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 22, 1999



                         AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                                                                  
                  Delaware                                 0-15661                      36-0724340
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)  (Commission File Number)  (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)




One North Arlington, 1500 West Shure Drive, Suite 500
            Arlington Heights, Illinois                              60004-7803
      (Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip Code)



ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

On November 22, 1999, AMCOL International  Corporation ("AMCOL") entered into an
Asset and Stock Purchase  Agreement to sell its Chemdal absorbent  polymers unit
to BASF Aktiengesellschaft ("BASF"), a leading chemical company headquartered in
Germany,  in a cash  transaction.  The sale is  subject to  approval  by AMCOL's
shareholders,  as well as certain  U.S.  and  European  governmental  regulatory
reviews, and is projected to close during the first quarter of 2000.

Included in the transaction are Chemdal's three manufacturing  operations in the
United  States,  United Kingdom and Thailand.  A substantial  portion of the net
proceeds after deducting  corporate  income taxes,  expenses of the transaction,
payment  of  debt  and  other   deductions,   will  be  distributed  to  AMCOL's
shareholders.  It is currently  expected that  shareholders  will receive a cash
payment of  approximately  $14-$14.50 per share,  in addition to retaining their
AMCOL shares which will then  represent the portion of AMCOL's  business that is
not being sold. The cash to be paid for the Chemdal absorbent  polymers business
is  approximately  $656.5  million,  and is subject to  certain  purchase  price
adjustments,   including  those  based  on  the  absorbent   polymers  business'
outstanding debt and working capital at closing.

Chemdal was formed in 1986 to manufacture and market  water-absorbing  specialty
polymers  for use in  personal  care  products  such as baby  diapers  and adult
incontinence items. In 1998, Chemdal contributed  approximately $221 million, or
42 percent in sales,  and $33  million,  or 61 percent in operating  profit,  of
AMCOL's total consolidated results.

Founded in 1927, AMCOL  International  Corp. is a specialty chemical and mineral
company that produces and markets primarily liquid-absorbing products for a wide
range of industrial  and  consumer-related  applications.  AMCOL's other primary
businesses are minerals and environmental products and services.  AMCOL reported
approximately $521 million in consolidated sales during 1998; approximately $300
million of the total was unrelated to Chemdal.

BASF is a return-focused  transnational  company  striving for  value-generating
growth in chemicals,  health and nutrition,  and energy.  The company's products
range from high-value chemicals, plastics, dyestuffs,  automotive and industrial
coatings,  crop protection agents,  pharmaceuticals  and fine chemicals to crude
oil and natural gas. BASF's integration strategy,  known in German as "Verbund,"
is one of the company's  particular  strengths and provides a unique competitive
advantage.  With sales in 1998 of $27.6  billion (DM 54 billion) and a workforce
of 105,000 employees, BASF is one of the world's top chemical companies.

ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(c)          Exhibits

             99.1     Press Release dated November 23, 1999.

             99.2     Press Release dated November 23, 1999.

                                    SIGNATURE


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


                               AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                        (Registrant)


Date:   December 2, 1999       By: /s/ Paul G. Shelton
                                       Paul G. Shelton, Chief Financial Officer
                                       and Senior Vice President

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.

Exhibit 99.1 Press Release dated November 23, 1999.

Exhibit 99.2 Press Release dated November 23, 1999.

                                  Exhibit 99.1

        AMCOL INTERNATIONAL (NYSE:ACO) ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO SELL ITS
                        CHEMDAL ABSORBENT POLYMERS UNIT

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL., Nov. 23, 1999-AMCOL  International Corp. (NYSE:ACO) has
entered into an agreement to sell its Chemdal  absorbent  polymers  unit to BASF
AG, a leading chemical company  headquartered in Germany, in a cash transaction.
The sale is subject to approval by AMCOL's shareholders, as well as certain U.S.
and European  governmental  regulatory reviews, and is projected to close during
the first quarter of 2000.

