CABOT CORP (Form: 8-K, Received: 11/20/1998 14:38:41)

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported):
November 20, 1998

Cabot Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                     1-5667                     04-2271897
-----------------------------  ------------------------  -----------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction)  (Commission File Number)  (IRS Employer Identification)

75 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(617) 345-0100
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Page 1 of 87 Pages

Exhibit Index Appears at Page 5

Item 5. OTHER EVENTS.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

Cabot Corporation (the "Company") is a defendant in various lawsuits and environmental proceedings wherein substantial amounts are claimed. The following is a description of significant proceedings pending as of November 17, 1998 in which material developments have occurred since June 30, 1998.

Environmental Proceedings

In 1994, the Company and the State of Florida agreed to a settlement of a 1983 state court lawsuit requiring the Company to pay the State $650,000 in past costs associated with a site in Gainesville, Florida. The Company also resolved claims of the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") for the site by paying a fine of $416,000. The site included a parcel of land on which the Company previously owned and operated a pine tar distillation plant. The Company has completed the implementation of a soil and groundwater remedy at the site in accordance with requirements of EPA and is currently operating and maintaining the groundwater collection system at the site and monitoring site conditions. Recent monitoring of the groundwater collection system revealed slightly elevated levels of certain contaminants, and the Company is evaluating whether further activity is necessary to address this condition. In November 1998, the Company completed a search for three historic water wells on the property. Oil was discovered in one well and has been removed. Cabot is currently evaluating whether the oil has had any impact on groundwater quality. Until this evaluation is completed, it is unknown whether any further action will be necessary. Cabot plans to plug and abandon the wells it located during this search.

In November 1997, the Company was sued in the District Court of Potter County, Texas by K N Energy, Inc. ("KNE") and various related entities for environmental remediation costs at approximately 45 gas plants and compressor stations located in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The Company sold its subsidiaries that owned those properties in two separate transactions in 1989, and, in doing so, undertook certain contractual obligations with respect to environmental conditions at the properties. KNE alleges to be the assignee of those contract rights and, pursuant thereto, has attempted to require the Company to pay for costs KNE has incurred and will incur in the future to remediate environmental contamination alleged to be on those properties. In July 1998, an arbitration panel ordered the Company to pay $3.38 million for past response costs incurred by KNE as well as an unspecified amount for prejudgment interest and arbitration costs. KNE contends that the interest on the past cost award and costs of arbitration amount to approximately $729,000. The Company has disputed the interest and a portion of the cost figures, but has paid KNE the amount awarded for past response costs and the portion of the arbitration costs not in dispute. The panel also ordered the Company to pay up to 80% of future groundwater remediation costs at six of the sites as such costs are incurred by KNE. Finally, the panel ordered KNE to ensure that future remedial actions are cost-effective and based on health risks, with a preference for natural attenuation of contamination. The Company has appealed the panel's award of future costs. Future remediation costs are estimated to be in a range from less than $2 million to up to $8 million. The Company and KNE continue to explore settlement of this matter.

The Company is one of approximately 25 parties identified by EPA as PRPs under the Superfund law with respect to the cleanup of Fields Brook (the "Brook"), a tributary of the Ashtabula River in northeast Ohio. From 1963 to 1972, the Company owned two manufacturing facilities located beside the Brook. Pursuant to an EPA administrative order, 13 companies, including the Company, are performing the design and other preliminary work relating to remediation of sediment in the Brook and soil in the floodplain and wetlands areas adjacent to the Brook. In 1997, EPA and the companies reached agreement on the remedy for these areas, and the companies' consultants are preparing detailed design documents necessary to implement this remedy. Remedial activities are not expected to occur until at least 1999. EPA's cost recovery claims through the end of 1989 have been settled, and the companies negotiated a consent decree in mid-1998 with EPA and the Natural Resource Trustees that settles the government's claims for past costs and natural resource damages and obligates the companies to implement the agreed remedy. The Company's share of the settlement amount is approximately $585,000; the Company's estimated share of future remediation costs is approximately $5.5 million. The companies, including the Company, that have paid for work at the site are seeking to recover a share of those costs from other responsible parties. Finally, recent investigations have detected low levels of radioactive material in sediment in the Brook and EPA has been investigating that issue. EPA has informed the companies involved in the site that the presence of radioactive material will require changes to the remedy EPA previously approved for the site. It is unclear at this time what those changes will be and what the cost of any changes might be.

In 1997, the Company and the other parties responding to EPA requirements at the Brook reached a conditional agreement to contribute funds to the Ashtabula River Partnership to assist the Partnership in its efforts to dredge and remediate sediments in the Ashtabula River downstream from the Brook. If the partnership is successful, this work will be conducted outside the traditional federal Superfund law process through a public-private consortium that will involve substantial public sources of funding for the work. If such sources, along with additional private funds become available, it is expected to be less expensive and easier to complete the project than it would to address the issues involving the Ashtabula River pursuant to the traditional Superfund law process.

In July 1998, EPA informed the Company that it will be undertaking corrective action under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at the Company's facility in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. A site visit by the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate this action occurred in late September. It is unclear at this time what corrective action, if any, will be required at the site and what costs the Company will incur as a result.

In October 1998, the Direction Regionale de L'Industrie, de la Recherche et de L'Environment ("DRIRE") and the Prefecture de la Seine-Maratime (the "Prefecture") notified United Chemical France, S.A. ("UCF"), a French subsidiary of the Company, that DRIRE planned to seek an order (the "Proposed Order") from the Prefecture requiring UCF to undertake an initial investigation of a waste dump allegedly operated by UCF from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s in the Town of Notre Dame de Gravenchon. To date, the Prefecture has not issued the Proposed Order. When the Company purchased UCF in 1985, the seller indemnified the Company for matters relating to events occurring prior to the sale, including environmental matters. The Company has notified the seller that the Company believes that the indemnification would cover costs related to the Proposed Order if it is issued.

MEDIUM-TERM NOTES. Exhibits are filed herewith in connection with a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-64787) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") covering up to $500,000,000 of debt securities issuable under an indenture between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust, as successor trustee, dated as of December 1, 1987, as amended and supplemented by a first supplemental indenture dated as of June 17, 1992, a second supplemental indenture dated January 31, 1997, and a third supplemental indenture dated November 20, 1998. The exhibits attached hereto refer specifically to the Company's issuance and sale from time to time of medium-term notes pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated September 29, 1998 and filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The terms of the Series B Medium Term Notes are described in the Company's Prospectus Supplement dated October 13, 1998 to its Prospectus dated October 13, 1998. The Series B Medium Term Notes will be offered and sold through Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan & Co. as Agents (the "Agents") pursuant to a Distribution Agreement among the Company and the Agents dated November 20, 1998.

Item 7. EXHIBITS.

1 Form of Distribution Agreement.

4.1 Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 20, 1998 between Cabot Corporation and State Street Bank and Trust Company, Trustee.

4.2. Form of fixed rate Medium-Term Note (included in Exhibit 4.1).

4.3 Form of floating rate Medium-Term Note (included in Exhibit 4.1).

Signature

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned duly hereunto authorized.

CABOT CORPORATION

                                               By: /s/ Robert L. Culver
                                                   ----------------------------
                                                   Executive Vice President and
                                                   Chief Financial Officer

Date: November 20, 1998

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number     Title                                                            Page
-------    -----                                                            ----

1          Form of Distribution Agreement.

4.1        Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 20, 1998
           between Cabot Corporation and State Street Bank and Trust
           Company, Trustee.

4.2        Form of fixed rate Medium-Term Note (included in Exhibit 4.1).

4.3        Form of floating rate Medium-Term Note (included in
           Exhibit 4.1).

EXHIBIT 1

FORM OF

CABOT CORPORATION

$500,000,000
SERIES B MEDIUM-TERM NOTES
DUE NINE MONTHS OR MORE FROM DATE OF ISSUE

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

November __, 1998

MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
World Financial Center
North Tower, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10281-1310

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
60 Wall Street
New York, NY 10260

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Cabot Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement with each of Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. (each, an "Agent", and collectively, the "Agents") with respect to the issue and sale by the Company of its Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More From Date of Issue (the "Notes"). The Notes are to be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1987, as supplemented and amended by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 17, 1992, a Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 31, 1997 and a Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of November __, 1998 (collectively and as amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Indenture"), between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as successor trustee (the "Trustee"). As of the date hereof, the Company has authorized the issuance and sale of up to U.S. $500,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of Notes (or its equivalent, based upon the exchange rate on the applicable trade date in such foreign or composite currencies as the Company shall designate at the time of issuance) to or through the Agents pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. It is understood, however, that the Company may from time to time authorize the issuance of additional Notes and

that such additional Notes may be sold to or through the Agents pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, all as though the issuance of such Notes were authorized as of the date hereof.

This Agreement provides both for the sale of Notes by the Company to one or more Agents as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers and for the sale of Notes by the Company directly to investors (as may from time to time be agreed to by the Company and the applicable Agent), in which case the applicable Agent will act as an agent of the Company in soliciting offers for the purchase of Notes.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-64787) for the registration of debt securities, including the Notes, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations"), and the Company has filed such post-effective amendments thereto as may be required prior to any acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes. Such registration statement (as so amended, if applicable) has been declared effective by the Commission and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"). Such registration statement (as so amended, if applicable) is referred to herein as the "Registration Statement"; and the final prospectus and all applicable amendments or supplements thereto (including the final prospectus supplement and pricing supplement relating to the offering of Notes), in the form first furnished to the applicable Agent(s), are collectively referred to herein as the "Prospectus"; provided, however, that all references to the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus" shall also be deemed to include all documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), prior to any acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes; provided, further, that if the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), then, after such filing, all references to the "Registration Statement" shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. A "preliminary prospectus" shall be deemed to refer to any prospectus used before the registration statement became effective and any prospectus furnished by the Company after the registration statement became effective and before any acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes which omitted information to be included upon pricing in a form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR").

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is "disclosed," "contained," "included" or "stated" (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, as the case may be; and all

references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, as the case may be.

1. APPOINTMENT AS AGENT.

a. APPOINTMENT. Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and subject to the reservation by the Company of the right to sell Notes directly on its own behalf, the Company hereby agrees that Notes will be sold exclusively to or through the Agents. The Company agrees that it will not appoint any other agents to act on its behalf, or to assist it, in the placement of the Notes.

b. SALE OF NOTES. The Company shall not sell or approve the solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in excess of the amount which shall be authorized by the Company from time to time or in excess of the aggregate initial offering price of Notes registered pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Agents shall have no responsibility for maintaining records with respect to the aggregate initial offering price of Notes sold, or of otherwise monitoring the availability of Notes for sale, under the Registration Statement.

c. PURCHASES AS PRINCIPAL. The Agents shall not have any obligation to purchase Notes from the Company as principal. However, absent an agreement between an Agent and the Company that such Agent shall be acting solely as an agent for the Company, such Agent shall be deemed to be acting as principal in connection with any offering of Notes by the Company through such Agent. Accordingly, the Agents, individually or in a syndicate, may agree from time to time to purchase Notes from the Company as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers determined by such Agents. Any purchase of Notes from the Company by an Agent as principal shall be made in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof.

d. SOLICITATIONS AS AGENT. If agreed upon between an Agent and the Company, such Agent, acting solely as an agent for the Company and not as principal, will solicit offers for the purchase of Notes. Such Agent will communicate to the Company, orally, each offer for the purchase of Notes solicited by it on an agency basis other than those offers rejected by such Agent. Such Agent shall have the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, to reject any offer for the purchase of Notes, in whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a breach of its agreement contained herein. The Company may accept or reject any offer for the purchase of Notes, in whole or in part. Such Agent shall make reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each purchaser whose offer for the purchase of Notes has been solicited by it on an agency basis and accepted by the Company. Such Agent shall not have any liability to the Company in the event that any such purchase is not consummated for any reason. If the Company shall default on its

obligation to deliver Notes to a purchaser whose offer has been solicited by such Agent on an agency basis and accepted by the Company, the Company shall (i) hold such Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) pay to such Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.

e. RELIANCE. The Company and the Agents agree that any Notes purchased from the Company by one or more Agents as principal shall be purchased, and any Notes the placement of which an Agent arranges as an agent of the Company shall be placed by such Agent, in reliance on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the Company contained herein and on the terms and conditions and in the manner provided herein.

