- Email: [email protected]
Presidential award for pervaporation process
Celanese buys Separex from Air Products . . .
Filmtec wins injunction against Allied Signal . . .
The Separation Products Division of Hoechst Celanese Corp., has purchased the Separex Membrane Systems operation from Air Products & Chemicals. As a result, Separex becomes a business segment within SPD Hoechst Celanese, and the sales and engineering operations will relocate from Allentown, PA, to Charlotte and Houston in the near future. . . . In September 1994, Hoescht decided to sell the Separex gas separation business to UOP (IL, USA) along with a Hoescht Celanese manufacturing plant in
In February the US District Court granted Filmtec, a subsidiary of Dow, a preliminary injunction against the Fluid Systems Division of Allied Signal. The injunction prohibits Allied Signal from making or selling TFCL membranes while a law suit for infringement of US patent 4277344 is pending. It is understood that the injunction became effective on I March. . ..This dispute centred on a Filmtec patent invented by John E. Cadotte regarding the preparation of a reverse osmosis membrane, which was filed in 1981. Although
Anaheim, amount.
the law suit prevented Allied Signal from producing these reverse osmosis membranes it didn’t stop the Fluid Systems Division from being a valuable asset to Allied Signal, who transferred this division to UOP of Illinois, originally a joint venture between Allied Signal and Union Carbide. Another episode in Fluid Systems’ colourful recent history was just around the corner when former UK Company Anglian Water were the next company to take it over. As a of the Anglian consequence
CA
for
an undisclosed
New Faces at Alfa-Lava1 . . . After three years overseas, Brian Jones joins the Zeta Engineering arm of Alfa-Laval Sharples Ltd, Camberley, UK, as proposals engineer. Nazario I.&, who joined Alfa-Laval Separation in 198 1, has now been appointed southern area sales manager in the UK. . . . After 8 years Alfa-Lava1 Sharples Ltd is still on the same site in Camberley, UK but the Zeta Engineering arm of Alfa-Lava1 Sharples in now called Alfa Lava1 Environmental Engineering. Brian Jones has since left the company to pursue other business interests, but Nazario Lelli still remains with Alfa-Laval Sharples to this day.
:
Presidential award for pervaporation process A new technique June ‘98 issue
featured in the of Membrane which uses Technology, pervaporation to produce a nontoxic biodegradable solvent, has been given a US 1998 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. The award, administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency and judged by experts from the American Chemical Society, was presented to Argonne research scientists in a ceremony in Washington DC.
New Handbook published . . .
acquisition, Fluid Systems Corp. was formed, based in San Diego, CA. The company remained with the now US owned Anglian Water until the recent acquisition of Fluid Systems in July’98 by Koch Membrane Systems.
The
novel
pervaporation
process
developed by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory can reduce the cost of an environmentally benign solvent, ethyl lactate, enabling this solvent to compete in the marketplace against toxic solvents. Ethyl lactate is biodegradable and non-toxic the US Food and Drug Administration long ago approved its use in food products. It is thought that ethyl lactate is a good candidate to replace other toxic solvents such as chloro-fluorocarbons, which damage the earths ozone layer, and volatile organic compounds, some of the USA’s most common ground-water pollutants. It is reported that each year, the United States uses more than 3.8
Noyes new
Publications survey,
has released a Handbook of Industrial Membrane Technology. Mark Porter edits the book, which has an issue date of February 1990, with individual chapters written by Keith Fritsche of Romicon, Richard Baker of MTR and Enrico Drioli of the University of Calabria. The book emphasises the use of synthetic membranes for separation duties in industrial and municipal process streams, and process design and . . . opttmrsatron considerations are also covered. Noyes Publications is now known as Noyes Data Corporation and has since moved in to new premises in New Jersey. According to the authors the royalties for this publication are still flowing in. Back in 1990, the ICOM ‘90 event was being held in Chicago, IL, while the 8th European summer school on membrane science was held in Gargano, Italy. NATO were organising a course on chromatographic and membrane processes in biotechnology to be held in Portugal, while in Poland Dr H. Kleszczynska of the University of Agriculture at Wroclaw was putting together a symposium on Biophysics in Membrane Transport.
