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ICI sets up watercare business
ISSN 0958-2118
M a r c h 1991
An International Newsletter
N u m b e r 11
Membrane
Technology Membrane bag is key to Third World water problems One of the most daunting problems faced by aid workers in the Third World, dealing with the combined effects of malnutrition, diarrhoea and dehydration, is the provision of essential saline solution made with uncontaminated water. Local water supplies are often badly contaminated with bacteria, the reason for the diarrhoea in the first place. A novel "solution" to the problem recently won the Toshiba Invention of the Year Award in the UK. London-based inventors Dr Michael Wilson and Dr Philip Munro received the award for developing a sealed cellulose acetate bag containing the lifegiving mixture of sugar and salt. On immersion into infected water the acetate film acts as a barrier to particulates, bacteria, and viruses, allowing effectively sterile water into the bag to dissolve the mixture. The same technique can be used to produce water for saline drips and injection purposes. Dr Munro said that the bags are now being tested in Bangladesh by the Save the Children Fund, and could be cheaply made in Third World countries. There is also a market for producing them for tourists, Munro believes. The Toshiba award scheme, which is backed by the UK Design Council, was launched in 1988 and this year attracted 4,000 entries. The inventors win a total of £15,000 plus a trip to Japan and the Far East.
ICI sets up watercare business ELSEVIER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
On 1 January, 1991, Imperial Chemical Industries, UK, established ICI Watercare, bringing together some 17 different points of contact within the company. Almost concurrently with this, although
News a n d
apparently an unrelated event, ICI announced that it would be selling its 51% holding in Nalfloc, a joint venture with Nalco of the USA. The deal, said to be worth £168 million, involves the sale of interests in Alchem, Catoleum and Nalfloc, in Canada, Australia and the USA respectively, all specialising in water treatment, waste water treatment and related services. The two companies are said to be winding up the joint venture in order to allow them to develop their own businesses without conflict of interest.
New production for SKB Smith Kline-Beecham has announced it is spending £9 million at its factory at Irvine, Scotland, on a new enzyme reactor plant. The enzyme technology will be used to manufacture intermediates for the company's semi-synthetic penicillin products, Augmentin and Amozol.
Astra increases profits The Swedish pharmaceutical group Astra announced a 34% increase in pre-tax profits in the period January to September 1990, compared to the same period the previous year. The profit figure was SKr 1,840 million, compared to SKr 1,370 million in the corresponding period in 1989, on a turnover of SKr 6,800 million.
Monsanto and Diamonex in film agreement Monsanto Chemical Co, St Louis, Missouri, and Diamonex Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have agreed to jointly investigate applications for diamond coating of large-area polymer surfaces. Diamonex is the former diamond venture unit of Air Products & Chemicals Inc, and has been producing diamond coatings since 1985. It owns patents on technology for crystalline diamond coatings for electronics and thermal applications. Up till now, both companies have been working separately to develop thin-film coating techniques to improve surface performance of various materials, and last spring Monsanto invested equity in Diamonex. John Galdieri, vice president of Diamonex, anticipates that a joint venture will soon be set up to manufacture products incorporating amorphous diamond coatings. Such coatings consist of densely structured carbon atoms but without long range crystal order. It is understood that Diamonex has low temperature techology for thin coatings while Monsanto technology achieves thicker coatings at higher deposition rates.
Himont deals with Allied Signal
Chiron do much better
Allied Signal and Himont have signed a technical and marketing agreement for the development of a new generation of materials based on polyolefins.
California, USA, biotech company Chiron reported a third-quarter net income of $3.96 million, in stark contrast to a loss of $3.28 million in 1989. Revenue is stated as $19 million.
Ceramics database The National Institute of Science & Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, has developed a new design database for ceramic materials which is suitable for use with personal computers. Supported by the Gas Research Institute, the
2
database provides rapid access to design information particularly for silicon nitride and silicon nitride monoliths, which have wide applications in the process industries, because of their high strength and dimensional stability, together with chemical inertness.
Novo continue up Novo-Nodisk has announced profits for the first nine months at DKr 905 million ($160 million), on sales of DKr 6,010 million. The profit figure is 5.5% up on last year, while turnover is up more than 9%.