2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

a. The Company represents and warrants to each Agent as of the date hereof, as of the date of each acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes (whether to such Agent as principal or through such Agent as agent), as of the date of each delivery of Notes (whether to such Agent as principal or through such Agent as agent) (the date of each such delivery to such Agent as principal is referred to herein as a "Settlement Date"), and as of any time that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (each of the times referenced above is referred to herein as a "Representation Date"), as follows:

i. DUE INCORPORATION, GOOD STANDING AND DUE QUALIFICATION OF THE COMPANY. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of Delaware with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement and consummate the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus; the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a "Material Adverse Effect").

ii. DUE INCORPORATION, GOOD STANDING AND DUE QUALIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES. Each significant subsidiary (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the 1933 Act), if any (each, a "Significant Subsidiary") has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and

conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company owns such amount or percentage of the outstanding capital stock of its subsidiaries as it is stated in the Prospectus to own or as it is assumed to own for purposes of preparing the financial statements of the Company included in the Prospectus, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, and all such stock is validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

iii. REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act; the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with; the Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act; at the respective times that the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto (including the filing of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission (the "Annual Report on Form 10-K")) became effective and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and any amendments thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act (the "1939 Act Regulations") and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; each preliminary prospectus and prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations; each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the applicable Agent(s) for use in connection with the offering of Notes are identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T; and at the date hereof, at the date of the Prospectus and at each Representation Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the

representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to any statement in or omission from the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification on Form T-1 of the Trustee.

iv. INCORPORATED DOCUMENTS. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or are hereafter filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the "1934 Act Regulations") and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the date hereof, at the date of the Prospectus and at each Representation Date, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

v. INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. The accountants who certified the financial statements and any supporting schedules thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

vi. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, as well as those financial statements, schedules and notes of any other entity included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries, or such other entity, as the case may be, at the dates indicated and the consolidated statement of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its subsidiaries, or such other entity, as the case may be, for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except for the notes to any unaudited financial statements; the supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein; the selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and any pro forma consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance

with the Commission's rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.

vii. NO MATERIAL CHANGES. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (1) there has been no event or occurrence that would result in a Material Adverse Effect and (2) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.

viii. AUTHORIZATION, ETC. OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE INDENTURE AND THE NOTES. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will be a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, (2) general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (3) requirements that a claim with respect to any debt securities issued under the Indenture that are payable in a foreign or composite currency (or a foreign or composite currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or (4) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States; the Notes have been duly authorized by the Company for offer, sale, issuance and delivery pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued, authenticated and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, (2) general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (3) requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes payable in a foreign or composite currency (or a foreign or composite currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate or exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or (4) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States; the Notes will be substantially in a form previously

certified to the Agents and contemplated by the Indenture; and each holder of Notes will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

ix. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INDENTURE AND THE NOTES. The Indenture and the Notes conform and will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and are substantially in the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. Immediately after any sale of Notes by the Company hereunder, the aggregate amount of Notes which shall have been issued and sold by the Company hereunder and of any debt securities of the Company (other than such Notes) that shall have been issued and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement will not exceed the amount of debt securities registered under the Registration Statement.

x. ACCURACY OF EXHIBITS. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.

xi. ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of the provisions of its charter or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments"), except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Notes and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus, the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and the use of proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus) and the compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and under the Indenture, the Notes and such other agreements or instruments have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or the passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder's behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (a "Repayment Event") under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its

subsidiaries pursuant to, any Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations.

xii. ABSENCE OF PROCEEDINGS. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than as stated therein), or which may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which may reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, properties or operations thereof, the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective assets, properties or operations is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, may not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

xiii. TITLE TO PROPERTY. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property that is described in the Prospectus as owned by the Company and its subsidiaries or necessary to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind, except (A) as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (B) those which are not material and do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially interfere with or adversely affect the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

xiv. ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. Except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including,

without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, "Hazardous Materials") or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that may reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

xv. NO FILINGS, REGULATORY APPROVALS ETC. No filing with, or approval, authorization, consent, license, registration, qualification, order or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or in connection with the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained under the 1933 Act or the 1939 Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the solicitation by any Agent of offers to purchase Securities from the Company and with purchases of Securities by such Agent as principal, as the case may be, in each case in the manner contemplated hereby.

xvi. INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be, an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

xvii. COMMODITY EXCHANGE ACT. The Notes, upon issuance, will be excluded or exempted under, or beyond the purview of, the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the "Commodity Exchange Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under the Commodity Exchange Act (the "Commodity Exchange Act Regulations").

xviii. RATINGS. The Medium-Term Note Program under which the Notes are issued (the "Program"), as well as the Notes, are rated
[ ] by Moody's

Investors Service, Inc. and [BBB+] by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service, or such other rating as to which the Company shall have most recently notified the Agents pursuant to
Section 4(a) hereof.

b. ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to one or more Agents or to counsel for the Agents in connection with an offering of Notes to one or more Agents as principal or through an Agent as agent shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to such Agent or Agents as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate and, unless subsequently amended or supplemented, at each Representation Date subsequent thereto.

3. PURCHASES AS PRINCIPAL; SOLICITATIONS AS AGENT.

a. PURCHASES AS PRINCIPAL. Notes purchased from the Company by the Agents, individually or in a syndicate, as principal shall be made in accordance with terms agreed upon between such Agent or Agents and the Company (which terms, unless otherwise agreed, shall, to the extent applicable, include those terms specified in Exhibit A hereto and shall be agreed upon orally, with written confirmation prepared by such Agent or Agents and mailed to the Company). An Agent's commitment to purchase Notes as principal shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to "this Agreement" shall include the applicable agreement of one or more Agents to purchase Notes from the Company as principal. Each purchase of Notes by one or more Agents as principal, unless otherwise agreed, shall be at a discount from the principal amount of each such Note equivalent to the applicable commission set forth in Schedule A hereto. The Agents may engage the services of any broker or dealer in connection with the resale of the Notes purchased by them as principal and may allow all or any portion of the discount received from the Company in connection with such purchases to such brokers or dealers. At the time of each purchase of Notes from the Company by one or more Agents as principal, such Agent or Agents shall specify the requirements for the officers' certificate, opinion of counsel and comfort letter pursuant to Sections 7(b), 7(c) and 7(d) hereof.

If the Company and two or more Agents enter into an agreement pursuant to which such Agents agree to purchase Notes from the Company as principal and one or more of such Agents shall fail at the Settlement Date to purchase the Notes which it or they are obligated to purchase (the "Defaulted Notes"), then the nondefaulting Agents shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one of them or one or more other Agents or underwriters to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Notes in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; provided, however, that if such arrangements shall not have been completed within such 24-hour period, then:

(i) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be so purchased by all of such Agents on the Settlement Date, the nondefaulting Agents shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective initial underwriting obligations bear to the underwriting obligations of all nondefaulting Agents; or

(ii) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Notes exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be so purchased by all of such Agents on the Settlement Date, such agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any nondefaulting Agent.

No action taken pursuant to this paragraph shall relieve any defaulting Agent from liability in respect of its default. In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of such agreement, either the nondefaulting Agents or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Settlement Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

b. SOLICITATIONS AS AGENT. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, when agreed by the Company and an Agent, such Agent, as an agent of the Company, will use its reasonable efforts to solicit offers for the purchase of Notes upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Agents are not authorized to appoint sub-agents with respect to Notes sold through them as agent. All Notes sold through an Agent as agent will be sold at 100% of their principal amount unless otherwise agreed upon between the Company and such Agent.

The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes through an Agent, as an agent of the Company, commencing at any time for any period of time or permanently. As soon as practicable after receipt of instructions from the Company, such Agent will suspend solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes from the Company until such time as the Company has advised such Agent that such solicitation may be resumed.

The Company agrees to pay each Agent a commission, in the form of a discount, equal to the applicable percentage of the principal amount of each Note sold by the Company as a result of a solicitation made by such Agent, as an agent of the Company, as set forth in Schedule A hereto.

c. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. The purchase price, interest rate or formula, maturity date and other terms of the Notes specified in Exhibit A hereto (as applicable) shall be agreed upon between the Company and the applicable Agent(s) and specified in a pricing supplement to the Prospectus (each, a "Pricing Supplement") to be prepared

by the Company in connection with each sale of Notes. Except as otherwise specified in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the Notes will be issued in denominations of U.S. $1,000 or any larger amount that is an integral multiple of U.S. $1,000. Administrative procedures with respect to the issuance and sale of the Notes (the "Procedures") shall be agreed upon from time to time among the Company, the Agents and the Trustee. The Agents and the Company agree to perform, and the Company agrees to cause the Trustee to agree to perform, their respective duties and obligations specifically provided to be performed by them in the Procedures.

4. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.

The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent as follows:

a. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS. The Company will notify the Agents immediately, and confirm such notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus (other than any amendment or supplement thereto providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission,
(iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or (v) any change in the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to the Program or any debt securities (including the Notes) of the Company, or the public announcement by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Program or any such debt securities, or the withdrawal by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization of its rating of the Program or any such debt securities. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

b. FILING OR USE OF AMENDMENTS. The Company will give the Agents advance notice of its intention to file or prepare any additional registration statement with respect to the registration of additional Notes, any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations) or any amendment or supplement to the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus (other than an amendment or supplement thereto providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish to the Agents copies of any such document a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or

use, as the case may be, and will not file any such document to which the Agents or counsel for the Agents shall object.

c. DELIVERY OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Company has furnished to each Agent and to counsel for the Agents, without charge, signed and conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed and conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Agents will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

d. DELIVERY OF THE PROSPECTUS. The Company will deliver to each Agent, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Agent may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Agent, without charge, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Agent may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Agents will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

e. PREPARATION OF PRICING SUPPLEMENTS. The Company will prepare, with respect to any Notes to be sold to or through one or more Agents pursuant to this Agreement, a Pricing Supplement with respect to such Notes in a form previously approved by the Agents. The Company will deliver such Pricing Supplement no later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the business day following the date of the Company's acceptance of the offer for the purchase of such Notes and will file such Pricing Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the 1933 Act not later than the close of business of the Commission on the fifth business day after the date on which such Pricing Supplement is first used.

f. REVISIONS OF PROSPECTUS -- MATERIAL CHANGES. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, if at any time during the term of this Agreement any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Agents or counsel for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the

opinion of either such counsel, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company shall give immediate notice, confirmed in writing, to the Agents to cease the solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in their capacity as agents and to cease sales of any Notes they may then own as principal, and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 4(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement and Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Agents, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Agents may reasonably request. In addition, the Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of each offering of Notes.

g. PROSPECTUS REVISIONS -- PERIODIC FINANCIAL INFORMATION. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, on or prior to the date on which there shall be released to the general public interim financial statement information related to the Company with respect to each of the first three quarters of any fiscal year or preliminary financial statement information with respect to any fiscal year, the Company shall furnish such information to the Agents, confirmed in writing, and shall cause the Prospectus to be timely amended or supplemented to include financial information with respect thereto and corresponding information for the comparable period of the preceding fiscal year, as well as such other information and explanations as shall be necessary for an understanding thereof or as shall be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.

h. PROSPECTUS REVISIONS -- AUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, on or prior to the date on which there shall be released to the general public financial information included in or derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the preceding fiscal year, the Company shall furnish such information to the Agents, confirmed in writing, and shall cause the Prospectus to be timely amended or supplemented to include such audited consolidated financial statements and the report or reports, and consent or consents to such inclusion, of the independent accountants with respect thereto, as well as such other information and explanations as shall be necessary for an understanding of such consolidated financial statements or as shall be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.

i. EARNINGS STATEMENTS. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

j. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods prescribed by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

k. RESTRICTION ON OFFERS AND SALES OF SECURITIES. Unless otherwise agreed upon between one or more Agents acting as principal and the Company, between the date of the agreement by such Agent(s) to purchase the related Notes from the Company and the Settlement Date with respect thereto, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of such Agent(s), issue, sell, offer or contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any debt securities of the Company (other than the Notes that are to be sold pursuant to such agreement or commercial paper in the ordinary course of business).

l. USE OF PROCEEDS. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the issuance and sale of the Notes in the manner specified in the Prospectus.

m. SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS. The Company shall not be required to comply with the provisions of subsections (f), (g) or
(h) of this Section 4 during any period from the time (i) the Agents shall have suspended solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in their capacity as agents pursuant to a request from the Company and (ii) no Agent shall then hold any Notes purchased from the Company as principal, as the case may be, until the time the Company shall determine that solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes should be resumed or an Agent shall subsequently purchase Notes from the Company as principal.