million widely and such
tons of toxic solvents, used as cleaners, degreasers product ingredients in industries as electronics
manufacturing, adhesives, paints and other coatings, printing, de-inking and textile manufacturing. According to industry estimates, solvents made with ethyl lactate can replace conventional solvents in more than 80% of these applications. Argonne reduced the cost of producing ethyl lactate by improving separation and purification techniques in fermentation-based process to manufacture it, said Jim Frank, the scientist who manages the project for Argonne. “But our major breakthrough,” Frank said, “is a new, patented advanced membrane
Membrane
Technology
No. 100
system that avoids the production of wastes and improves reaction efficiency to significantly reduce the market
price.”
resulting
in
a similar
percentage
decline in earnings from current expectations in the third and possible the fourth quarter of 1998.”
For full details of this process refer to Membrane JecbnologyIVo.98, page 78 (June 1998).
For further information contact: lonics Inc., PO Box 9131, Watertown, Massachusetts 02272-9131. USA. Tel: +l 617 926 2500; Fax: +l 617 926 4304.
lonics profits i Najade introduces fall on ceramic membrane
income Ionics has reported that for its six month period ended June 30, 1998, its net income fell 25.4% to US$ 15.57 million on revenues of US$ 159.2 million. Revenues for this period fell 8.6% from a figure of US$ 174.2 million for the same period in 1997. Ionics also reported losses for its second quarter results with revenues of US$ 80.3 million, down 7.9% compared with the same period in 199’7. Net income for this quarter showed a further decline of 36.4% at US$ 4.6 million compared with US$ 7.23 million in the second quarter of 1997. Ionics said that backlog at the end of the quarter was US$196.8 million compared with USS 153.6 million at the beginning of 1998 an increase of 28%. Ionics boss, Arthur L. Goldstein, explained that, “lower revenues from customers for water equipment and systems, especially those in the microelectronics industry, and the consolidation of the Company’s SeparaTech business”, were some of the reasons for the disappointing performance. On the other hand, it was noted that booking for the second quarter totalled US$ 109 million, representing an all-time record for the company. However, Goldstein said, “although second quarter bookings have remained strong, continuing the pattern of the previous two quarters, delivery schedules, coupled with margin pressures in certain market segments, could cause some of these same conditions to continue,
Membrane
Technology
No. 100
company Najade Dutch Separation BV products has said it will be introducing a new ceramic tubular membrane at the Aquatech ‘98 exhibition, which will be held in Amsterdam on 22 25 September. Najade states that these ceramic membranes, designed for waste water applications, have a flux of 4000 L/hr at one bar with pore sizes of 0.3 pm. The company these membranes are because of the monolithic
adds that low cost structure
and there are no vulnerable toplayers that can peel off or be damaged by abrasion. In addition, Najade says that a novel, revolutionary system of standard units (type MU) for mixing a gas with a liquid can be implemented. For example, for the distillation of seawater at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures, fractionation and distillation of volatile components, scrubbing and/or cooling of gases, aeration of liquids. Najade will be unveiling the new membranes at stand 825 in Hall A. For further information contact: Albert van Duijn, Najade Separation B.V., Droststraat 2, NL-2352 SN Lelderdorp, The Netherlands.Tel: +31 71 589 96 16; Fax: +31 71 589 05 44.
USFMemcor wins US$7 M Lake District contract UK-based awarded
USF Memcor, a US$7 million
has been order to
install
and
continuous for North
microfiltration plant West Water at Ennerdale
commission
a
Water, Cumbria, UK. It is reported that the 59 MLD continuous microfiltration system (CMF) will consist of 19 x 90MlOC microfiltration units to be housed in a purpose-built facility. The CMF equipment will be used to treat water from Ennerdale Water, to produce potable water for a local population of 60,000 and industrial water users in the Whitehaven area. Situated in a remote area of the Lake District, Ennerdale Water has been used as a source of potable water for many years. According to USF the membranes will remove algae in addition to any potential instance of cryptosporidium or other chlorine-resistant pathogens with a 99.9% potable water recovery rate. In addition, by passing the backwash water through a membrane system, the USF Memcor equipment will allow North West Water to optimise water resources while achieving maximum water quality with minimum wastage. For further information contact: USFIMemcor, Derby Road, Wirksworth, DE4 4BG. UK. Tel: + 44 162 982 3811; Fax: +44 162 982 5169.
