Pall to acquire certain Rochem assets

Pall to acquire certain Rochem assets

News & Views S c h r e m p p w e n t o n r e c o r d a s s a y i n g , "this is n o t p l a y i n g a r o u n d - - t h i s is very, v e r y s e r i ...

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S c h r e m p p w e n t o n r e c o r d a s s a y i n g , "this is n o t p l a y i n g a r o u n d - - t h i s is very, v e r y s e r i o u s , " a n d a d d e d , "if w e w a n t a s e r i o u s p r o d u c t i o n c a r in t h e y e a r 2005, w e h a v e to d e v e l o p a c a r w i t h t h e fuel cell from 2000." M e t h a n o l - p o w e r e d e n g i n e s , w h i l e n o t e n j o y i n g t h e e n c o u r a g e m e n t given b y t h e s t a t e of C a l i f o r n i a to " z e r o - e m i s s i o n " v e h i c l e s p o w e r e d b y h y d r o g e n or electricity, offer a b a l a n c e b e t w e e n c o m m e r c i a l a n d environmental considerations.

For further information contact: Daimler-Benz AG, PO Box 33 06 25, Berlin D-14176, Germany. Tel: +49 30 89 78 7 260; f a x +49 30 89 78 7 393.

U S $ 4 0 bn w a t e r bill for P o l a n d Optical interference image of the steady-state film

this self-assembly process, the organics are removed b y h e a t i n g (pyrolysis), l e a v i n g a n i n o r g a n i c s i l i c a fossil w i t h a p e r i o d i c a r r a n g e m e n t of p o r e s w h e r e t h e organics were previously. Researchers at Sandia indicate that these thin films c o u l d find a p p l i c a t i o n s i n m e m b r a n e - b a s e d separations, selective catalysis and sensors.

For further information contact: Sandia National Laboratories, The A d v a n c e d Materials Laboratory, 1001 University Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. Tel: +1 505 272 7627; +1 505 272 7304.

Daimler put C$ I bn i n t o methanol engines Daimler-Benz, the German motor and aerospace c o m p a n y , p l a n s to i n v e s t a b o u t C $ 1 b n (US$725M) into m e t h a n o l p o w e r e d fuel cell e n g i n e r e s e a r c h . D a i m l e r e n v i s a g e t h a t d e v e l o p m e n t of p r o d u c t i o n v e h i c l e s u s i n g t h i s t e c h n o l o g y will b e i m p l e m e n t e d b y 2 0 0 0 . T h e c o m m i t m e n t , w h i c h follows a n i n v e s t m e n t b y D a i m l e r - B e n z in C a n a d i a n p i o n e e r of fuel cells, B a l l a r d P o w e r Inc., c a m e in a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h J / i r g e n Schrempp, Daimler chairman, who was attending a c o n f e r e n c e in S a n F r a n c i s c o . B a l l a r d P o w e r u s e p r o t o n e x c h a n g e m e m b r a n e s in t h e i r fuel cells.

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A c c o r d i n g to a s t u d y b y t h e World B a n k , P o l a n d m a y h a v e to s p e n d u p to U S $ 4 0 b n (£25 bn) to b r i n g its w a t e r s u p p l y a n d t r e a t m e n t s y s t e m s u p to E u r o p e a n U n i o n s t a n d a r d s . At p r e s e n t P o l a n d is s p e n d i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y US$1 b n a y e a r on i m p r o v i n g its w a t e r s y s t e m s a n d quality. In c o m p a r i s o n , t h e UK's p r i v a t i s e d w a t e r i n d u s t r y is e x p e c t e d to h a v e s p e n t a b o u t U S $ 6 0 b n (£37bn) b e t w e e n 1989 a n d 2 0 0 4 in o r d e r to b r i n g its w a t e r s u p p l y n e t w o r k into line w i t h EU d i r e c t i v e s . T h e s e d i r e c t i v e s a r e d u e to c o m e i n t o force in s i x y e a r s . T h e u p g r a d i n g of P o l a n d ' s w a t e r s y s t e m s is e x p e c t e d to involve a d d i t i o n a l c o s t s . It is e s t i m a t e d t h a t m a i n t e n a n c e will r u n a t a n a n n u a l c o s t of b e t w e e n US$140 and US$200 per capita, whereas at present t h e c o s t of w a t e r to t h e p o p u l a t i o n in P o l a n d is negligible a t p r e s e n t .