5. CONDITIONS OF AGENTS' OBLIGATIONS.

The obligations of one or more Agents to purchase Notes from the Company as principal and to solicit offers for the purchase of Notes as an agent of the Company, and the obligations of any purchasers of Notes sold through an Agent as an agent of the Company, will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company herein contained or contained in any certificate of an officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance and observance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following additional conditions precedent:

a. EFFECTIVENESS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Agents.

b. LEGAL OPINIONS. On the date hereof, the Agents shall have received the following legal opinions, dated as of the date hereof and in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents:

(1) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY. The favorable opinion of Robert Rothberg, Esq., Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such further effect as the Agents may reasonably request.

(2) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE AGENTS. The favorable opinion of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP, counsel for the Agents, with respect to the matters set forth in numbered paragraphs 1 (first sentence), 5, 6, 8 and 10 and the penultimate paragraph of Exhibit B hereto.

c. OFFICER'S CERTIFICATE. On the date hereof, there shall not have been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Agents shall have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial officer and chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the date of such certificate, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the date of such certificate, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best of such officer's knowledge, are threatened by the Commission.

d. COMFORT LETTER OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. On the date hereof, the Agents shall have received a letter from the independent certified public accountants who have certified the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, dated as of the date hereof and in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented.

e. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. On the date hereof, counsel to the Agents shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as such counsel may require for the purpose of enabling such counsel to pass upon the issuance and sale of Notes as herein

contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Agents and to counsel to the Agents.

If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the applicable Agent or Agents by notice to the Company at any time and any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 10 hereof and except that Sections 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15 hereof shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

6. DELIVERY OF AND PAYMENT FOR NOTES SOLD THROUGH AN AGENT AS AGENT.

Delivery of Notes sold through an Agent as an agent of the Company shall be made by the Company to such Agent for the account of any purchaser only against payment therefor in immediately available funds. In the event that a purchaser shall fail either to accept delivery of or to make payment for a Note on the date fixed for settlement, such Agent shall promptly notify the Company and deliver such Note to the Company and, if such Agent has theretofore paid the Company for such Note, the Company will promptly return such funds to such Agent. If such failure has occurred for any reason other than default by such Agent in the performance of its obligations hereunder, the Company will reimburse such Agent on an equitable basis for its loss of the use of the funds for the period such funds were credited to the Company's account.

7. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.

The Company further covenants and agrees with each Agent as follows:

a. REAFFIRMATION OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Each acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes (whether to one or more Agents as principal or through an Agent as agent), and each delivery of Notes (whether to one or more Agents as principal or through an Agent as agent), shall be deemed to be an affirmation that the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and contained in any certificate theretofore delivered to the Agents pursuant hereto are true and correct at the time of such acceptance or sale, as the case may be, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct at the time of delivery to such Agent(s) or to the purchaser or its agent, as the case may be, of the Notes relating to such acceptance or sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of each such time (it being understood that such representations and warranties shall relate to the Registration Statement and Prospectus as amended and supplemented to each such time).

b. SUBSEQUENT DELIVERY OF CERTIFICATES. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than by an amendment or

supplement providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) the Company sells Notes to or through one or more Agents, whether as principal or as agent or (iii) the Company sells Notes in a form not previously certified to the Agents by the Company, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent(s), forthwith a certificate dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agent(s) to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 5(c) hereof which were last furnished to the Agents are true and correct at the time of the filing or effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the time of such sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in Section 5(c) hereof, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate (it being understood that, in the case of clause (ii) above, any such certificate shall also include a certification that there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise since the date of the agreement by such Agent(s) to purchase Notes from the Company as principal).

c. SUBSEQUENT DELIVERY OF LEGAL OPINIONS. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than by an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) the Company sells Notes to or through one or more Agents, whether as principal or as agent or (iii) the Company sells Notes in a form not previously certified to the Agents by the Company, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agent(s) and to counsel to the Agents the written opinion of Robert Rothberg, Esq., counsel to the Company, or other counsel satisfactory to the Agent(s), dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent(s), of the same tenor as the opinion referred to in Section 5(b)(1) hereof, but modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion or, in lieu of such opinion, counsel last furnishing such opinion to the Agents shall furnish the Agent(s) with a letter substantially to the effect that the Agent(s) may rely on such last opinion to the same extent as though it was dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that statements in such last opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such letter authorizing reliance).

d. SUBSEQUENT DELIVERY OF COMFORT LETTERS. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to include additional financial information (other than by an amendment or supplement relating solely to the issuance and/or offering of securities other than the Notes) or (ii) the Company sells Notes to or through one or more Agents, whether as principal or as agent, the Company shall cause its independent public accountants forthwith to furnish to the Agent(s) a letter, dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agent(s), of the same tenor as the letter referred to in
Section 5(d) hereof but modified to relate to the Registration Statement and Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.

8. INDEMNIFICATION.

a. INDEMNIFICATION OF THE AGENTS. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent and each person, if any, who controls such Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

i. against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

ii. against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, provided that (subject to Section 8(d) hereof) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

iii. against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under subparagraph (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity does not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

b. INDEMNIFICATION OF COMPANY, DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. Each Agent severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 8(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

c. ACTIONS AGAINST PARTIES; NOTIFICATION. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, to assume the defense thereof, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) a

conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iv) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this
Section 8 or 9 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

d. SETTLEMENT WITHOUT CONSENT IF FAILURE TO REIMBURSE. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

9. CONTRIBUTION. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, from the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for indemnification or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s),

on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for indemnification shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of such Notes (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total discount or commission received by each applicable Agent, as the case may be, bears to the aggregate initial offering price of such Notes.

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the applicable Agent(s) and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the applicable Agent(s) were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 9. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 9 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any applicable untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, (i) no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discount or commission received by such Agent in connection with the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for indemnification exceeds the amount of any damages which such Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any applicable untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. In addition, in connection with an offering of Notes purchased from the Company by two or more Agents as principal, the respective obligations of such Agents to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to the aggregate principal amount of Notes that each such Agent has agreed to purchase from the Company.

For purposes of this Section 9, each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company and

each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

10. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including:

a. The preparation, filing, printing and delivery of the Registration Statement as originally filed and all amendments thereto and any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto;

b. The preparation, printing and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture;

c. The preparation, issuance and delivery of the Notes, including any fees and expenses relating to the eligibility and issuance of Notes in book-entry form and the cost of obtaining CUSIP or other identification numbers for the Notes;

d. The fees and disbursements of the Company's accountants, counsel and other advisors or agents (including any calculation agent or exchange rate agent) and of the Trustee and its counsel;

e. The reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents incurred in connection with the establishment of the Program and incurred from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby;

f. The fees charged by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for the rating of the Program and the Notes;

g. The fees and expenses incurred in connection with any listing of Notes on a securities exchange;

h. The filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agents in connection with, the review, if any, by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"); and

i. Any advertising and other out-of-pocket expenses of the Agents incurred with the approval of the Company.

11. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY.

All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto or thereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agents or any controlling person of an Agent, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive each delivery of and payment for the Notes.

12. TERMINATION.

a. TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. This Agreement (excluding any agreement by one or more Agents to purchase Notes from the Company as principal) may be terminated for any reason, at any time by either the Company or an Agent, as to itself, upon the giving of 30 days' prior written notice of such termination to the other party hereto.

b. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE NOTES AS PRINCIPAL. The applicable Agent(s) may terminate any agreement by such Agent(s) to purchase Notes from the Company as principal, immediately upon notice to the Company, at any time prior to the Settlement Date relating thereto, if (i) there has been, since the date of such agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or, if such Notes are denominated and/or payable in, or indexed to, one or more foreign or composite currencies, in the international financial markets, or any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development or event involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of such Agent(s), impracticable to market such Notes or enforce contracts for the sale of such Notes, or (iii) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or limited by the Commission or a national securities exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the NASD or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities or by the relevant authorities in the country or countries of origin of any foreign or composite currency in which such Notes are denominated and/or payable, or (v) the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to the Program or any debt securities (including the Notes) of the Company as of the date of such agreement shall have been lowered or withdrawn since that date or if any such rating organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Program or any such debt securities, or (vi) there shall have come to the attention of such Agent(s) any facts that would cause such Agent(s) to believe that the Prospectus, at the time it was required to be delivered to a purchaser of such Notes, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time of such delivery, not misleading.

c. GENERAL. In the event of any such termination, neither party will have any liability to the other party hereto, except that (i) the Agents shall be entitled to any commissions earned in accordance with the third paragraph of Section 3(b) hereof, (ii) if at the time of termination (a) any Agent shall own any Notes purchased by it from the Company as principal or (b) an offer to purchase any of the Notes has been accepted by the Company but the time of delivery to the purchaser or his agent of such Notes relating thereto has not occurred, the covenants set forth in Sections 4 and 7 hereof shall remain in effect until such Notes are so resold or delivered, as the case may be, and (iii) the covenant set forth in Section 4(i) hereof, the provisions of Section 10 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in Sections 8 and 9 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 11, 14 and 15 hereof shall remain in effect.

13. NOTICES.

Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices required under the terms and provisions hereof shall be in writing, either delivered by hand, by mail or by telex, telecopier or telegram, and any such notice shall be effective when received at the address specified below.

If to the Company:

Cabot Corporation
75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
Attention: Treasurer
Telecopy No.: 617-342-6208

with a copy to:

Cabot Corporation
75 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
Attention: General Counsel Telecopy No.: 617-342-6039

If to the Agents:

Merrill Lynch & Co.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated World Financial Center
North Tower - 10th Floor
New York, New York 10281-1310 Attention: MTN Product Management Telecopy No.: (212) 449-2234

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
Attention: Credit Department, Credit Control -- Medium-Term Notes Telecopy No.: (212) 346-2793

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. 60 Wall Street
New York, New York 10260
Attention: Medium-Term Note Department Telecopy No.: (212) 648-5909

or at such other address as such party may designate from time to time by notice duly given in accordance with the terms of this Section 13.

14. PARTIES.

This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Agents and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Sections 8 and 9 hereof and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Notes shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

15. GOVERNING LAW; FORUM.

THIS AGREEMENT AND ALL THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES. ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT BY THE COMPANY AGAINST ANY AGENT IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT SOLELY IN THE STATE OR FEDERAL COURT OF APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION LOCATED IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

16. EFFECT OF HEADINGS.

The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

17. COUNTERPARTS.

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts hereof shall constitute a single instrument.

If the foregoing is in accordance with the Agents' understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Distribution Agreement, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Agents and the Company in accordance with its terms.

Very truly yours,

CABOT CORPORATION

By: ___________________________
Name:
Title:

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED

By: _________________________________
Authorized Signatory

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.

By: _________________________________
Authorized Signatory

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

By: _________________________________
Authorized Signatory

SCHEDULE A

As compensation for the services of the Agents hereunder, the Company shall pay the applicable Agent, on a discount basis, a commission for the sale of each Note equal to the principal amount of such Note multiplied by the appropriate percentage set forth below:

                                                                   PERCENT OF
MATURITY RANGES                                                 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
---------------                                                 ----------------

From 9 months to less than 1 year..............................       .125%

From 1 year to less than 18 months.............................       .150

From 18 months to less than 2 years............................       .200

From 2 years to less than 3 years..............................       .250

From 3 years to less than 4 years..............................       .350

From 4 years to less than 5 years..............................       .450

From 5 years to less than 6 years..............................       .500

From 6 years to less than 7 years..............................       .550

From 7 years to less than 10 years.............................       .600

From 10 years to less than 15 years............................       .625

From 15 years to less than 20 years............................       .700

From 20 years to 30 years......................................       .750

Greater than 30 years..........................................       (1)

(1) As agreed to by the Company and the applicable Agent at the time of sale.