Membrane Technology
M a r c h 1991
An International Newsletter
N u m b e r 11
Membrane
Technology Membrane bag is key to Third World water problems One of the most daunting problems faced by aid workers in the Third World, dealing with the combined effects of malnutrition, diarrhoea and dehydration, is the provision of essential saline solution made with uncontaminated water. Local water supplies are often badly contaminated with bacteria, the reason for the diarrhoea in the first place. A novel "solution" to the problem recently won the Toshiba Invention of the Year Award in the UK. London-based inventors Dr Michael Wilson and Dr Philip Munro received the award for developing a sealed cellulose acetate bag containing the lifegiving mixture of sugar and salt. On immersion into infected water the acetate film acts as a barrier to particulates, bacteria, and viruses, allowing effectively sterile water into the bag to dissolve the mixture. The same technique can be used to produce water for saline drips and injection purposes. Dr Munro said that the bags are now being tested in Bangladesh by the Save the Children Fund, and could be cheaply made in Third World countries. There is also a market for producing them for tourists, Munro believes. The Toshiba award scheme, which is backed by the UK Design Council, was launched in 1988 and this year attracted 4,000 entries. The inventors win a total of £15,000 plus a trip to Japan and the Far East.
ICI sets up watercare business ELSEVIER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
On 1 January, 1991, Imperial Chemical Industries, UK, established ICI Watercare, bringing together some 17 different points of contact within the company. Almost concurrently with this, although
News a n d
apparently an unrelated event, ICI announced that it would be selling its 51% holding in Nalfloc, a joint venture with Nalco of the USA. The deal, said to be worth £168 million, involves the sale of interests in Alchem, Catoleum and Nalfloc, in Canada, Australia and the USA respectively, all specialising in water treatment, waste water treatment and related services. The two companies are said to be winding up the joint venture in order to allow them to develop their own businesses without conflict of interest.
New production for SKB Smith Kline-Beecham has announced it is spending £9 million at its factory at Irvine, Scotland, on a new enzyme reactor plant. The enzyme technology will be used to manufacture intermediates for the company's semi-synthetic penicillin products, Augmentin and Amozol.
Astra increases profits The Swedish pharmaceutical group Astra announced a 34% increase in pre-tax profits in the period January to September 1990, compared to the same period the previous year. The profit figure was SKr 1,840 million, compared to SKr 1,370 million in the corresponding period in 1989, on a turnover of SKr 6,800 million.
Monsanto and Diamonex in film agreement Monsanto Chemical Co, St Louis, Missouri, and Diamonex Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have agreed to jointly investigate applications for diamond coating of large-area polymer surfaces. Diamonex is the former diamond venture unit of Air Products & Chemicals Inc, and has been producing diamond coatings since 1985. It owns patents on technology for crystalline diamond coatings for electronics and thermal applications. Up till now, both companies have been working separately to develop thin-film coating techniques to improve surface performance of various materials, and last spring Monsanto invested equity in Diamonex. John Galdieri, vice president of Diamonex, anticipates that a joint venture will soon be set up to manufacture products incorporating amorphous diamond coatings. Such coatings consist of densely structured carbon atoms but without long range crystal order. It is understood that Diamonex has low temperature techology for thin coatings while Monsanto technology achieves thicker coatings at higher deposition rates.
Himont deals with Allied Signal
Chiron do much better
Allied Signal and Himont have signed a technical and marketing agreement for the development of a new generation of materials based on polyolefins.
California, USA, biotech company Chiron reported a third-quarter net income of $3.96 million, in stark contrast to a loss of $3.28 million in 1989. Revenue is stated as $19 million.
Ceramics database The National Institute of Science & Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, has developed a new design database for ceramic materials which is suitable for use with personal computers. Supported by the Gas Research Institute, the
2
database provides rapid access to design information particularly for silicon nitride and silicon nitride monoliths, which have wide applications in the process industries, because of their high strength and dimensional stability, together with chemical inertness.
Novo continue up Novo-Nodisk has announced profits for the first nine months at DKr 905 million ($160 million), on sales of DKr 6,010 million. The profit figure is 5.5% up on last year, while turnover is up more than 9%.
Membrane Technology