For further information contact: World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W., Room GC1-300, Washington, DC 20433, USA. Tel: +1 202 458 5454;fax: +1 202 522 1500.

Pall to a c q u i r e certain Rochem assets Pall C o r p o r a t i o n h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e s i g n i n g of a n a g r e e m e n t to p u r c h a s e all of t h e o u t s t a n d i n g c a p i t a l s t o c k of t h e S w i s s h o l d i n g c o m p a n y A r g e n t a u r u m AG, i n c l u d i n g its R o c h e m s u b s i d i a r i e s , a s well a s c e r t a i n a s s e t s of its G e r m a n c o m p a n y R o c h e m RO Wasserbehandlung GmbH. Rochem manufactures and sells proprietary advanced design reverse osmosis nanofiltration and u l t r a f i l t r a t i o n s y s t e m s for t r e a t i n g a n d d e s a l i n i z i n g s e a w a t e r , p u r i f y i n g landfill l e a c h a t e a n d o t h e r m u n i c i p a l and industrial wastewater applications.

M e m b r a n e T e c h n o l o g y No. 91

News & Views T h e t r a n s a c t i o n will b e a c c o u n t e d for a s a n a s s e t p u r c h a s e . U n d e r t h e t e r m s of t h e a g r e e m e n t , t h e a m o u n t of P a i l ' s c a s h p a y m e n t will d e p e n d o n t h e o p e r a t i n g p r o f i t s e a r n e d b y A r g e n t a u r u m in t h e c u r r e n t c a l e n d a r y e a r . Pall will p a y a m i n i m u m of U S $ 4 8 m i l l i o n to a m a x i m u m of U S $ 6 4 million, b a s e d on a n o p e r a t i n g p r o f i t r a n g e b e t w e e n D M 1 2 m i l l i o n a n d DM 17 m i l l i o n (or m o r e ) for t h e c a l e n d a r y e a r e n d e d D e c e m b e r 31, 1997. A r g e n t a u r u m ' s o p e r a t i n g profit is e x p e c t e d to b e U S $ 8 m i l l i o n (DM14.5 million), in w h i c h c a s e P a i l ' s p u r c h a s e p r i c e w o u l d b e a b o u t U S $ 5 6 m i l l i o n (DM 100 million). T h e t r a n s a c t i o n is e x p e c t e d to c l o s e effective J a n u a r y 1, 1998 w h e n Pall will h a v e p a i d U S $ 5 . 6 m i l l i o n (DM10 million). At t h a t time, Pall will o b t a i n c o n t r o l of t h e c o m p a n y . In a d d i t i o n , Pall i n t e n d s to f o r m a j o i n t v e n t u r e w i t h R o c h e m U / F S y s t e m s w h e r e e a c h p a r t y will own a 50% i n t e r e s t . T h e c o s t to Pall will b e U S $ 1 . 7 m i l l i o n (DM3 million) to p u r c h a s e n e w l y - i s s u e d s h a r e s of t h e j o i n t v e n t u r e , w h i c h will b e u s e d to d e v e l o p t h i s g l o b a l market.

For further information contact: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East hills, N Y 11548-1289, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400;fax: +1 516 484 3529.