EXHIBIT A

PRICING TERMS

Principal Amount: $_______

(or principal amount of foreign or composite currency)

Interest Rate or Formula:
If Fixed Rate Note,
Interest Rate:
Interest Payment Dates:
If Floating Rate Note,
Interest Rate Basis(es):
If LIBOR,
[ ] LIBOR Reuters Page:
[ ] LIBOR Telerate Page:
Designated LIBOR Currency:
If CMT Rate,
Designated CMT Telerate Page:
If Telerate Page 7052:
[ ] Weekly Average
[ ] Monthly Average
Designated CMT Maturity Index:
Index Maturity:

Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any:

Initial Interest Rate, if any:
Initial Interest Reset Date:
Interest Reset Dates:
Interest Payment Dates:
Maximum Interest Rate, if any:
Minimum Interest Rate, if any:

Fixed Rate Commencement Date, if any:

Fixed Interest Rate, if any:
Day Count Convention: [ ] 30/360 for the period from ______ to _______ or
[ ] Actual/360 for the period from ______ to ______ Calculation Agent:

Redemption Provisions:
Initial Redemption Date:
Initial Redemption Percentage:
Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if any:
Repayment Provisions:
Optional Repayment Date(s):

Original Issue Date:
Stated Maturity Date:
Specified Currency:
Exchange Rate Agent:
Authorized Denomination:
Purchase Price: ___%, plus accrued interest, if any, from ___________ Price to Public: ___%, plus accrued interest, if any, from __________ Issue Price:
Settlement Date and Time:

Additional/Other Terms:

Also, in connection with the purchase of Notes from the Company by one or more Agents as principal, agreement as to whether the following will be required:

Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Distribution Agreement. Legal Opinion pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Distribution Agreement. Comfort Letter pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Distribution Agreement.

EXHIBIT B

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(b)(1)

(1) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to issue and sell the Notes. The Company has been duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in, and is in good standing under the laws of, each jurisdiction (other than the State of Delaware) where the Company owns or leases properties, or conducts any business, so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or failure to be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect upon the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(2) Each of the current subsidiaries of the Company which is a "significant subsidiary" (as defined in Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation (except with respect to any subsidiaries incorporated in jurisdictions where the concept of good standing is not recognized); and the Company owns of record or beneficially all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each such subsidiary, to such counsel's knowledge, free and clear of any liens, encumbrances or claims.

(3) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there is not pending or threatened any action, suit or proceeding before any court or governmental agency, authority or body involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries which either individually or in the aggregate may reasonably be foreseen to have a material adverse effect on the business or condition of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and the descriptions of the actions, suits and proceedings incorporated by reference in the Prospectus fairly describe, to the extent required by applicable Exchange Act provisions, such actions, suits or proceedings as of the date made and no materially adverse change has occurred with respect to such actions, suits or proceedings.

(4) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities in connection with the Registration Statement.

(5) The Distribution Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(6) The Notes have been duly authorized and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued in accordance with the Indenture and delivered by the Company, and paid for in accordance with the terms thereof, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company

entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors' rights and remedies generally, (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or law), (iii) the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, (iv) requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes payable in a foreign or composite currency (or a foreign or composite currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law and
(v) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States (collectively, the "Enforceability Limitations"). The Indenture and the Notes conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented through the date of such opinion.

(7) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to the Enforceability Limitations. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.

(8) No authorization consent or approval under any law or by any regulatory authority is required for the valid issuance and sale of the Notes or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated in the Distribution Agreement (except under the so-called "blue sky" or securities laws of the several states, as to the applicability of which such counsel need express no opinion).

(9) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Distribution Agreement and the Indenture, and the issuance and sale of the Notes, will not result in any violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default under any term of (a) its charter or by-laws, (b) any statute or governmental rule or regulation or (c) to the best knowledge of such counsel, any license, permit, agreement, indenture, instrument, judgment, decree or order, in each case applicable to it so as to materially and adversely affect the financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(10) Each of the documents incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, when it was filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(11) The Registration Statement became effective under the Act on October 13, 1998; any required filing, as of the date hereof, of a prospectus or any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required thereby; and, to the best of my knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending under the Act.

(12) The Registration Statement (including the Prospectus contained therein) as of its effective date, and the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement as of the date hereof, other than the financial statements and the related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder and the Indenture complies as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(13) Such counsel does not know of any contracts or other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as required.

In addition, such counsel shall state that, without passing upon or assuming any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to such counsel's attention that would lead such counsel to believe (a) that the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto (except for financial statements, supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom and for the Form T-1, as to which such counsel need make no statement), at the time the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto (including the filing of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission) became effective or at the date of any agreement of the applicable Agent(s) to purchase Notes from the Company as principal, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (b) that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements, supporting schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which such counsel need make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the date of such opinion, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

In rendering this opinion, counsel for the Company may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Delaware, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (dated and furnished to the Agents on the date of such counsel's opinion, and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Agents) of other counsel that is familiar with the applicable laws and is reasonably acceptable to counsel for the Agents, and (B) as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent

such counsel deems proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. The opinion of counsel to the Company, to the extent that it relies on such opinions, certificates or other written statements, shall state that the opinion of any such other counsel or any such certificate is in form satisfactory to such counsel and, in such counsel's opinion, such counsel and the Agents are justified in relying thereon.

EXHIBIT 4.1

CABOT CORPORATION

Issuer

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

Trustee

Supplemental Indenture No. 3

Dated as of November 20, 1998

$500,000,000 of Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More from Date of Issue

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 3, dated as of November 20, 1998 (the "Supplemental Indenture"), between Cabot Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company"), and State Street Bank and Trust Company, a trust company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as Trustee (herein called the "Trustee").

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

The Company has heretofore delivered to the Trustee an Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1987, as supplemented and amended by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 17, 1992 and a Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 31, 1997 (collectively and as amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Trustee, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as an exhibit to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 33-18883), providing for the issuance from time to time of Debt Securities of the Company (the "Securities"). The Company intends by this Supplemental Indenture to (i) create a series of debt securities to be issued from time to time, in an aggregate initial principal amount not to exceed $500,000,000, entitled "Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More from Date of Issue" (the "Notes") and (ii) establish the form and the terms and conditions of such Notes.

Section 2.01 of the Indenture provides for various matters with respect to any series of Securities issued under the Indenture to be established in an indenture supplemental to the Indenture.

Section 9.01(7) of the Indenture provides for the Company and the Trustee to enter into an indenture supplemental to the Indenture to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as provided by Section 2.01 of the Indenture.

The Board of Directors of the Company has duly adopted resolutions authorizing the Company to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

All the conditions and requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture, when duly executed and delivered, a valid and binding agreement in accordance with its terms and for the purposes herein expressed, have been performed and fulfilled.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of each of the series of Securities provided for herein by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Notes or of any series thereof, as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

THE SERIES OF NOTES

SECTION 1.1 TITLE OF THE SECURITIES.

There shall be a series of Securities designated the Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More from Date of Issue (the "Notes").

SECTION 1.2 LIMITATION ON AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT.

The aggregate principal amount of the Notes shall be limited to $500,000,000, and, except as provided in this Section and otherwise permitted by the Indenture, the Company shall not execute and the Trustee shall not authenticate or deliver Notes in excess of such aggregate principal amount; provided, however, as authorized or permitted by Section 2.01 of the Indenture, the Notes series may be reopened, without the consent of the Holders, for the issuance of such additional Notes as may be authorized by the Company.

Nothing contained in this Section 1.2 or elsewhere in this Supplemental Indenture, or in the Notes, is intended to or shall limit execution by the Company or authentication or delivery by the Trustee of Notes under the circumstances contemplated by Article Two of the Indenture or by Section 3.06 of the Indenture.

SECTION 1.3 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES.

The Notes shall be governed by all the terms and conditions of the Indenture, including, without limitation, the terms and conditions set forth in the forms of Note referred to in Section 1.6 below, as the same may be supplemented or, to the extent allowed by the Indenture, modified by the additional or different terms and conditions established from time to time with respect to the Notes in board resolutions of the Company and, in such case, such additional or different terms and conditions shall be set forth in the Notes and the related Pricing Supplement. All such terms and conditions set forth in such Notes and in such Pricing Supplement are incorporated by reference into this Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 1.4 DISCHARGE.

The provisions of Section 8.01 of the Indenture, together with the other provisions of Article Eight of the Indenture, shall be applicable to the Notes.

SECTION 1.5 REGISTERED SECURITIES.

Each Note shall be issuable and transferable in fully registered book-entry form or certificated form as specified in the applicable Pricing Supplement.

SECTION 1.6 FORM OF NOTES.

The Floating Rate Notes shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto. The Fixed Rate Notes shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B hereto.

ARTICLE TWO

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SECTION 2.1. RELATION TO INDENTURE.

This Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Indenture.

SECTION 2.2. RATIFICATION OF INDENTURE.

Except as expressly modified or amended hereby, the Indenture continues in full force and effect and is in all respects confirmed and preserved.

SECTION 2.3. GOVERNING LAW.

This Supplemental Indenture and each Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

SECTION 2.4. COUNTERPARTS.

This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Third Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first written above.

CABOT CORPORATION

By:  /s/ Robert L. Culver
    -------------------------------
    Robert L. Culver
    Executive Vice President and
    Chief Financial Officer

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Trustee

By: /s/ Ruth A. Smith
   --------------------------------
    Name: Ruth A. Smith
    Vice President

EXHIBIT A

[FACE OF NOTE]

UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (THE "DEPOSITARY") (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) TO THE ISSUER HEREOF OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.(1)

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN CERTIFICATED FORM, THIS NOTE 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 OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.(2)

REGISTERED                                                  [PRINCIPAL AMOUNT]
No. FLR-
CUSIP No:*

                                CABOT CORPORATION
                            SERIES B MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
                                 (Floating Rate)

INTEREST RATE BASIS           ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:         STATED MATURITY DATE:
OR BASES:

     IF LIBOR:                   IF CMT RATE:
     [ ] LIBOR Reuters             Designated CMT Telerate Page:
         Page:                       If Telerate Page 7052:
                                     [ ] Weekly Average
                                     [ ] Monthly Average
                                   Designated CMT Maturity Index:
     [ ]- LIBOR Telerate

(1) This paragraph applies to global Notes only.
(2) This paragraph applies to global Notes only.

         Page:

INDEX CURRENCY:
INDEX MATURITY:          INITIAL INTEREST RATE:    % INTEREST PAYMENT
                                                   DATE(S):

SPREAD (PLUS OR          SPREAD MULTIPLIER:        INITIAL INTEREST RESET
MINUS):                                            DATE:

MINIMUM INTEREST RATE:   % MAXIMUM INTEREST        INTEREST RESET
                         RATE: %                   DATE(S):

INITIAL REDEMPTION       INITIAL REDEMPTION        ANNUAL REDEMPTION
DATE:                    PERCENTAGE: %             PERCENTAGE REDUCTION:

OPTIONAL REPAYMENT       CALCULATION AGENT:

DATE(S):

INTEREST CATEGORY: DAY COUNT CONVENTION:

[ ] Regular Floating Rate Note [ ] 30/360 for the period
[ ] Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Note from to Fixed Rate Commencement Date: [ ] Actual/360 for the period Fixed Interest Rate: % from to

[ ] Inverse Floating Rate Note [ ] Actual/Actual for the period Fixed Interest Rate: % from to

[ ] Original Issue Discount Note Applicable Interest Rate Basis:
Issue Price: %

SPECIFIED CURRENCY:                    AUTHORIZED DENOMINATION:
[ ] United States dollars              [ ] $1,000 and integral multiples thereof
[ ] Other:                             [ ] Other:

EXCHANGE RATE:
  U.S. $1.00 = ______

EXCHANGE RATE AGENT:

AMORTIZING SECURITY:
[ ] Yes

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[ ] No

AMORTIZATION FORMULA:

AMORTIZATION PAYMENT DATE(S):

DEFAULT RATE: %

ADDENDUM ATTACHED:
[ ] Yes
[ ] No

OTHER/ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS:

CABOT CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (hereinafter referred to as the "Company", which term includes any successor entity under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to __________________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of _________________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (or any Redemption Date or Repayment Date, each as defined below) (each such Stated Maturity Date, Redemption Date or Repayment Date being hereinafter referred to as the "Maturity Date" with respect to the principal repayable on such date) and to pay interest thereon, at a rate per annum equal to the initial Interest Rate specified above until the Initial Interest Reset Date specified above and thereafter at a rate determined in accordance with the provisions specified above and on the reverse hereof or in an Addendum hereto with respect to one or more Interest Rate Bases specified above until the principal hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the Default Rate per annum specified above on any overdue principal, premium and/or interest, including any overdue sinking fund or redemption payment. The Company will pay interest in arrears on each Interest Payment Date, if any, specified above (each, an "Interest Payment Date"), commencing with the first Interest Payment Date next succeeding the Original Issue Date specified above, and on the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if the Original Issue Date occurs between a Record Date (as defined below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest payments will commence on the second Interest Payment Date next succeeding the Original Issue Date to the holder of this Note on the Record Date with respect to such second Interest Payment Date.

