural resources such as cellulose

- -     Business has leading positions globally in Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC),
      Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), Methylcellulose (MC)

- -     Business is global with 40% of sales in Europe

- -     Annual volume growth of 2-4%

- -     Operating margins of 25-26% in 1999


                            2000 SALES BY END-MARKET

                                  [PIE CHART]


                               
Construction Materials            23%
Architectural Paints              20%
Food                               6%
Other                             16%
Oilfield services                  8%
Paper Manufacturers               15%
Personal Care                     12%




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COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

($ in millions)



                                    GLOBAL
SALES            PRODUCT           POSITION           PRIMARY COMPETITORS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             
$200               HEC                #1              Union Carbide, Akzo, Clariant

110                CMC                #2              Noviant, Bayer, Lamberti

110                MC                #2-3             Dow, Bayer, Clariant

30                 Guar               #1              Rhodia

35                 HPC                #1              Nippon Soda (Japan Only)



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                               FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

                                                                       [GRAPHIC]
   13
HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE - REVENUES


                                  [BAR CHART]



                                                                    9 MONTHS ENDING
                                                                -----------------------
                     1997PF         1998PF         1999          9/30/99        9/30/00
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            ($ in millions)
                                                                
Pulp & Paper       $  906.0       $  883.0       $  884.0       $  658.0       $  660.0
BetzDearborn       $  881.0       $  852.0       $  846.0       $  627.0       $  633.0
Aqualon            $  625.0       $  589.0       $  527.0       $  480.0       $  454.0
                   --------       --------       --------       --------       --------
TOTAL              $2,412.0       $2,324.0       $2,257.0       $1,765.0       $1,747.0
                   ========       ========       ========       ========       ========



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   14
HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE - EBITDA


                                  [BAR CHART]




                                                                   9 MONTHS ENDING
                                                                --------------------
                       1997           1998          1999        9/30/99      9/30/00
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            ($ in millions)
                                                              
Pulp & Paper          $212.0          $187.0       $208.0       $158.0       $143.0
BetzDearborn          $175.0          $214.0       $199.0       $150.0       $140.0
Aqualon               $218.0          $200.0       $186.0       $142.0       $133.0
                      ------          ------       ------       ------       ------
TOTAL                 $605.0          $601.0       $593.0       $450.0       $416.0
                      ======          ======       ======       ======       ======



      Note: Excludes unallocated corporate overhead


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   15
FINANCIAL REVIEW

- -     Based on Reported Q3 results


($ in millions)



- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               9 MONTHS ENDED                   LTM
                                                          -----------------------            --------
                                          1999            9/30/99          9/30/00           9/30/00
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 
REVENUES-- AS REPORTED                  $ 3,309           $ 2,467          $ 2,435           $ 3,277
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EBITDA-- AS REPORTED                        703               560              578               721

UNUSUAL ITEMS                                57                18              (90)              (51)

ONE-TIME ITEMS                                8                --               --                 8
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADJUSTED EBITDA                             768               578              488               678

LTM FOOD GUMS ADJUSTMENT (1)                                                                     (75)

CORPORATE ALLOCATION REDUCTION                                                                    15
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FORMA EBITDA                                                                             $   618
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Note:  Based on 8-K pro forma adjustments as of June 30, 2000.


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   16
CAPITAL STRUCTURE

($ in millions)



- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  ACTUAL(1)       PRO FORMA
                                   9/30/00         9/30/00                   MATURITY
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               
Cash                               $  366          $   48                         --
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEBT
  Revolver                            652             396                       2003
  Term A                            1,001             900                       2003
  Term C                              318              --                         --
  Term D                               --             375                       2005
  Other Secured Debt                   --             328                2002 through 2027
  Senior Unsecured Notes               --             375                       2007
  Other Debt                          502             174                2002 through 2027
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL LONG-TERM DEBT              2,473           2,548
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRUST PREFERRED

  RHINOS                              200              --                         --
  Trust Preferred VI                  170              --                         --
  Crests                              260             260                       2028
  Floating Rate Preferred             362             362                       2028
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL PREFERRED                     992             622
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL DEBT & PREFERRED            3,147           3,170
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shareholders' Equity                863             863
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL CAPITALIZATION             $4,010          $4,033
===========================================================================================


(1) After sale of Food Gums


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   17
PRO FORMA CREDIT STATISTICS

As of 9/30/00



- --------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       PRO FORMA
                                                    EX - FOOD GUMS
                                                   & POST OFFERING
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                
Net Senior Secured Debt / LTM EBITDA                    3.2x

Net Debt / LTM EBITDA                                   4.0x

Net Debt & Preferred / LTM EBITDA                       5.1x

Net Debt / Total Capitalization                         62%

LTM EBITDA / Cash Interest                              2.7x

LTM EBITDA Less CapEx / Cash Interest                   2.2x

LTM EBITDA / Cash Interest & Pfd Dividends              2.0x



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