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Pall acquires chromatography business
ISSN 0958-2118
December 2004 www.filtsep.com
General Electric to acquire Ionics in $1.1 billion deal Pall acquires chromatoGE Infrastructure, a business unit of General industrial and municipal customers in new and graphy business Electric, is to acquire water purification and wastewater treatment company Ionics Inc. The companies have signed a definitive agreement covering GE’s acquisition of Ionics in what is reported to be an all-cash merger for US$44 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately $1.1 billion, plus the assumption of existing debt. Ionics will join GE Infrastructure’s Water & Process Technologies business following completion of the transaction. ‘The combination of Ionics’ technology, project experience and services network with GE’s operating and project finance expertise will accelerate the development of technology solutions for the global water purification segment,’ says Bill Woodburn, President/CEO of GE Infrastructure. ‘We see significant revenue and cost synergies that will enable us to focus our resources on developing technologies that increase access to safe drinking water and provide industrial customers with greater access to ultrapure water sources.’ Doug Brown, CEO of Ionics, adds: ‘Through this merger we create the opportunity to serve our
exciting ways. Both GE and Ionics are focused on building the water services business. By combining our technology with GE’s, and by accessing GE’s financial expertise and world-class international organization, we substantially enhance our ability to deliver our water purification services globally.’ The merger is subject to the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of Ionics’ outstanding common shares, the usual government approvals and other customary conditions. It is expected to close during the first half of 2005. Certain Ionics stockholders, representing approximately 20% of the outstanding Ionics common stock, have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.
Contacts: Ionics Inc, 65 Grove Street, Watertown, MA 02471-9131, USA. Tel: +1 617 926 2500, Fax: +1 617 926 4304, www.ionics.com General Electric Co, 3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06431, USA. Tel: +1 203 373 2211, Fax: +1 203 373 3131, www.geinfrastructure.com
In the US, Pall Corporation is to acquire the BioSepra Process Division of Ciphergen Biosystems for about $32m, net of cash and debt. BioSepra develops, manufactures and markets chromatography sorbents that greatly simplify protein purification development and significantly improve biopharmaceutical manufacturing productivity. The companies will also jointly develop and promote Ciphergen’s patented SELDI ProteinChip technology as a bridge between the research lab and large-scale drug production. The technology will be used to optimize chromatography resin selection for protein purification. Contacts: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649, www.pall.com Ciphergen Biosystems Inc, 6611 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont, CA 94555, USA. Tel: +1 510 505 2100, Fax: +1 510 505 2101, www.ciphergen.com
Contents
Membranes to make cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells a commercial reality California-based PolyFuel, a developer of engineered membranes for fuel cells, claims that it has made a major advance in technology that could ultimately make cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells a commercial reality. At the heart of the breakthrough is a new family of membranes – the crucial part of a fuel cell – that exhibit a set of performance characteristics never before simultaneously achieved in hydrogen-based fuel cells, says the company. The new technology is expected to mitigate many of the shortcomings associated with other materials. The company’s membrane technology uses new, hydrocarbon-based polymers that show improved operating characteristics over perfluorinated membranes, at a substantially reduced cost. PolyFuel’s hydrocarbon membranes also operate stably at low relative humidity. This means that fuel
cell or automotive manufacturers do not have to add overly complicated and expensive systems to keep the membrane hydrated. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the hydrocarbon membranes is already significantly less than that of perfluorinated membranes, and will drop further with volume, says the company. PolyFuel has already introduced the high performance membranes for the compact, portable, methanol-based fuel cells that are widely being developed to replace batteries in portable electronic devices such as notebook computers and cell phones. Contact: PolyFuel Inc, 1245 Terra Bella Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Tel: +1 650 429 4700, Fax: +1 650 930 0219, www.polyfuel.com
ISSN 0958-2118/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
News
1–4
In Brief
3–4
Features: Enhanced flux, erosion resistant membranes for biomass separations – Part II 5–9
Membranes help to produce energy from waste Patents