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excluding, the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be (each, an "Interest Period"). The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, subject to certain exceptions described herein, be paid to the person in whose name this Note (or one or more predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth calendar day (whether or not a Business Day, as defined on the reverse hereof) immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date (the "Record Date"); provided, however, that interest payable on the Maturity Date will be payable to the person to whom the principal hereof and premium, if any, hereon shall be payable. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for ("Defaulted Interest") will forthwith cease to be payable to the holder on any Record Date, and shall be paid to the person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a special record date (the "Special Record Date") for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee hereinafter referred to, notice whereof shall be given to the holder of this Note by the Trustee not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which this Note may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided for in the Indenture.

Payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of this Note due on the Maturity Date, or any prior date on which the principal or an installment of principal of this Note becomes due and payable, whether by the declaration of acceleration or otherwise, will be made in immediately available funds upon presentation and surrender of this Note (and, with respect to any applicable repayment of this Note, upon presentation and surrender of this Note and a duly completed election form as contemplated on the reverse hereof) at the office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York (the "Designated Agent"), currently the office or agency of the Trustee; provided, however, that if the Specified Currency specified above is other than United States dollars and such payment is to be made in the Specified Currency in accordance with the provisions set forth below, such payment may be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account with a bank designated by the holder hereof at least 15 calendar days prior to the Maturity Date, provided that such bank has appropriate facilities therefor and that this Note (and, if applicable, a duly completed repayment election form) is presented and surrendered at the aforementioned office or agency maintained by the Company in time for the Trustee or the Designated Agent to make such payment in such funds in accordance with its normal procedures. Payment of interest due on any Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date will be made at the aforementioned office of agency maintained by the Company or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register maintained by the Trustee or the Designated Agent; provided, however, that a holder of U.S. $10,000,000 (or, if the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the equivalent thereof in the Specified Currency) or more in aggregate principal amount of Notes (whether having identical or different terms and provisions) will be entitled to receive interest payments on any Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds if appropriate wire transfer instructions have been received in writing by the Trustee or the Designated Agent not

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less than 15 calendar days prior to such Interest Payment Date. Any such wire transfer instructions received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent shall remain in effect until revoked by such holder.

If any Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, except that if LIBOR is an applicable Interest Rate Basis and such Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Payment Date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day. If the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the date such payment was due, and no interest shall accrue with respect to such payment for the period from and after the Maturity Date to the date of such payment on the next succeeding Business Day.

As used herein, "Business Day" means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close in The City of New York, Chicago or Boston, Massachusetts; provided, however, that if the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, such day is also not a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close in the Principal Financial Center (as defined below) of the country issuing the Specified Currency (or, if the Specified Currency is European Currency Units ("ECU"), such day is not a day that appears as an ECU non-settlement day on the display designated as "ISDE" on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or a day so designated by the ECU Banking Association), or, if ECU non-settlement days do not appear on that page (and are not so designated), is not a day on which payments in ECU cannot be settled in the international interbank market); provided, further, that if LIBOR is an applicable Interest Rate Basis, such day is also a London Business Day (as defined below). "London Business Day" means (i) if the Index Currency (as defined below) is other than ECU, any day on which dealings in such Index Currency are transacted in the London interbank market or (ii) if the Index Currency is ECU, any day that does not appear as an ECU non-settlement day on the display designated as "ISDE" on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or a day so designated by the ECU Banking Association) or, if ECU non-settlement days do not appear on that page (and are not so designated), is not a day on which payments in ECU cannot be settled in the international interbank market. "Principal Financial Center" means the capital city of the country issuing the Specified Currency or, solely with respect to the calculation of LIBOR, the Index Currency, except that with respect to United States dollars, Australian dollars, Deutsche marks, Dutch guilders, Italian lire, Swiss francs and ECU, the Principal Financial Center shall be The City of New York, Sydney, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Zurich and Luxembourg, respectively.

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payment is legal tender for the payment of such debts). If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, except as provided below, any such amounts so payable by the Company will be converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified above into United States dollars for payment to the holder of this Note.

If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the holder of this Note may elect to receive such amounts in such Specified Currency. If the holder of this Note shall not have duly made an election to receive all or a specified portion of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency, any United States dollar amount to be received by the holder of this Note will be based on the highest bid quotation in The City of New York received by the Exchange Rate Agent at approximately 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding the applicable payment date from three recognized foreign exchange dealers (one of whom may be the Exchange Rate Agent) selected by the Exchange Rate Agent and approved by the Company for the purchase by the quoting dealer of the Specified Currency for United States dollars for settlement on such payment date in the aggregate amount of such Specified Currency payable to all holders of Foreign Currency Notes scheduled to receive United States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a contract. All currency exchange costs will be borne by the holder of this Note by deductions from such payments. If three such bid quotations are not available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the holder of this Note may elect to receive all or a specified portion of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency by submitting a written request for such payment to the Trustee or the Designated Agent at its corporate trust office or agency in The City of New York on or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least 15 calendar days prior to the Maturity Date, as the case may be. Such written request may be mailed or hand delivered or sent by cable, telex or other form of facsimile transmission. The holder of this Note may elect to receive all or a specified portion of all future payments in the Specified Currency in respect of such principal, premium, if any, and/or interest and need not file a separate election for each payment. Such election will remain in effect until revoked by written notice to the Trustee or the Designated Agent, but written notice of any such revocation must be received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent on or prior to the applicable Record Date or at least 15 calendar days prior to the Maturity Date, as the case may be. If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars or a composite currency and the holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive all or a specified portion of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency and if the Specified Currency is not available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Company, the Company will be entitled to satisfy its obligations to the holder of this Note by making such payment in United States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate (as defined below) on the second Business Day prior to such payment date or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or as otherwise specified on the face hereof. The "Market Exchange Rate" for the Specified Currency means

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the noon dollar buying rate in The City of New York for cable transfers for such Specified Currency as certified for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Any payment made under such circumstances in United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture) with respect to this Note.

If the Specified Currency is a composite currency and the holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive all or a specified portion of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency and if such composite currency is unavailable due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Company, then the Company will be entitled to satisfy its obligations to the holder of this Note by making such payment in United States dollars. The amount of each payment in United States dollars shall be computed by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis of the equivalent of the composite currency in United States dollars. The component currencies of the composite currency for this purpose (collectively, the "Component Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that were components of the composite currency as of the last day on which the composite currency was used. The equivalent of the composite currency in United States dollars shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the Component Currencies. The United States dollar equivalent of each of the Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each such Component Currency, or as otherwise specified on the face hereof.

If the official unit of any Component Currency is altered by way of combination or subdivision, the number of units of the currency as a Component Currency shall be divided or multiplied in the same proportion. If two or more Component Currencies are consolidated into a single currency, the amounts of those currencies as Component Currencies shall be replaced by an amount in such single currency equal to the sum of the amounts of the consolidated Component Currencies expressed in such single currency. If any Component Currency is divided into two or more currencies, the amount of the original Component Currency shall be replaced by the amounts of such two or more currencies, the sum of which shall be equal to the amount of the original Component Currency.

All determinations referred to above made by the Exchange Rate Agent shall be at its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive for all purposes and binding on the holder of this Note.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof and, if so specified above on the face hereof, in the Addendum hereto, which further provisions shall have the same force and effect as if set forth on the face hereof.

Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained herein, if the face of this Note specifies that an Addendum is attached hereto or that "Other/Additional Provisions" apply to

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this Note, this Note shall be subject to the terms set forth in such Addendum or such "Other/Additional Provisions".

Unless the Certificate of Authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee or its Authenticating Agent by manual signature, this Note 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, Cabot Corporation has caused this Note to be duly executed under its seal.

Dated:                               CABOT CORPORATION



                                     By: _____________________________________
                                         Samuel W. Bodman
                                         Chairman of the Board Chief Executive
                                         Officer

[SEAL]

Attest:

Name:
Secretary

TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION:

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

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Trustee

Dated: ________________ By: _____________________________________ Authorized Signatory

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[REVERSE OF NOTE]

CABOT CORPORATION
SERIES B MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
(Floating Rate)

This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities (the "Securities") of the Company issued and to be issued under an Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1987, as supplemented and amended by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 17, 1992, a Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 31, 1997 and a Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of November __, 1998 (collectively and as amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Indenture"), between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as trustee (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 Trust, 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 Note is one of the series of Securities designated as "Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More from Date of Issue" (the "Notes"). All terms used but not defined in this Note or in an Addendum hereto shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Indenture or on the face hereof, as the case may be.

This Note is issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of U.S. $1,000 and integral multiples thereof or the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof.

This Note will not be subject to any sinking fund and, unless otherwise specified on the face hereof in accordance with the provisions of the following two paragraphs, will not be redeemable or repayable prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

This Note will be subject to redemption at the option of the Company on any date on and after the Initial Redemption Date, if any, specified on the face hereof, in whole or from time to time in part in increments of U.S. $1,000 or the minimum Authorized Denomination (provided that any remaining principal amount hereof shall be at least U.S. $1,000 or such minimum Authorized Denomination), at the Redemption Price (as defined below), together with unpaid interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for redemption (each, a "Redemption Date"), on notice given not more than 60 nor less than 30 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date and in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture. The "Redemption Price" shall initially be the Initial Redemption Percentage specified on the face hereof multiplied by the unpaid principal amount of this Note to be redeemed. The Initial Redemption Percentage shall decline at each anniversary of the Initial Redemption Date by the Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if any, specified on the face hereof until the Redemption Price is 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be redeemed. In the event of redemption of

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this Note in part only, a new Note of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof and otherwise having the same terms as this Note shall be issued in the name of the holder hereof upon the presentation and surrender hereof.

This Note will be subject to repayment by the Company at the option of the holder hereof on the Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, specified on the face hereof, in whole or in part in increments of U.S. $1,000 or the minimum Authorized Denomination (provided that any remaining principal amount hereof shall be at least U.S. $1,000 or such minimum Authorized Denomination), at a repayment price equal to 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid, together with unpaid interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for repayment (each, a "Repayment Date"). For this Note to be repaid, the Trustee or the Designated Agent must receive at its office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, referred to on the face hereof, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior to the Repayment Date (i) this Note and the form hereon entitled "Option to Elect Repayment" duly completed or (ii) a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission, or a letter from a member of a national securities exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company in the United States setting forth the name of the holder hereof, the principal amount of this Note, the principal amount of this Note to be repaid, the certificate number or a description of the tenor and terms of this Note, a statement that the option to elect repayment is being exercised thereby, and a guarantee that this Note, together with the form hereon entitled "Option to Elect Repayment" duly completed, will be received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent not later than the fifth Business Day after the date of such telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter, provided that such telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter shall only be effective if this Note and duly completed form are received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent by such fifth Business Day. Exercise of such repayment option by the holder hereof will be irrevocable. In the event of repayment of this Note in part only, a new Note of like tenor for the unrepaid portion hereof and otherwise having the same terms as this Note shall be issued in the name of the holder hereof upon the presentation and surrender hereof.