Included in the transaction are Chemdal's three manufacturing  operations in the
United  States,  United Kingdom and Thailand.  A substantial  portion of the net
proceeds after deducting  corporate  income taxes,  expenses of the transaction,
payment  of  debt  and  other   deductions,   will  be  distributed  to  AMCOL's
shareholders.  It is currently  expected that  shareholders  will receive a cash
payment of  approximately  $14-$14.50 per share,  in addition to retaining their
AMCOL shares which will then  represent the portion of AMCOL's  business that is
not being sold. The cash to be paid for the Chemdal absorbent  polymers business
is  approximately  $656.5  million,  and is subject to  certain  purchase  price
adjustments,   including  those  based  on  the  absorbent   polymers  business'
outstanding debt and working capital at closing.

Chemdal was formed in 1986 to manufacture and market  water-absorbing  specialty
polymers  for use in  personal  care  products  such as baby  diapers  and adult
incontinence items. In 1998, Chemdal contributed  approximately $221 million, or
42 percent in sales,  and $33  million,  or 61 percent in operating  profit,  of
AMCOL's total consolidated results.

John Hughes, AMCOL chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Our primary goal
as a public  company  has been to deliver  the  highest  value  possible  to our
shareholders.  Our stock price has languished for some time, making it difficult
for our  investors  to  realize  meaningful  returns.  The  sale of our  Chemdal
absorbent polymers unit represents an opportunity to maximize the value of AMCOL
shareholdings  in the short-term,  while providing the opportunity to capitalize
on the company's strong future prospects."

Hughes  continued,  "We've been approached from time to time with offers to sell
all or part of our businesses. It has been our practice to review such offers to
determine  how to best serve the interests of our  shareholders.  The BASF offer
proved  particularly  attractive in terms of both timing and shareholder return.
As the only absorbent  polymer  producer  non-integrated  in the  manufacture of
acrylic acid,  the primary raw material,  we were  potentially  at a competitive
disadvantage.  In  order  to  remain  competitive,  we were  facing  significant
investment decisions to expand globally and to become vertically integrated into
the  manufacture of acrylic acid.  BASF  approached us during this  deliberation
period, and we concluded that shareholder value was better served by the sale of
the business."

Founded in 1927, AMCOL's other primary businesses are minerals and environmental
products and services. AMCOL reported approximately $521 million in consolidated
sales during  1998;  approximately  $300  million of the total was  unrelated to
Chemdal.

Hughes  added,  "Without  Chemdal,  AMCOL  will once  again  focus on its strong
dominant presence in the specialty minerals industry. We expect to be profitable
in 2000, with sales from the "new" AMCOL totaling in excess of $300 million.  We
will have made significant  progress in improving the operating  efficiencies of
our minerals and environmental operations by year-end 1999, as well as improving
our  business  mix in both  areas.  Our  nanocomposites  business  holds  bright
promise, and we look for breakthroughs in commercialization."

The  transaction  is subject to the  approval of a majority  of the  outstanding
shares of common  stock in AMCOL.  Schroder & Co.  Inc.,  an  investment  banker
representing AMCOL, has issued its opinion that the transaction is fair to AMCOL
from a financial  point of view.  The  agreement is expected to be submitted for
shareholder approval in the first quarter of 2000.

This release  contains  certain  forward-looking  statements  regarding  AMCOL's
expected  performance  for future  periods and actual  results for such  periods
might  materially  differ.  Such  forward-looking   statements  are  subject  to
uncertainties,  which include,  but are not limited to, actual growth in AMCOL's
various markets,  utilization of AMCOL's plants, competition in the minerals and
environmental  segments,  operating  costs,  weather,  currency  exchange rates,
currency  devaluations,  delays in development,  production and marketing of new
products,  integration of acquired  businesses,  and other factors detailed from
time  to time in  AMCOL's  annual  report  and  other  reports  filed  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

BASF is a return-focused  transnational  company  striving for  value-generating
growth in chemicals,  health and nutrition,  and energy.  The company's products
range from high-value chemicals, plastics, dyestuffs,  automotive and industrial
coatings,  crop protection agents,  pharmaceuticals  and fine chemicals to crude
oil and natural gas. BASF's integration strategy,  known in German as "Verbund,"
is one of the company's  particular  strengths and provides a unique competitive
advantage.  With sales in 1998 of $27.6  billion (DM 54 billion) and a workforce
of 105,000 employees, BASF is one of the world's top chemical companies.  BASF's
Internet address is www.basf.com.