Membrane offers solvent resistance M i c r o f i l t r a t i o n u s e r s c a n n o w r e a l i z e all t h e b e n e f i t s of t r a d i t i o n a l p o l y c a r b o n a t e s c r e e n m e m b r a n e filters w i t h t h e i m p r o v e d s o l v e n t r e s i s t a n c e of O s m o n i c s ' P o r e t i c s polyester membranes. Osmonics state that the new P o r e t i c s m e m b r a n e s a r e e s s e n t i a l l y p r e c i s i o n , twod i m e n s i o n a l m i c r o p o r o u s s c r e e n s . In a d d i t i o n , t h e p o l y e s t e r m e m b r a n e s s h a r e a n u m b e r of f e a t u r e s exhibited by polycarbonate membranes including: f e a t u r e s u r f a c e c a p t u r e ; low n o n - s p e c i f i c b i n d i n g ; negligible e x t r a c t a b l e s ; b i o l o g i c a l i n e r t n e s s ; a n d low absorption. O s m o n i c s r e p o r t t h a t all P o r e t i c s s c r e e n m e m b r a n e s h a v e p a s s e d C l a s s VI T e s t i n g for b i o c o m p a t i b i l i t y a n d c y t o l o g i c a l c o m p a t i b i l i t y . Ceils will r e a d i l y g r o w o n P o r e t i c s s c r e e n m e m b r a n e s if p r o v i d e d w i t h a n u t r i e n t , and the membranes are naturally hydrophobic therefore requiring no wetting agent. A c c o r d i n g to O s m o n i c s , t h e P o r e t i c s s c r e e n ( c a p i l l a r y pore) m e m b r a n e s a r e s p e c i f i e d in a w i d e r a n g e of life s c i e n c e , e n v i r o n m e n t a l , m e d i c a l , r e s e a r c h and laboratory applications that would normally r e q u i r e a Teflon* m e m b r a n e . S i n c e t h e s e p o l y e s t e r m e m b r a n e s a r e r e s i s t a n t to t h e m o s t c o m m o n l y u s e d c h e m i c a l s (except for s t r o n g b a s e s ) t h e y a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y u s e f u l for t h o s e a p p l i c a t i o n s in w h i c h a g g r e s s i v e c h e m i c a l s a r e p a r t of t h e p r o c e s s . O s m o n i c s c l a i m it is t h e o n l y m a n u f a c t u r e r of track-etch membranes utilizing the traditional nuclear r e a c t o r i r r a d i a t i o n m e t h o d . M a i n t a i n i n g t h a t t h i s is i m p o r t a n t for u s e r s w h o a r e following w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d

M e m b r a n e T e c h n o l o g y No. 91

protocols that are dependent on uniform and c o n s i s t e n t p o l y e s t e r filters. *Teflon is a trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company Inc.

Osmonics Inc., 5951 Clearwater Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343-8995, USA. Tel: +1 612 933 2277;fax: +1 612 933 0141. Internet: http: / / www.osmonics.com.

Culligan launches £105 M Protean bid Culligan, the US water purification company has l a u n c h e d a £ 1 0 5 m i l l i o n ( U S $ 1 7 1 . 3 M) b i d for B r i t i s h c o m p a n y P r o t e a n plc, w h o a l s o s u p p l y t h e w a t e r p u r i f i c a t i o n m a r k e t s u n d e r t h e b r a n d n a m e Elga. T h e a g r e e d c a s h offer r e p r e s e n t s a 78% p r e m i u m o n P r o t e a n s h a r e s a s of t h e l a s t d e a l i n g b e f o r e t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t w a s m a d e p u b l i c . In r e s p o n s e to t h e offer, P e t e r R y a n , C h a i r m a n of P r o t e a n , s a i d h e w a s p l e a s e d to r e c o m m e n d t h e b i d to t h e s h a r e h o l d e r s . If a c c e p t e d b y t h e s h a r e h o l d e r s , t h i s will b e C u l l i g a n ' s b i g g e s t p u r c h a s e yet, t a k i n g i t s t a l l y of a c q u i s i t i o n s to over 2 0 t h i s c u r r e n t f i n a n c i a l year. Culligan state that under its ownership, Protean c a n m o r e r e a d i l y r e a l i s e t h e full p o t e n t i a l of i t s w a t e r purification equipment business, particularly in the US. K e n n e t h Wellings, p r e s i d e n t of C u l l i g a n ' s i n t e r n a t i o n a l d i v i s i o n s , s a i d h e p l a n n e d to e x p a n d s a l e s of E l g a p r o d u c t s b y m a r k e t i n g t h e m t h r o u g h C u l l i g a n ' s US d i s t r i b u t i o n c h a n n e l s . In a d d i t i o n , it w a s r e p o r t e d t h a t P r o t e a n ' s c u s t o m e r profile - scientific, m e d i c a l a n d i n d u s t r i a l - - will a d d to t h e e x i s t i n g a r e a s of C u l l i g a n ' s c o m m e r c i a l o p e r a t i o n s . C u l l i g a n i n t e n d s to s t r e n g t h e n its p o s i t i o n in t h e s u p p l y of u l t r a - p u r e w a t e r for t h e p h a r m a c e u t i c a l a n d semiconductor industries. Culligan's current customer portfolio i n c l u d e s C o c a - C o l a , P e p s i - C o l a , Eli Lilley, U n i o n C a r b i d e a n d even M c D o n a l d s . In a d d i t i o n to w a t e r p u r i f i c a t i o n , P r o t e a n h a s a

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