10–11 12–14
Events Calendar
15
Research Trends
15–16
December 2004 www.filtsep.com
General Electric to acquire Ionics in $1.1 billion deal Pall acquires chromatoGE Infrastructure, a business unit of General industrial and municipal customers in new and graphy business Electric, is to acquire water purification and wastewater treatment company Ionics Inc. The companies have signed a definitive agreement covering GE’s acquisition of Ionics in what is reported to be an all-cash merger for US$44 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately $1.1 billion, plus the assumption of existing debt. Ionics will join GE Infrastructure’s Water & Process Technologies business following completion of the transaction. ‘The combination of Ionics’ technology, project experience and services network with GE’s operating and project finance expertise will accelerate the development of technology solutions for the global water purification segment,’ says Bill Woodburn, President/CEO of GE Infrastructure. ‘We see significant revenue and cost synergies that will enable us to focus our resources on developing technologies that increase access to safe drinking water and provide industrial customers with greater access to ultrapure water sources.’ Doug Brown, CEO of Ionics, adds: ‘Through this merger we create the opportunity to serve our
exciting ways. Both GE and Ionics are focused on building the water services business. By combining our technology with GE’s, and by accessing GE’s financial expertise and world-class international organization, we substantially enhance our ability to deliver our water purification services globally.’ The merger is subject to the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of Ionics’ outstanding common shares, the usual government approvals and other customary conditions. It is expected to close during the first half of 2005. Certain Ionics stockholders, representing approximately 20% of the outstanding Ionics common stock, have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.
Contacts: Ionics Inc, 65 Grove Street, Watertown, MA 02471-9131, USA. Tel: +1 617 926 2500, Fax: +1 617 926 4304, www.ionics.com General Electric Co, 3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06431, USA. Tel: +1 203 373 2211, Fax: +1 203 373 3131, www.geinfrastructure.com
In the US, Pall Corporation is to acquire the BioSepra Process Division of Ciphergen Biosystems for about $32m, net of cash and debt. BioSepra develops, manufactures and markets chromatography sorbents that greatly simplify protein purification development and significantly improve biopharmaceutical manufacturing productivity. The companies will also jointly develop and promote Ciphergen’s patented SELDI ProteinChip technology as a bridge between the research lab and large-scale drug production. The technology will be used to optimize chromatography resin selection for protein purification. Contacts: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649, www.pall.com Ciphergen Biosystems Inc, 6611 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont, CA 94555, USA. Tel: +1 510 505 2100, Fax: +1 510 505 2101, www.ciphergen.com
Contents
Membranes to make cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells a commercial reality California-based PolyFuel, a developer of engineered membranes for fuel cells, claims that it has made a major advance in technology that could ultimately make cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells a commercial reality. At the heart of the breakthrough is a new family of membranes – the crucial part of a fuel cell – that exhibit a set of performance characteristics never before simultaneously achieved in hydrogen-based fuel cells, says the company. The new technology is expected to mitigate many of the shortcomings associated with other materials. The company’s membrane technology uses new, hydrocarbon-based polymers that show improved operating characteristics over perfluorinated membranes, at a substantially reduced cost. PolyFuel’s hydrocarbon membranes also operate stably at low relative humidity. This means that fuel
cell or automotive manufacturers do not have to add overly complicated and expensive systems to keep the membrane hydrated. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the hydrocarbon membranes is already significantly less than that of perfluorinated membranes, and will drop further with volume, says the company. PolyFuel has already introduced the high performance membranes for the compact, portable, methanol-based fuel cells that are widely being developed to replace batteries in portable electronic devices such as notebook computers and cell phones. Contact: PolyFuel Inc, 1245 Terra Bella Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Tel: +1 650 429 4700, Fax: +1 650 930 0219, www.polyfuel.com
ISSN 0958-2118/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
News
1–4
In Brief
3–4
Features: Enhanced flux, erosion resistant membranes for biomass separations – Part II 5–9
Membranes help to produce energy from waste Patents
10–11 12–14
Events Calendar
15
Research Trends
15–16