If this Note is an Original Issue Discount Note as specified on the face hereof, the amount payable to the holder of this Note in the event of redemption, repayment or acceleration of maturity of this Note will be equal to the sum of (i) the Issue Price specified on the face hereof (increased by any accruals of the Discount, as defined below) and, in the event of any redemption of this Note (if applicable), multiplied by the Initial Redemption Percentage (as adjusted by the Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if applicable) and
(ii) any unpaid interest on this Note accrued from the Original Issue Date to the Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity, as the case may be. The difference between the Issue Price and 100% of the principal amount of this Note is referred to herein as the "Discount."

For purposes of determining the amount of Discount that has accrued as of any Redemption Date, Repayment Date or date of acceleration of maturity of this Note, such Discount will be accrued using a constant yield method. The constant yield will be calculated using a 30-day month, 360-day year convention, a compounding period that, except for the

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Initial Period (as defined below), corresponds to the shortest period between Interest Payment Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a coupon rate equal to the initial coupon rate applicable to this Note and an assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated. If the period from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date (the "Initial Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a proportionate amount of the yield for an entire compounding period will be accrued. If the Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such period will be divided into a regular compounding period and a short period, with the short period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

The interest rate borne by this Note will be determined as follows:

(i) Unless the Interest Category of this Note is specified on the face hereof as a "Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Note" or an "Inverse Floating Rate Note" or as otherwise specified as Other/Additional Provisions on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, this Note shall be designated as a "Regular Floating Rate Note" and, except as set forth below or specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, shall bear interest at the rate determined by reference to the applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases (a) plus or minus the Spread, if any, and/or (b) multiplied by the Spread Multiplier, if any, in each case as specified on the face hereof.

Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest on this Note shall be payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date specified on the face hereof; provided, however, that the interest rate in effect for the period, if any, from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest Reset Date shall be the Initial Interest Rate.

(ii) If the Interest Category of this Note is specified on the face hereof as a "Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Note," then, except as set forth below or specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, this Note shall bear interest at the rate determined by reference to the applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases (a) plus or minus the Spread, if any, and/or (b) multiplied by the Spread Multiplier, if any. Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest on this Note shall be payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date; provided, however, that (y) the interest rate in effect for the period, if any, from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest Reset Date shall be the Initial Interest Rate and (z) the interest rate in effect for the period commencing on the Fixed Rate Commencement Date specified on the face hereof to the Maturity Date shall be the Fixed Interest Rate specified on the face hereof or, if no such Fixed Interest Rate is specified, the interest rate in effect hereon on the day immediately preceding the Fixed Rate Commencement Date.

(iii) If the Interest Category of this Note is specified on the face hereof as an "Inverse Floating Rate Note," then, except as set forth below or specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, this Note shall bear interest at the Fixed Interest Rate minus the rate determined by reference to the applicable Interest Rate Basis or Bases (a) plus or minus the Spread, if any, and/or (b) multiplied by the Spread Multiplier, if any; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, the interest rate

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hereon shall not be less than zero. Commencing on the Initial Interest Reset Date, the rate at which interest on this Note shall be payable shall be reset as of each Interest Reset Date; provided, however, that the interest rate in effect for the period, if any, from the Original Issue Date to the Initial Interest Reset Date shall be the Initial Interest Rate.

Except as set forth above or specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, the interest rate in effect on each day shall be (i) if such day is an Interest Reset Date, the interest rate determined as of the Interest Determination Date (as defined below) immediately preceding such Interest Reset Date or (ii) if such day is not an Interest Reset Date, the interest rate determined as of the Interest Determination Date immediately preceding the most recent Interest Reset Date. If any Interest Reset Date would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Reset Date shall be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, except that if LIBOR is an applicable Interest Rate Basis and such Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Reset Date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day. In addition, if the Treasury Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis and the Interest Determination Date would otherwise fall on an Interest Reset Date, then such Interest Reset Date will be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day.

The rate of interest on the related Floating Rate Note will be reset daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually or on such other specified basis (each, an "Interest Reset Period") and the dates on which such rate of interest will be reset (each, an "Interest Reset Date") shall be as specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto. Unless otherwise specified, the Interest Reset Dates will be, in the case of Floating Rate Notes which reset: (i) daily, each Business Day; (ii) weekly, the Wednesday of each week (with the exception of weekly reset Floating Rate Notes as to which the Treasury Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis, which will reset the Tuesday of each week, except as described below); (iii) monthly, the third Wednesday of each month (with the exception of monthly reset Floating Rate Notes as to which the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis, which will reset on the first calendar day of the month);
(iv) quarterly, the third Wednesday of March, June, September and December of each year; (v) semiannually, the third Wednesday of the two months specified herein or in an Addendum hereto; and (vi) annually, the third Wednesday of the month specified herein or in an Addendum hereto; provided however, that, with respect to Floating Rate/Fixed Rate Notes, the rate of interest thereon will not reset after the applicable Fixed Rate Commencement Date. If any Interest Reset Date for any Floating Rate Note would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Reset Date will be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, except that in the case of a Floating Rate Note as to which LIBOR is an applicable Interest Rate Basis and such Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Reset Date will be the immediately preceding Business Day.

The interest rate applicable to each Interest Reset Period commencing on the related Interest Reset Date will be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the applicable Interest Determination Date and will be calculated by the Calculation Agent on or prior to the Calculation Date (as defined below), except with respect to LIBOR and the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, which will be calculated on such Interest Determination Date. The "Interest Determination Date" with respect to the CD Rate, the CMT Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Federal Funds Rate and the Prime Rate will be the second Business Day immediately preceding the applicable Interest Reset Date; the "Interest Determination Date" with respect to the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate shall be the last business day of the month immediately preceding the applicable Interest Reset Date on which the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (the "FHLB of San Francisco") publishes the Index (as defined below); and the "Interest Determination Date" with respect to LIBOR shall be the second London Business Day immediately preceding the applicable Interest Reset Date, unless the Index Currency is British pounds sterling, in which case the "Interest Determination Date" will be the applicable Interest Reset Date. The "Interest Determination Date", with respect to the Treasury Rate shall be the day in the week in which the applicable Interest Reset Date falls on which day Treasury Bills (as defined below) are normally auctioned (Treasury Bills are normally sold at an auction held on Monday of each week, unless that day is a legal holiday, in which case the auction is normally held on the following Tuesday, except that such auction may be held on the preceding Friday); provided, however, that if an auction is held on the Friday of the week preceding the applicable Interest Reset Date, the "Interest Determination Date" shall be such preceding Friday; provided, further, that if the Interest Determination Date would otherwise fall on an Interest Reset Date, then such Interest Reset Date will be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day. If the interest rate of this Note is determined with reference to two or more Interest Rate Bases specified on the face hereof, the "Interest Determination Date" pertaining to this Note shall be the most recent Business Day which is at least two Business Days prior to the applicable Interest Reset Date on which each Interest Rate

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Basis is determinable. Each Interest Rate Basis shall be determined as of such date, and the applicable interest rate shall take effect on the applicable Interest Reset Date.

Unless otherwise specified on the face hereof or in an Addendum hereto, the rate with respect to each Interest Rate Basis will be determined in accordance with the following provisions.

CD Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the CD Rate, the CD Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "CD Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate on such date for negotiable United States dollar certificates of deposit having the Index Maturity specified on the face hereof as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in "Statistical Release H.15(519), Selected Interest Rates" or any successor publication ("H.15(519)") under the heading "CDS (Secondary Market)," or, if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the rate on such CD Rate Interest Determination Date for negotiable United States dollar certificates of deposit of the Index Maturity as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in its daily statistical release "Composite 3:30 P.M. Quotations for United States Government Securities" or any successor publication ("Composite Quotations") under the heading "Certificates of Deposit." If such rate is not yet published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CD Rate on such CD Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the Calculation Agent specified on the face hereof and will be the arithmetic mean of the secondary market offered rates as of 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on such CD Rate Interest Determination Date, of three leading nonbank dealers in negotiable United States dollar certificates of deposit in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent for negotiable United States dollar certificates of deposit of major United States money center banks in the market for negotiable United States dollar certificates of deposit with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity in an amount that is representative for a single transaction in that market at that time; provided, however, that if the dealers so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the CD Rate determined as of such CD Rate Interest Determination Date will be the CD Rate in effect on such CD Rate Interest Determination Date.

CMT Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the CMT Rate, the CMT Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "CMT Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page (as defined below) under the caption ". . . Treasury Constant Maturities . . . Federal Reserve Board Release H.15 . . . Mondays Approximately 3:45 P.M.," under the column for the Designated CMT Maturity Index (as defined below) for (i) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7055, the rate on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date and (ii) if the Designated CMT Telerate Page is 7052, the weekly or monthly average, as specified on the face hereof, for the week or month, as applicable, ended immediately preceding the week or month, as applicable, in which the related CMT Rate Interest Determination Date occurs. If such rate is no longer displayed on the relevant page or is not displayed by 3:00 P.M., New

A-14

York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate for such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index as published in H.15(519). If such rate is no longer published or is not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be such treasury constant maturity rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index (or other United States Treasury rate for the Designated CMT Maturity Index) for the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date with respect to such Interest Reset Date as may then be published by either the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the United States Department of the Treasury that the Calculation Agent determines to be comparable to the rate formerly displayed on the Designated CMT Telerate Page and published in H.15(519). If such information is not provided by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the CMT Rate on the CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity, based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary market closing offer side prices as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date reported, according to their written records, by three leading primary United States government securities dealers (each, a "Reference Dealer") in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest)), for the most recently issued direct noncallable fixed rate obligations of the United States ("Treasury Notes") with an original maturity of approximately the Designated CMT Maturity Index and a remaining term to maturity of not less than such Designated CMT Maturity Index minus one year. If the Calculation Agent is unable to obtain three such Treasury Note quotations, the CMT Rate on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the Calculation Agent and will be a yield to maturity based on the arithmetic mean of the secondary market offer side prices as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date of three Reference Dealers in The City of New York (from five such Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent and eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest)), for Treasury Notes with an original maturity of the number of years that is the next highest to the Designated CMT Maturity Index and a remaining term to maturity closest to the Designated CMT Maturity Index and in an amount of at least U.S. $100 million. If three or four (and not five) of such Reference Dealers are quoting as described above, then the CMT Rate will be based on the arithmetic mean of the offer prices obtained and neither the highest nor the lowest of such quotes will be eliminated; provided, however, that if fewer than three Reference Dealers selected by the Calculation Agent are quoting as mentioned herein, the CMT Rate determined as of such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date will be the CMT Rate in effect on such CMT Rate Interest Determination Date. If two Treasury Notes with an original maturity as described in the second preceding sentence have remaining terms to maturity equally close to the Designated CMT Maturity Index, the Calculation Agent will obtain quotations for the Treasury Note with the shorter remaining term to maturity and will use such quotations to calculate the CMT Rate as set forth above.

A-15

"Designated CMT Telerate Page" means the display on the Dow Jones Telerate Service (or any successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page as may replace such page on that service (or any successor service) for the purpose of displaying Treasury Constant Maturities as reported in H.15(519)). If no such page is specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Telerate Page shall be 7052, for the most recent week.

"Designated CMT Maturity Index" means the original period to maturity of the United States Treasury securities (either one, two, three, five, seven, 10, 20 or 30 years) specified on the face hereof with respect to which the CMT Rate will be calculated. If no such maturity is specified on the face hereof, the Designated CMT Maturity Index shall be two years.

Commercial Paper Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the Commercial Paper Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date") as the Money Market Yield (as defined below) on such date of the rate for commercial paper having the Index Maturity as published in H.15(519) under the heading "Commercial Paper - NonFinancial."