AMCOL  International  Corp.  is a specialty  chemical  and mineral  company that
produces  and markets  primarily  liquid-absorbing  products for a wide range of
industrial and consumer-related applications.  AMCOL's common stock is traded on
the New York  Stock  Exchange  under the  symbol  ACO.  AMCOL's  web  address is
www.amcol.com.

                                  Exhibit 99.2

        AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORP. (NYSE:ACO) OUTLINES TAX TREATMENT FOR
          SHAREHOLDER DISTRIBUTION ON SALE OF ABSORBENT POLYMERS UNIT

ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS,  ILL., NOV. 23,  1999-During a conference call this morning,
AMCOL International Corp.  (NYSE:ACO)  commented on the tax treatment related to
the  distribution  of  proceeds  from  the  anticipated  sale  of the  company's
absorbent polymers unit announced earlier today.

John  Hughes,  AMCOL  chairman  and chief  executive  officer,  said that  AMCOL
anticipates   distributing  a  substantial  portion  of  the  sale  proceeds  to
shareholders,  after  deducting for  corporate  income taxes and expenses of the
transaction,  any payment of debt and other deductions. The distribution will be
treated as a partial liquidation for federal income tax purposes.

Under  treatment  as a  partial  liquidation,  the  gain  or  loss  to  domestic
noncorporate shareholders will be recognized by measuring the difference between
the amount  distributed and the tax basis for the number of shares considered to
be exchanged.  The number of shares  considered to be exchanged by a shareholder
will be determined by multiplying the shareholder's  total number of shares by a
fraction.  The numerator of this fraction is the total amount distributed to the
shareholder,  and the  denominator  is the value of the  total  number of shares
owned by a shareholder immediately prior to distribution.  The gain or loss will
be a long-term capital gain or loss, provided that the shares are capital assets
that have been owned for more than one year.

In  comparison,  a  domestic  corporate  shareholder  will be  treated as having
received a dividend to the extent of AMCOL's  earnings and  profits.  The amount
constituting  a dividend will be treated as an  extraordinary  dividend  without
regard to the period the corporate  shareholder held the stock. The basis of its
shares  will be  reduced  (but not below  zero) by the  nontaxed  portion of the
dividend,  and if the  nontaxed  portion of the dividend  exceeds the  corporate
shareholder's basis in the shares, such excess will be recognized as a gain from
the sale or exchange of the shares in the year the dividend is received.  If the
amount  distributed  exceeds  AMCOL's  earnings and profits,  the excess will be
treated   first  as  a  return  of  capital  to  the  extent  of  the  corporate
stockholder's basis in the shares, and thereafter as a capital gain.

This release  contains  certain  forward-looking  statements  regarding  AMCOL's
expected  performance  for future  periods and actual  results for such  periods
might  materially  differ.  Such  forward-looking   statements  are  subject  to
uncertainties,  which include,  but are not limited to, actual growth in AMCOL's
various markets,  utilization of AMCOL's plants, competition in the minerals and
environmental  segments,  operating  costs,  weather,  currency  exchange rates,
currency  devaluations,  delays in development,  production and marketing of new
products,  integration of acquired  businesses,  and other factors detailed from
time  to time in  AMCOL's  annual  report  and  other  reports  filed  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

AMCOL  International  Corp.  is a specialty  chemical  and mineral  company that
produces  and markets  primarily  liquid-absorbing  products for a wide range of
industrial and consumer-related applications.  AMCOL's common stock is traded on
the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ACO.