<PAGE> 1
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF
A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITARY.  THIS SECURITY IS
EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON
OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED
CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND MAY NOT BE
TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF
THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY
OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY.

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK
CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION
OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT
IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY
AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR
OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS
AN INTEREST HEREIN.

                      SOLUTIA INC.

                  6.50% Notes due 2002
              ---------------------------

CUSIP NO. 834376 AA 3                           Principal Amount $150,000,000
No. 1

      SOLUTIA INC., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the "Company",
which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter
referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co. or
registered assigns, the principal sum of 150,000,000 Dollars on October 15,
2002, and to pay interest thereon from October 15, 1997 or from the most
recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided
for, semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 in each year, commencing April
15, 1998 at the rate of 6.50% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid
or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid
or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such
Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more
Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular
Record Date for such interest, which shall be the April 1 or October 1
(whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such
Interest Payment Date.  Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly
provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular
Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security
(or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of
business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest
to be fixed by

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the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this
series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at
any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of
any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed,
and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully
provided in said Indenture.

      Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this
Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for
that purpose in The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United
States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of
public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the
Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the
Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register
or by wire transfer.

      Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set
forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

      Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the
Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security
shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or
obligatory for any purpose.


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      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal.

Dated:

                                       SOLUTIA INC.


                                       By /s/ Rodney L. Bishop
                                          ---------------------------------


ATTEST:

/s/ Mary Bennett Cody
------------------------------------



                TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in
the within-mentioned Indenture.

                                       THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK,
                                       as Trustee


                                       By /s/ Timothy E. Burke
                                          ---------------------------------
                                                  Authorized Officer


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                            REVERSE OF SECURITY
                            -------------------

      This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the
Company (herein called the "Securities"), issued and to be issued in one or
more series under an Indenture, dated as of October 1, 1997 (herein called
the "Indenture", which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such
instrument), between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee
(herein called the "Trustee", which term includes any successor trustee under
the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto
reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights,
limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the
Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the
Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.  This Security is
one of the series designated on the face hereof, limited in aggregate
principal amount to $150,000,000.

      This Security is not redeemable at the option of the Company and shall
not have the benefit of any sinking fund.

      If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall
occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may
be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture.  The Indenture provides that such declaration may in certain
events be annulled by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of this series.  An Event of Default with respect to
the Securities shall also include the occurrence of an Event of Default with
respect to securities of any other series issued pursuant to the Indenture.

      The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be
affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with
the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in principal amount of the Securities at
the time Outstanding of each series to be affected.  The Indenture also
contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in
principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on
behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance
by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past
defaults under the Indenture and their consequences.  Any such consent or
waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon
such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security
issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in
lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon
this Security.

                                    -4-
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      As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the
Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding,
judicial or otherwise, with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment
of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such
Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing
Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders
of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of
this series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute
proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the
Trustee reasonable indemnity, and the Trustee shall not have received from
the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Outstanding Securities of
this series a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed
to institute any such proceeding, for 60 days after receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit
instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment
of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the
respective due dates expressed herein.

      No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security
or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company,
which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the
coin or currency, herein prescribed.

      The provisions of Section 403 of the Indenture with respect to
satisfaction, discharge and defeasance of Securities of any series and of
Section 1010 of the Indenture with respect to defeasance of certain
covenants, shall apply to Securities of this series, which provisions shall
have the same effect as if set forth herein in their entirety.

      As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein
set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security
Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of (and
premium, if any) and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by,
or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to
the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or
his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new
Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and
for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated
transferee or transferees.

      The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set
forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate
principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a
different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering
the same.

                                    -5-
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      No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

      Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may
treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner
hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither
the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to
the contrary.

      No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or the interest on this Security, or for any claim based
hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the
Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, against any incorporator,
stockholder, officer, director or employee, as such, past, present or future,
of the Company or any successor Person, whether by virtue of any
constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment
or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof
and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and
released.

      Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an
assignee, such as TEN COM (=tenants in common), TEN ENT (=tenants by the
entireties), JT TEN (=joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as
tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors
Act).

      Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform
Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to
be printed on the Securities of this series and has directed the Trustee to
use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders.  No
representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed
on the Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption, and reliance
may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

      All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

                                    -6-