SC TO-C

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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                           ------------------------
                                  SCHEDULE TO
           Tender Offer Statement under Section 14(d)(1) or 13(e)(1)
                    of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                           ------------------------

                             SYBRON CHEMICALS INC.
                      (Name of Subject Company (Issuer))

                       PROJECT TOLEDO ACQUISITION CORP.
                               BAYER CORPORATION
                           BAYER AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
                     (Names of Filing Persons (Offerors))

             Common Stock, Par Value $.01 Per Share
            (including the associated Series A Junior Participating
                       Preferred Stock Purchase Rights)
                        (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   87090310
                   (CUSIP Numbers of Classes of Securities)

                           -------------------------
                           Bruce A. Mackintosh, Esq.
                               Bayer Corporation
                                100 Bayer Road
                           Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9741
                                (412) 777-2000
         (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Persons Authorized to
        Receive Notices and Communications on Behalf of Filing Persons)
                           ------------------------

                                   Copy to:
                          Daniel P. Cunningham, Esq.
                            Cravath, Swaine & Moore
                                Worldwide Plaza
                               825 Eighth Avenue
                           New York, New York 10019
                                (212) 474-1000

                           ------------------------
                                AUGUST 30, 2000
                           ------------------------

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[X]  Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications
     made before the commencement oa tender offer. Check the appropriate boxes
     below to designate any transactions to which the statement relates:

[X]  third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-1.

[ ]  issuer tender-offer subject to Rule 13e-4.

[ ]  going private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3.

[ ]  amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 12.

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the
results of the tender offer: [ ]

EX-99.1

Joint Release

Strategic Move to Strengthen Bayer's Core Businesses

Bayer to Acquire Sybron Chemicals Inc.,
U.S. Producer of Polymers and Specialty Chemicals

Expansion of Market Position in the NAFTA Region /
Access to New Technologies and Products

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Leverkusen, Germany; Birmingham, N.J., U.S.A., August 30, 2000 - Bayer
Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pa., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer AG,
Germany, and Sybron Chemicals Inc. (AMEX: SYC), a U.S.-based producer of
polymers and specialty chemicals, announced today that Bayer Corporation and
its wholly owned subsidiary Project Toledo Acquisition Corp. have entered into
a definitive agreement to acquire all of Sybron's outstanding shares at a
price of $35 per share payable in cash. Bayer will commence a tender offer for
all of the outstanding Sybron Chemicals shares within seven business days. Any
shares not purchased in the tender offer will be exchanged for cash in the
amount of $35 per share in a merger of Sybron Chemicals Inc. and Project
Toledo Acquisition Corp. The acquisition is subject to approvals from
regulatory authorities both in the U.S. and in Europe and other customary
conditions.

"Sybron Chemicals Inc. offers us an excellent opportunity to strategically
augment and strengthen important business sectors and thus continue to enhance
the value of our business," said Bayer Management Board Chairman Dr. Manfred
Schneider.





This acquisition will provide Bayer's Coatings and Colorants Business Group
(Polymers segment) and Specialty Products Business Group (Chemicals segment)
with access to new technologies and products and will enable them to expand
their market positions in the NAFTA region. Along with Health Care and
Agriculture business segments, Polymers and Chemicals make up the core
activities of the Bayer Group.

According to Dr. Richard Klein, President and CEO of Sybron Chemicals Inc.,
the agreement provides maximum shareholder value. "This transaction represents
an excellent value for our shareholders and should be of tremendous benefit to
our customers and employees," said Klein. "It was unanimously approved by our
board, which believes the acquisition is the best way to help our business and
people to grow further and faster."

In the polymer intermediates business, Sybron Chemicals has expertise and a
good market position in the NAFTA region for powder coating raw materials - an
environmentally friendly technology for industrial coatings. The same is true
of Sybron's business in functional polyesters outside the powder coatings
field. Both these activities complement Bayer's polyurethane hardeners
business.

The substantial synergy that is expected to result from the transaction will
come primarily from combining Sybron's North American polymer intermediates
business with the worldwide distribution structure of Bayer's Coatings and
Colorants Business Group. Other advantages for Bayer will result from combined
purchase volume of raw materials and services. "The acquisition of Sybron
Chemicals leads us to our planned entry into the powder coating raw materials
market and is a further step toward achieving our growth goals," said Dr.
Ulrich Koemm, general manager of the business group.

                                     - 2 -




The acquisition also will improve the market positions of the Textile
Processing Chemicals and Special Fields unit of Bayer's Specialty Products
Business Group in North America and Europe. "In addition, high performance
resins and flame retardants will be added to our portfolio," said Dr. Richard
Pott, general manager of the Specialty Products Business Group. He expects
integration of the businesses to generate significant synergy.