In the event that such rate is not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Commercial Paper Rate on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Money Market Yield of the rate or commercial paper having the Index Maturity as published in Composite Quotations under the heading "Commercial Paper" (with an Index Maturity of one month or three months being deemed to be equivalent to an Index Maturity of 30 days or 90 days, respectively). If such rate is not yet published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Commercial Paper Rate on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date will be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be the Money Market Yield of the arithmetic mean of the offered rates at approximately 11:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date of three leading dealers of commercial paper in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent for commercial paper having the Index Maturity placed for an industrial issuer whose bond rating is "Aa," or the equivalent, from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; provided, however, that if the dealers so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Commercial Paper Rate determined as of such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Commercial Paper Rate in effect on such Commercial Paper Rate Interest Determination Date.

"Money Market Yield" means a yield (expressed as a percentage) calculated in accordance with the following formula:

                          D x 360
Money Market Yield =   -------------  x 100
                       360 - (D x M)

A-16

where "D" refers to the applicable per annum rate for commercial paper quoted on a bank discount basis and expressed as a decimal, and "M" refers to the actual number of days in the Interest Period for which interest is being calculated.

Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (an "Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate equal to the monthly weighted average cost of funds for the calendar month immediately preceding the month in which such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date falls, as set forth under the caption "llth District" on Telerate Page 7058 as of 11:00
A.M., San Francisco time, on such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date. If such rate does not appear on Telerate Page 7058 on such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date, then the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate on such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date shall be the monthly weighted average cost of funds paid by member institutions of the Eleventh Federal Home Loan Bank District that was most recently announced (the "Index") by the FHLB of San Francisco as such cost of funds for the calendar month immediately preceding such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date. If the FHLB of San Francisco fails to announce the Index on or prior to such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date for the calendar month immediately preceding such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date, the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate determined as of such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate in effect on such Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate Interest Determination Date.

Federal Funds Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the Federal Funds Rate, the Federal Funds Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate on such date for United States dollar federal funds as published in H.15(519) under the heading "Federal Funds (Effective)" or, if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the Calculation Date, the rate on such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date as published in Composite Quotations under the heading "Federal Funds/Effective Rate." If such rate is not published in either H.15(519) or Composite Quotations by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Federal Funds Rate on such Federal Funds Interest Determination Date shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and will be the arithmetic mean of the rates for the last transaction in overnight United States dollar federal funds arranged by three leading brokers of federal funds transactions in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent, prior to 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date; provided, however, that if the brokers so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Federal Funds Rate determined as of such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Federal Funds Rate in effect on such Federal Funds Rate Interest Determination Date.

A-17

LIBOR. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as LIBOR, LIBOR shall be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "LIBOR Interest Determination Date") in accordance with the following provisions:

(i) if (a) "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the face hereof, the arithmetic mean of the offered rates (unless the Designated LIBOR Page (as defined below) by its terms provides only for a single rate, in which case such single rate will be used) for deposits in the Index Currency having the Index Maturity, commencing on the applicable Interest Reset Date, that appear (or, if only a single rate is required as aforesaid, appears) on the Designated LIBOR Page (as defined below) as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date, or (b) "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof, or if neither "LIBOR Reuters" nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the method for calculating LIBOR, the rate for deposits in the Index Currency having the Index Maturity, commencing on such Interest Reset Date, that appears on the Designated LIBOR Page as of 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date. If fewer than two such offered rates appear, or if no such rate appears, as applicable, LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date shall be determined in accordance with the provisions described in clause (ii) below.

(ii) With respect to a LIBOR Interest Determination Date on which fewer than two offered rates appear, or no rate appears, as the case may be, on the Designated LIBOR Page as specified in clause (i) above, the Calculation Agent shall request the principal London offices of each of four major reference banks in the London interbank market, as selected by the Calculation Agent, to provide the Calculation Agent with its offered quotation for deposits in the Index Currency for the period of the Index Maturity, commencing on the applicable Interest Reset Date, to prime banks in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 A.M., London time, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date and in a principal amount that is representative for a single transaction in such Index Currency in such market at such time. If at least two such quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two such quotations are so provided, then LIBOR on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 A.M., in the applicable Principal Financial Center, on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date by three major banks in such Principal Financial Center selected by the Calculation Agent for loans in the Index Currency to leading European banks, having the Index Maturity and in a principal amount that is representative for a single transaction in such Index Currency in such market at such time; provided, however, that if the banks so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, LIBOR determined as of such LIBOR Interest Determination Date shall be LIBOR in effect on such LIBOR Interest Determination Date.

A-18

"Index Currency" means the currency or composite currency specified on the face hereof as to which LIBOR shall be calculated.

If no such currency or composite currency is specified on the face hereof, the Index Currency shall be United States dollars.

"Designated LIBOR Page" means (a) if "LIBOR Reuters" is specified on the face hereof, the display on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or any successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page as may replace such page on such service (or any successor service)), for the purpose of displaying the London interbank rates of major banks for the Index Currency, or (b) if "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof or neither "LIBOR Reuters" nor "LIBOR Telerate" is specified on the face hereof as the method for calculating LIBOR, the display on the Dow Jones Telerate Service (or any successor service) on the page specified on the face hereof (or any other page as may replace such page on such service (or any successor service)), for the purpose of displaying the London interbank rates of major banks for the applicable Index Currency.

Prime Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereto as the Prime Rate, the Prime Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Prime Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate on such date as such rate is published in H.15(519) under the heading "Bank Prime Loan." If such rate is not published prior to 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, then the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic mean of the rates of interest publicly announced by each bank that appears on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page (as defined below) as such bank's prime rate or base lending rate as in effect for such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date. If fewer than four such rates appear on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page for such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date, then the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic mean of the prime rates quoted on the basis of the actual number of days in the year divided by a 360-day year as of the close of business on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date by four major money center banks in The City of New York selected by the Calculation Agent. If fewer than four such quotations are so provided, the Prime Rate shall be the arithmetic mean of four prime rates quoted on the basis of the actual number of days in the year divided by a 360-day year as of the close of business on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date as furnished in The City of New York by the major money center banks, if any, that have provided such quotations and by a reasonable number of substitute banks or trust companies to obtain four such prime rate quotations, provided such substitute banks or trust companies are organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, or any State thereof, each having total equity capital of at least U.S.$500 million and being subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority, selected by the Calculation Agent to provide such rate or rates; provided, however, that if the banks or trust companies so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Prime Rate determined as of such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Prime Rate in effect on such Prime Rate Interest Determination Date.

A-19

"Reuters Screen USPRIME1 Page" means the display designated as page "USPRIME1" on the Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service (or any successor service) (or such other page as may replace the USPRIME1 page on such service (or any successor service) for the purpose of displaying prime rates or base lending rates of major United States banks).

Treasury Rate. If an Interest Rate Basis for this Note is specified on the face hereof as the Treasury Rate, the Treasury Rate shall be determined as of the applicable Interest Determination Date (a "Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date") as the rate from the auction held on such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date (the "Auction") of direct obligations of the United States ("Treasury Bills") having the Index Maturity, as such rate is published in H.15(519) under the heading "Treasury bills-auction average (investment)" or, if not published by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on the related Calculation Date, the auction average rate of such Treasury Bills (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) as otherwise announced by the United States Department of the Treasury. In the event that the results of the Auction of Treasury Bills having the Index Maturity are not reported as provided above by 3:00 P.M., New York City time, on such Calculation Date, or if no such Auction is held, then the Treasury Rate shall be calculated by the Calculation Agent and shall be a yield to maturity (expressed as a bond equivalent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as applicable, and applied on a daily basis) of the arithmetic mean of the secondary market bid rates, as of approximately 3:30 P.M., New York City time, on such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date, of three leading primary United States government securities dealers selected by the Calculation Agent, for the issue of Treasury Bills with a remaining maturity closest to the Index Maturity; provided, however, that if the dealers so selected by the Calculation Agent are not quoting as mentioned in this sentence, the Treasury Rate determined as of such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date will be the Treasury Rate in effect on such Treasury Rate Interest Determination Date.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the interest rate hereon shall not be greater than the Maximum Interest Rate, if any, or less than the Minimum Interest Rate, if any, in each case as specified on the face hereof. The interest rate on this Note will in no event be higher than the maximum rate permitted by New York law, as the same may be modified by United States law of general application.

Unless otherwise specified herein or in an Addendum, the Trustee will be the "Calculation Agent." The "Calculation Date," if applicable, pertaining to any Interest Determination Date shall be the earlier of (i) the tenth calendar day after such Interest Determination Date or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day or (ii) the Business Day immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be. At the request of the Holder hereof, the Calculation Agent will provide to the Holder hereof the interest rate hereon then in effect and, if determined, the interest rate that will become effective as a result of a determination made for the next succeeding Interest Reset Date.

A-20

Accrued interest hereon shall be an amount calculated by multiplying the principal amount hereof by an accrued interest factor. Such accrued interest factor shall be computed by adding the interest factor calculated for each day in the applicable Interest Period. Unless otherwise specified as the Day Count Convention on the face hereof, the interest factor for each such date shall be computed by dividing the interest rate applicable to such day by 360 if the CD Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, the Federal Funds Rate, LIBOR or the Prime Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis or by the actual number of days in the year if the CMT Rate or the Treasury Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis. Unless otherwise specified as the Day Count Convention on the face hereof, the interest factor for this Note, if the interest rate is calculated with reference to two or more Interest Rate Bases, shall be calculated in each period in the same manner as if only the Applicable Interest Rate Basis specified on the face hereof applied. All percentages resulting from any calculation on this Note shall be rounded to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upwards (e.g., 9.876545% (or .09876545) would be rounded to 9.87655% (or .0987655)), and all amounts used in or resulting from such calculation on this Note shall be rounded, in the case of United States dollars, to the nearest cent or, in the case of a Specified Currency other than United States dollars or a composite currency, to the nearest unit (with one-half cent or unit being rounded upwards).

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance of (i) the entire indebtedness of the Notes or (ii) certain covenants and Events of Default with respect to the Notes, in each case upon compliance with certain conditions set forth therein, which provisions apply to the Notes.

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 at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of all Securities at the time outstanding and affected thereby. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, on behalf of the holders of all such Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture. Furthermore, provisions in the Indenture permit the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, in certain instances, to waive, on behalf of all of the holders of Securities of such series, certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders of this Note and other Notes issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

A-21

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

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register of the Company upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal hereof and any premium or interest hereon 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 by his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, this Note is exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations but otherwise having the same terms and conditions, as requested by the holder hereof surrendering the same.

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

This Note and all documents, agreements, understandings and arrangements relating to any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby have been executed or entered into by the undersigned in his/her capacity as an officer of the sole general partner of the Company which has been formed as a Delaware limited Company, and not individually, and neither the general partner, officers, employees or limited partners of the Company shall be bound or have any personal liability hereunder or thereunder. The holder of this Note by accepting this Note waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of this Note. Each party hereto shall look solely to the assets of the Company for satisfaction of any liability of the Company in respect of this Note and all documents, agreements, understandings and arrangements relating to any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby and will not seek recourse or commence any action against any of the general partner, officers, employees or limited partners of the Company or any of their personal assets for the performance or payment of any obligation hereunder or thereunder. The foregoing shall

A-22

also apply to any future documents, agreements, understandings, arrangements and transactions between the parties hereto.

The Indenture and this Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to principles of conflicts of laws.

A-23

ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM - as tenants in common
TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties JT TEN - as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common
UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - ____________ Custodian _____________
(Cust) (Minor) Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act _____________________
(State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

A-24

ASSIGNMENT

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

(Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of assignee)

this Note and all rights thereunder hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing ____________________________________________ Attorney to transfer this Note on the books of the Trustee, with full power

of substitution in the premises.

Dated: _____________________

NOTICE: The signature(s) on this Assignment must correspond with the name(s) as written upon the face of this Note in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

A-25

OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

The undersigned hereby irrevocably request(s) and instruct(s) the Company to repay this Note (or portion hereof specified below) pursuant to its terms at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount to be repaid, together with unpaid interest accrued hereon to the Repayment Date, to the undersigned, at

(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

For this Note to be repaid, the Trustee or the Designated Agent must receive at its corporate trust office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, this Note with this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed.

If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid, specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of U.S. $1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof)) which the holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or denominations (which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be issued to the holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the absence of any such specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion not being repaid).

