BBA acquires Veratec for US$290 M

Osmonics attributes approximately half of the lower sales to reduced domestic orders for large capital equipment, and the balance to sales declines split evenly between the Asia/Pacific and Latin American markets. According to Osmonics, the comparative increase over the fourth quarter was helped by gains from its AquaMatic and Micron Separations, Inc. (MSI) acquisitions which came after January 1997. Osmonics says that a pickup in equipment orders beginning in December 1997 has continued, and adds that the resulting sales increase will positively affect its second quarter. In addition, Osmonics says that Europe has also shown signs of resurgence. Meanwhile, however, Osmonics says that problems in Asia continue and it is difficult to determine how much overall impact they will have on its business. In addition to the direct shipments Osmonics has to that region, a number of its customers utilise Osmonics components in their products sold to Asia. However, the company. says that improvements in domestic and other international order levels are more than offsetting the declines in Asia. Interestingly, Osmonics reveals that pressure on gross margins continues for most of its products, and believes that some competitors are attempting to buy market share with aggressive pricing. To counter this, Osmonics says it has begun an extensive evaluation of all products and rationalisation of its businesses, to improve efficiency and streamline its processes in an effort to improve margins. Osmonics hopes this effort should help reduce overheads and improve financial results. For further

information

Inc., 5951 Cleatwater 55343-8995,

contact:

Osmonics

HF range is designed for use where a smaller, more cost effective solution is required to produce general reverse osmosis permeate water. Features of the system includes a tolerance of a wide range of feedwater pH; microprocessor control system for operational flexibility; centrifugal pump; and a high pressure switch to protect the membranes.

+I 612 933 0141.

Researchers

at the Katholieke

Hogeschool

(Gent, Belgium),

information

contact:

High Street Lane End, High Wycombe,

electroplating

nickel

effluents using supported

Elga Ltd,

(SLM).

Bucks

Industriele

are conducting

a four year project looking at recycling nickel salts from

For further

The work

baths

and

liquid membranes

is being

coordinated

by

HP14 3JH, UK. Tel: +44 13494 887 700; Fax:

Roland De Ketelaere from the Institute along

+44 1494 881 007.

with

industrial

(Berlin),

BBA acquires Veratec for US$290 M Massachusetts International

companyveratec, Paper,

and

a Division of supplier

of

membrane support media has been purchased by London, approximately

UK-based

BBA Group

US$290

million in cash.

plc for

A spokesman for the BBA Nonwovens Division said that as Veratec has substantial business in the industrial, specialty and medical markets, the acquisition would provide more balance to BBA’s North American activities in these areas. During the process of the takeover it was revealed that Veratec had 1997 sales of US$250 million. Veratec recently launched MemBack, a 100% polyester membrane support media designed for high performance casting applications. The company has manufacturing plants in Georgia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Mexico and Canada. information

contact:

BBA Group

A/S

Siemens (Oslo)

AG

and

EA

Ltd (Chester, UK).

In SLM, an extraction reagent is transferred onto a polymer membrane. Typically a nonpolar organic liquid fills the pores of a membrane and is held there by surface tension. Effluent flows on one side, and a stripping solution, typically acidic, flows on the other. The metal ions are selectively bound to the reagent, and then passed to the stripping solution. It was reported that, the use of SLM extraction to recover copper for reuse has already undergone extensive pilot testing by De Ketelaere’s group. The pilot plant incorporates a membrane with 19 m* of surface area, recuperating copper at the rate of 50 g/hr. According to the researchers, in a oncethrough operation, the process can achieve a final concentration of 0.5 mg/L from highly loaded streams typical of industrial galvanic plants. SLM treatment costs are said to be onefifth those of conventional mixer-settler methods. For further

For further

partners:

Keranor

Technology

Drive, Minnetonka, MN

USA. Tel: +I 612 933 2277; Fax:

Liquid membrane recovers nickel

information

lndustriele Hogeschool,

contact:

Katholieke

Gebroeders

plc, 70 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1EV, UK.

Desmetstraat

Tel: +44 171 842 4900; Fax: +44 171 353 5831.

265 86 10; Fax: +9 225 62 69.

1, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Tel. +09

Elga launches improved RO unit UK-based Elga Ltd, now part of the giant US Filter Group after the Culligan takeover, has relaunched reverse

its RO “M” intermediate

osmosis

units

for ultra-pure

range of water

production. It was reported that seven models are now available, aimed at a wide range of markets, including: automotive, electronic, food and beverage, boiler feed, surface finishing and pharmaceutical industries. Elga added that these systems are particularly suitable for companies requiring up to 24 cubic metres of pure water per hour. Elga says that each model can now be supplied with either High Rejection (HR) or High Flow (HF) membranes. With the HR range designed for use where high quality product water is deionisation or required or where electrodeionisation systems follow the unit. The

Membrane TechnologyNo. 99