The companies' Boards of Directors have unanimously approved the merger
agreement. In addition, three of Sybron Chemicals' shareholders, collectively
owning approximately 45 percent of Sybron's outstanding and issued shares,
have entered into an agreement pursuant to which they have agreed to tender
all of their shares in the Bayer tender offer. In connection with its
consideration of the transaction, the Board of Directors of Sybron Chemicals
Inc. received the opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., its investment
banker for the transaction, that the $35 to be received by Sybron shareholders
in the tender offer and the merger is fair to such shareholders from a
financial point of view.

At the start of 1999, all of Bayer's activities in the coatings, pigments,
dyes and adhesives fields were placed into the Coatings and Colorants Business
Group. With 4,800 employees worldwide, the business group increased sales in
1999 by 11 percent to EUR 1.73 billion. Further growth of 16 percent was
recorded in the first half of 2000.

The activities of the Specialty Products Business Group comprise specialty
chemicals for the textile, leather and paper industries, ion exchange resins,
water chemicals, polymer additives and ingredients for wood and industrial
preservatives.

It has 3,800 employees worldwide and achieved revenues of EUR 1.15 billion in
1999, an increase of 3 percent over the prior year. Sales grew by 12 percent
in the first six months of 2000.

                                     - 3 -




During the first half of 2000, Sybron Chemicals' revenues rose by 10 percent
to $147.13 million and the company recorded an operating profit of $15.22
million. It had 900 employees as of the end of 1999.

Investors and security holders are strongly advised to read both the tender
offer statement and the solicitation/recommendation statement regarding the
tender offer referred to in this press release, when they become available,
because they will contain important information. The tender offer statement
will be filed by Bayer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and
the solicitation/recommendation statement will be filed by Sybron Chemicals
Inc. with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of
these statements (when they are available) and other documents filed by Bayer
and Sybron Chemicals with the SEC at the SEC's web site at wwww.sec.gov. The
tender offer statement and related materials may be obtained for free from
Bayer by directing a request to the information agent, Morrow & Company,
telephone 800-566-9061.

The solicitation/ recommendation statement and such other documents may be
obtained by directing such requests to Sybron Chemicals Inc., Attention:
Investor Relations, telephone: 609-893-1100 x 234, e-mail:
mpullen@sybronchemicals.com

                                     - 4 -




Contacts:

Bayer Corporation: Mark A. Ryan, Tel.: 412-777-2500
E-Mail: mark-a.ryan.b@bayer.com

Bayer AG: Gunter Forneck, Tel.: +49 214 30 50446
E-Mail: guenter.forneck.gf@bayer-ag.de

Sybron Chemicals Inc.: Name: Steven F. Ladin, Tel.: 609-893-1100
E-Mail: sladin@sybronchemicals.com

                                     - 5 -

EX-99.2

Achtung: Nicht zur Veroffentlichung in den USA, Kanada und Japan

Gemeinsame Mitteilung der Bayer AG und der Sybron Chemicals Inc.

Gezielte Verstarkung von Kerngeschaften:

Bayer will US-Hersteller von Polymer- und
Chemie-Spezialitaten Sybron Chemicals Inc. ubernehmen

Ausbau der Marktpositionen im Nafta-Raum /
Zugang zu neuen Technologien und Produkten

Leverkusen/Birmingham (N.J./USA) - Die Bayer Corporation, Tochter der
Leverkusener Bayer AG, will den US-Hersteller von Polymer- und
Chemie-Spezialitaten Sybron Chemicals Inc. erwerben. Eine entsprechende
Vereinbarung, wonach den Sybron-Aktionaren ein Ubernahmeangebot von 35
US-Dollar je Aktie unterbreitet wird, wurde jetzt unterzeichnet. Die Ubernahme
von Sybron muss noch von den Wettbewerbsbehorden in den USA und Europa
genehmigt werden.

"Wir haben mit Sybron eine sehr gute Moglichkeit, die Aktivitaten wichtiger
Geschaftsbereiche gezielt abzurunden, zu starken und dadurch unseren
Unternehmenswert nachhaltig zu steigern", erlauterte der
Bayer-Vorstandsvorsitzende Dr. Manfred Schneider. Mit dem Erwerb erhalten die
beiden Bayer-Geschaftsbereiche Lackrohstoffe (Arbeitsgebiet Polymere) und
Spezialprodukte (Arbeitsgebiet Chemie) Zugang zu neuen Technologien und
Produkten. Zudem konnen sie ihre Marktstellung im Nafta-Raum ausbauen. Neben
Gesundheit und Landwirtschaft zahlen Polymere und Chemie zu den
Kernaktivitaten des Bayer-Konzerns.

