NL Industries, Inc.                             Contact: Gregory M. Swalwell
Three Lincoln Centre                                     Vice President, Finance
5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700                             (972) 233-1700
Dallas, Texas 75240
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News Release
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                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       NL Industries, Inc. Announces Recapitalization of Kronos, Inc. and
                    Filing of Registration Statement for the
          Distribution of Kronos, Inc. Common Stock to its Shareholders

DALLAS, TEXAS - August 8, 2003 - NL Industries,  Inc. (NYSE: NL) today announced
that  its  Board  of  Directors  has  approved  a  plan  to  distribute  to  its
shareholders  one  share of  common  stock of  Kronos,  Inc.,  its  wholly-owned
subsidiary,  for every two shares of NL common stock outstanding.  Approximately
23.85 million shares of Kronos'  common stock will be  distributed  representing
approximately  48.9% of the common stock of Kronos. The plan will also involve a
recapitalization of Kronos through the distribution of a $200 million promissory
note payable by Kronos to NL. Kronos has filed a Form 10 registration  statement
with the Securities and Exchange  Commission relating to the distribution of its
common stock. Kronos intends to apply for listing of its common stock on the New
York Stock Exchange.  NL currently  expects the  distribution  will occur in the
fourth quarter of 2003.

Kronos is the world's fifth largest  producer of titanium dioxide  pigments,  or
TiO2,  with an  estimated  12% share of  worldwide  TiO2  sales  volume in 2002.
Approximately  one-half of Kronos' 2002 sales volume was in Europe, where Kronos
is the  second  largest  producer  of TiO2.  TiO2 is a pigment  used to  whiten,
brighten and add opacity to thousands of commonly used products, such as paints,
plastics and paper, as well as fibers, rubbers, ceramics, inks and cosmetics.

The statements in this release relating to matters that are not historical facts
are  forward-looking   statements  that  represent   management's   beliefs  and
assumptions based on currently available information. Forward-looking statements
can be  identified  by the use of words such as  "believes,"  "intends,"  "may,"
"will," "should," "could,"  "anticipates,"  "expects," or comparable terminology
or by  discussions  of  strategy  or  trends.  Although  NL  believes  that  the
expectations  reflected in such  forward-looking  statements are reasonable,  it
cannot give any  assurances  that these  expectations  will prove to be correct.
Such statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties,  including, but
not  limited  to, the  cyclicality  of the  titanium  dioxide  industry,  global
economic  and  political  conditions,  changes  in global  productive  capacity,
changes in customer  inventory  levels,  changes in product pricing,  changes in
product  costing,  changes  in  foreign  currency  exchange  rates,  competitive
technology positions,  operating interruptions  (including,  but not limited to,
labor disputes, leaks, fires, explosions,  unscheduled downtime,  transportation
interruptions, war and terrorist activities), the ultimate resolution of pending
or possible future lead pigment litigation and legislative  developments related
to the lead paint litigation,  the outcome of other litigation,  and other risks
and  uncertainties  detailed  in the NL's  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission
filings.  Should one or more of these risks  materialize (or the consequences of
such  a  development  worsen),  or  should  the  underlying   assumptions  prove
incorrect,  actual  results  could differ  materially  from those  forecasted or
expected.  NL disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise
such  statements,  whether  as a result  of new  information,  future  events or
otherwise.