Principal Amount
to be Repaid: $___________________

Date: _________________              Notice: The signature(s) on this Option to
                                     Elect Repayment must correspond with the
                                     name(s) as written upon the face of this
                                     Note in every particular, without
                                     alteration or enlargement or any change
                                     whatsoever.

A-26

EXHIBIT B

[FACE OF NOTE]

REGISTERED [PRINCIPAL AMOUNT]
No. FXR-
CUSIP:*

CABOT CORPORATION
SERIES B MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
(Fixed Rate)

ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:        INTEREST RATE:      %        STATED MATURITY
INTEREST PAYMENT            DEFAULT RATE:       %        DATE:
DATE(S) ____ and ____
Other:

INITIAL REDEMPTION          INITIAL REDEMPTION           ANNUAL REDEMPTION
DATE:                       PERCENTAGE:         %        PERCENTAGE
                                                         REDUCTION:          %

--------

(3) This paragraph applies to global Notes only.

(4) This paragraph applies to global Notes only.

B-1

OPTIONAL REPAYMENT             CHECK IF AN ORIGINAL
DATE(S)                        ISSUE DISCOUNT NOTE
                                Issue Price:    %

REPAYMENT PRICE:    %

SPECIFIED CURRENCY:            AUTHORIZED                       EXCHANGE RATE
 [ ] United States dollars     DENOMINATION:                    AGENT:
 [ ] Other:                    [ ] $1,000 and integral
                                   multiples thereof
                               [ ] Other:

EXCHANGE RATE:                 ADDENDUM ATTACHED:               OTHER/ADDITIONAL
 U.S. $1.00 = ________         [ ] Yes                          PROVISIONS:
                               [ ] No

CABOT CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (hereinafter referred to as the "Company," which term includes any successor entity under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to _______________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of _____________________, on the Stated Maturity Date specified above (or any Redemption Date or Repayment Date, each as defined on the reverse hereof) (each such Stated Maturity Date, Redemption Date or Repayment Date being hereinafter referred to as the "Maturity Date" with respect to the principal repayable on such date) and to pay interest thereon, at the Interest Rate per annum specific above, until the principal hereof is paid or duly made available for payment, and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the Default Rate per annum specified above on any overdue principal, premium and/or interest, including any overdue sinking fund or redemption payment. The Company will pay interest in arrears on each Interest Payment Date, if any, specified above (each, an "Interest Payment Date"), commencing with the first Interest Payment Date next succeeding the Original Issue Date specified above, and on the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if the Original Issue Date occurs between a Record Date (as defined below) and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest payments will commence on the second Interest Payment Date next succeeding the Original Issue Date to the holder of this Note on the Record Date with respect to such second Interest Payment Date. Interest on this Note will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

Interest on this Note will accrue from, and including, the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for (or from, and including, the Original Issue Date if no interest has been paid or duly provided for) to, but excluding, the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be (each, an "Interest Period"). The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, subject to certain exceptions described herein, be paid to

B-2

the person in whose name this Note (or one or more predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth calendar day (whether or not a Business Day, as defined below) immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date (the "Record Date"); provided, however, that interest payable on the Maturity Date will be payable to the person to whom the principal hereto and premium, if any, hereon shall be payable. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for ("Defaulted Interest") will forthwith cease to be payable to the holder on any Record Date, and shall be paid to the person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a special record date (the "Special Record Date") for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee hereinafter referred to, notice whereof shall be given to the holder of this Note by the Trustee not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which this Note may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided for in the Indenture.

Payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of this Note due on the Maturity Date or any prior date on which the principal or an installment of principal of this Note becomes due and payable, whether by the declaration of acceleration or otherwise, will be made in immediately available funds upon presentation and surrender of this Note (and, with respect to any applicable repayment of this Note, upon presentation and surrender of this Note and a duly completed election form as contemplated on the reverse hereof) at the office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York (the "Designated Agent"), currently the office or agency of the Trustee; provided, however, that if the Specified Currency specified above is other than United States dollars and such payment is to be made in the Specified Currency in accordance with the provisions set forth below, such payment may be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account with a bank designated by the holder hereof at least 15 calendar days prior to the Maturity Date, provided that such bank has appropriate facilities therefor and that this Note (and, if applicable, a duly completed repayment election form) is presented and surrendered at the aforementioned office or agency maintained by the Company in time for the Trustee or the Designated Agent to make such payment in such funds in accordance with its normal procedures. Payment of interest due on any Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date will be made at the aforementioned office or agency maintained by the Company or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register maintained by the Trustee or the Designated Agent; provided, however, that a holder of U.S. $10,000,000 (or, if the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the equivalent thereof in the Specified Currency) or more in aggregate principal amount of Notes (whether having identical or different terms and provisions) will be entitled to receive interest payments on any Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds if appropriate wire transfer instructions have been received in writing by the Trustee or the Designated Agent not less than 15 calendar days prior to such Interest Payment Date. Any such wire transfer instructions received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent shall remain in effect until revoked by such holder.

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If any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the date such payment was due, and no interest shall accrue with respect to such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be, to the date of such payment on the next succeeding Business Day.

The Company is obligated to make payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency (or, if the Specified Currency is not at the time of such payment legal tender for the payment of public and private debts, in such other coin or currency of the country which issued the Specified Currency as at the time of such payment is legal tender for the payment of such debts). If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, except as provided below, any such amounts so payable by the Company will be converted by the Exchange Rate Agent specified above into United States dollars for payment to the holder of this Note.

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to all holders of Foreign Currency Notes scheduled to receive United States dollar payments and at which the applicable dealer commits to execute a contract. All currency exchange costs will be borne by the holder of this Note by deductions from such payments. If three such bid quotations are not available, payments on this Note will be made in the Specified Currency.

If the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars or a composite currency and the holder of this Note shall have duly made an election to receive all or a specified portion of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and/or interest in respect of this Note in the Specified Currency and if the Specified Currency is not available due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Company, the Company will be entitled to satisfy its obligations to the holder of this Note by making such payment in United States dollars on the basis of the Market Exchange Rate (as defined below) on the second Business Day prior to such payment date or, if such Market Exchange Rate is not then available, on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate or as otherwise specified on the face hereof. The "Market Exchange Rate" for the Specified Currency means the noon dollar buying rate in The City of New York for cable transfers for such Specified Currency as certified for customs purposes by (or if not so certified, as otherwise determined by) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Any payment made under such circumstances in United States dollars will not constitute an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture) with respect to this Note.

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"Component Currencies" and each, a "Component Currency") shall be the currency amounts that were components of the composite currency as of the last day on which the composite currency was used. The equivalent of the composite currency in United States dollars shall be calculated by aggregating the United States dollar equivalents of the Component Currencies. The United States dollar equivalent of each of the Component Currencies shall be determined by the Exchange Rate Agent on the basis of the most recently available Market Exchange Rate for each such Component Currency, or as otherwise specified on the face hereof.

Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained herein, if the face of this Note specifies that an Addendum is attached hereto or that "Other/Additional Provisions" apply to this Note, this Note shall be subject to the terms set forth in such Addendum or such "Other/Additional Provisions."

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Cabot Corporation has caused this Note to be duly executed under its seal.

Dated: _______________         CABOT CORPORATION


                               By: _____________________________________________
                                   Samuel W. Bodman
                                   Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer

(SEAL)

Attest:

Name:
Secretary

TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION:

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

Dated: ______________          STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY,
                               as Trustee

                               By: _____________________________________________
                                   Authorized Signatory

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[REVERSE OF NOTE]

CABOT CORPORATION
SERIES B MEDIUM-TERM NOTE
(Fixed Rate)

This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities (the "Securities") of the Company issued and to be issued under an Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1987, as supplemented and amended by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 17, 1992, a Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 31, 1997 and a Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of November __, 1998 (collectively and as amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Indenture"), between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as trustee (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 Note is one of the series of Securities designated as "Series B Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More from Date of Issue" (the "Notes"). All terms used but not defined in this Note or in an Addendum hereto shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Indenture or on the face hereof, as the case may be.

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otherwise having the same terms as this Note shall be issued in the name of the holder hereof upon the presentation and surrender hereof.

This Note will be subject to repayment by the Company at the option of the holder hereof on the Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, specified on the face hereof, in whole or in part in increments of U.S.$1,000 or the minimum Authorized Denomination (provided that any remaining principal amount hereof shall be at least U.S.$1,000 or such minimum Authorized Denomination), at a repayment price equal to 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid, together with unpaid interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for repayment (each, a "Repayment Date"). For this Note to be repaid, the Trustee or the Designated Agent must receive at its office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, referred to on the face hereof, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior to the Repayment Date (i) this Note and the form hereon entitled "Option to Elect Repayment" duly completed or (ii) a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission, or a letter from a member of a national securities exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company in the United States setting forth the name of the holder hereof, the principal amount of this Note, the principal amount of this Note to be repaid, the certificate number or a description of the tenor and terms of this Note, a statement that the option to elect repayment is being exercised thereby, and a guarantee that this Note, together with the form hereon entitled "Option to Elect Repayment" duly completed, will be received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent not later than the fifth Business Day after the date of such telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter, provided that such telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or letter shall only be effective if this Note and duly completed form are received by the Trustee or the Designated Agent by such fifth Business Day. Exercise of such repayment option by the holder hereof will be irrevocable. In the event of repayment of this Note in part only, a new Note of like tenor for the unrepaid portion hereof and otherwise having the same terms as this Note shall be issued in the name of the holder hereof upon the presentation and surrender hereof.

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Dates (with ratable accruals within a compounding period), a coupon rate equal to the initial coupon rate applicable to this Note and an assumption that the maturity of this Note will not be accelerated. If the period from the Original Issue Date to the initial Interest Payment Date (the "Initial Period") is shorter than the compounding period for this Note, a proportionate amount of the yield for an entire compounding-period will be accrued. If the Initial Period is longer than the compounding period, then such period will be divided into a regular compounding period and a short period, with the short period being treated as provided in the preceding sentence.

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 at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of all Securities at the time outstanding and affected thereby. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, on behalf of the holders of all such Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture. Furthermore, provisions in the Indenture permit the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, in certain instances, to waive, on behalf of all of the holders of Securities of such series, certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders of this Note and other Notes issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange heretofore or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

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duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

This Note and all documents, agreements, understandings and arrangements relating to any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby have been executed or entered into by the undersigned in his/her capacity as an officer of the sole general partner of the Company which has been formed as a Delaware limited Company, and not individually, and neither the general partner, officers, employees or limited partners of the Company shall be bound or have any personal liability hereunder or thereunder. The holder of this Note by accepting this Note waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of this Note. Each party hereto shall look solely to the assets of the Company for satisfaction of any liability of the Company in respect of this Note and all documents, agreements, understandings and arrangements relating to any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby and will not seek recourse or commence any action against any of the trustees, officers or shareholders of the Company or any of their personal assets for the performance or payment of any obligation hereunder or thereunder. The foregoing shall also apply to any future documents, agreements, understandings, arrangements and transactions between the parties hereto.

The Indenture and this Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws.

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ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

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ASSIGNMENT

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER

IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

(Please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of assignee) this Note and all rights thereunder hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing Attorney to transfer this Note on the books of the Trustee, with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated:_____________________

NOTICE: The signature(s) on this Assignment must correspond with the name(s) as written upon the face of this Note in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

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OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

(Please print or typewrite name and address of the undersigned)

If less than the entire principal amount of this Note is to be repaid, specify the portion hereof (which shall be increments of U.S.$1,000 (or, if the Specified Currency is other than United States dollars, the minimum Authorized Denomination specified on the face hereof)) which the holder elects to have repaid and specify the denomination or denominations (which shall be an Authorized Denomination) of the Notes to be issued to the holder for the portion of this Note not being repaid (in the absence of any such specification, one such Note will be issued for the portion not being repaid).

Principal Amount
to be Repaid:  $________________

Date: ________________________    ______________________________________________
                                  Notice: The signature(s) on this Option to
                                  Elect Repayment must correspond with the
                                  name(s) as written upon the face of this Note
                                  in every particular, without alteration or
                                  enlargement or any change whatsoever.

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