Nach Angaben von Dr. Richard Klein, President und Chief Executive Officer von
Sybron, wird mit dieser Ubernahme durch Bayer der hochste Shareholder-Value
fur die Aktionare des US-Unternehmens erzielt. "Der Sybron-Board hat die
Vereinbarung einstimmig gebilligt, denn sie ist auch im besten Interesse
unserer Kunden und Mitarbeiter", sagte Klein.

Im Segment Polymer-Zwischenprodukte verfugt Sybron bei Pulverlacken - einer
neuen, umweltfreundlichen Technologie fur die industrielle Lackierung - uber
eine sehr hohe Kompetenz und eine gute Marktstellung im Nafta-Raum. Ahnliches
gilt auch fur das Sybron-Geschaft mit funktionellen Polyestern au(beta)erhalb
des Pulverbereichs. Beide




                                                                             2

Geschafte stellen eine hervorragende Erganzung zum Bayer-Geschaft mit
Polyurethan-Hartern dar.

Die erwarteten Synergien aus der Ubernahme sind erheblich. Sie ergeben sich
u.a. aus der Koppelung des Nordamerika-Geschafts von Sybron bei
Polymer-Zwischenprodukten mit der weltweiten Vertriebsstruktur des
Bayer-Geschaftsbereichs Lackrohstoffe. Weitere Vorteile resultieren aus der
konzerninternen Belieferung mit Vorprodukten sowie dem gemeinsamen Einkauf von
Rohstoffen und Dienstleistungen. "Fur den geplanten Einstieg in das
Pulverlack-Geschaft sowie zur Realisierung unserer Wachstumsziele ist die
Akquisition von Sybron ein idealer Kauf", erklarte Dr. Ulrich Koemm, Leiter
des Geschaftsbereichs Lackrohstoffe, Farbmittel und Sondergebiete.

Auch fur den Bayer-Geschaftsbereich Spezialprodukte bedeutet die Ubernahme
eine Starkung seines Geschaftsfelds Textilhilfsmittel und Sondergebiete in
Nordamerika und Europa. "Daruber hinaus wird unser Produktportfolio um
Hochveredelungsharze und Flammschutzmittel erganzt", sagte Dr. Richard Pott,
Leiter des Geschaftsbereichs Spezialprodukte. Er erwartet aus der Integration
der Geschafte hohe Synergien.

In dem Geschaftsbereich Lackrohstoffe, Farbmittel und Sondergebiete sind seit
Anfang 1999 alle Aktivitaten des Bayer-Konzerns auf den Gebieten Lacke,
Beschichtungen, Pigmente, Farbstoffe und Klebstoffe zusammengefasst. Mit
insgesamt 4.800 Beschaftigten steigerte der Geschaftsbereich seinen Umsatz
1999 um elf Prozent auf 1,73 Milliarden Euro. Im ersten Halbjahr 2000 wuchs
das Geschaft gegenuber der Vorjahreszeit weiter um 16 Prozent.

Der Geschaftsbereich Spezialprodukte befasst sich mit Spezialchemikalien fur
die Textil-, Leder- und Papierindustrie sowie mit Produkten fur
Ionenaustauscher und Wasserchemikalien, Polymer-Additive, Holzschutz und
Industrielle Konservierung. Er erzielte 1999 mit 3.800 Beschaftigten einen
Umsatz von 1,15 Milliarden Euro, drei Prozent mehr als im Jahr zuvor. Fur das
1. Halbjahr 2000 weist der Geschaftsbereich ein Umsatzplus von zwolf Prozent
aus.

Sybron erzielte im 1. Halbjahr 2000 bei einem um zehn Prozent auf 147,13
Millionen Dollar gesteigerten Umsatz ein operatives Ergebnis von 15,22
Millionen Dollar. Ende 1999 beschaftigte das Unternehmen rund 900 Mitarbeiter.

Leverkusen, Birmingham              30. August 2000




                                                                             3

hhb/fo                     (2000-08-277)

Ihre Ansprechpartner:

Bayer AG: Gunter Forneck, Tel.: 0214/30 50446
E-Mail: guenter.forneck.gf@bayer-ag.de

Bayer Corporation: Mark A. Ryan, Tel.: 001-412-777-2500
E-Mail: mark-a.ryan.b@bayer.com

Sybron Chemicals Inc.: Steven F. Ladin, Tel.: 001-609-893-1100
E-Mail: ladin@sybronchemicals.com