US$25 M upgrade for Akzo Nobel membrane plant Akzo Nobel N.V. has decided to invest US$25 million to upgrade its membrane chlorine plant in Skoghall, Sweden, with the aim of reducing the plant’s use of electricity and to cut maintenance costs. Akzo Nobel reports that the investment comprises the newest generation of membrane electrochemical cells, an evaporation unit for caustic lye, and upgrading of the, electricity supply to the plant. The new facilities are expected to come on stream in October 1999. The Skoghall plant has a capacity of 75,000 tons per year. In 1978, the Skoghall plant was the first chlorine plant in Europe to switch to using membrane technology.
Filmtec wins injunction against Allied Signal . . .
The Separation Products Division of Hoechst Celanese Corp., has purchased the Separex Membrane Systems operation from Air Products & Chemicals. As a result, Separex becomes a business segment within SPD Hoechst Celanese, and the sales and engineering operations will relocate from Allentown, PA, to Charlotte and Houston in the near future. . . . In September 1994, Hoescht decided to sell the Separex gas separation business to UOP (IL, USA) along with a Hoescht Celanese manufacturing plant in
In February the US District Court granted Filmtec, a subsidiary of Dow, a preliminary injunction against the Fluid Systems Division of Allied Signal. The injunction prohibits Allied Signal from making or selling TFCL membranes while a law suit for infringement of US patent 4277344 is pending. It is understood that the injunction became effective on I March. . ..This dispute centred on a Filmtec patent invented by John E. Cadotte regarding the preparation of a reverse osmosis membrane, which was filed in 1981. Although
Anaheim, amount.
the law suit prevented Allied Signal from producing these reverse osmosis membranes it didn’t stop the Fluid Systems Division from being a valuable asset to Allied Signal, who transferred this division to UOP of Illinois, originally a joint venture between Allied Signal and Union Carbide. Another episode in Fluid Systems’ colourful recent history was just around the corner when former UK Company Anglian Water were the next company to take it over. As a of the Anglian consequence
CA
for
an undisclosed
New Faces at Alfa-Lava1 . . . After three years overseas, Brian Jones joins the Zeta Engineering arm of Alfa-Laval Sharples Ltd, Camberley, UK, as proposals engineer. Nazario I.&, who joined Alfa-Laval Separation in 198 1, has now been appointed southern area sales manager in the UK. . . . After 8 years Alfa-Lava1 Sharples Ltd is still on the same site in Camberley, UK but the Zeta Engineering arm of Alfa-Lava1 Sharples in now called Alfa Lava1 Environmental Engineering. Brian Jones has since left the company to pursue other business interests, but Nazario Lelli still remains with Alfa-Laval Sharples to this day.
:
Presidential award for pervaporation process A new technique June ‘98 issue
featured in the of Membrane which uses Technology, pervaporation to produce a nontoxic biodegradable solvent, has been given a US 1998 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. The award, administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency and judged by experts from the American Chemical Society, was presented to Argonne research scientists in a ceremony in Washington DC.
New Handbook published . . .
acquisition, Fluid Systems Corp. was formed, based in San Diego, CA. The company remained with the now US owned Anglian Water until the recent acquisition of Fluid Systems in July’98 by Koch Membrane Systems.
The
novel
pervaporation
process
developed by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory can reduce the cost of an environmentally benign solvent, ethyl lactate, enabling this solvent to compete in the marketplace against toxic solvents. Ethyl lactate is biodegradable and non-toxic the US Food and Drug Administration long ago approved its use in food products. It is thought that ethyl lactate is a good candidate to replace other toxic solvents such as chloro-fluorocarbons, which damage the earths ozone layer, and volatile organic compounds, some of the USA’s most common ground-water pollutants. It is reported that each year, the United States uses more than 3.8
Noyes new
Publications survey,
has released a Handbook of Industrial Membrane Technology. Mark Porter edits the book, which has an issue date of February 1990, with individual chapters written by Keith Fritsche of Romicon, Richard Baker of MTR and Enrico Drioli of the University of Calabria. The book emphasises the use of synthetic membranes for separation duties in industrial and municipal process streams, and process design and . . . opttmrsatron considerations are also covered. Noyes Publications is now known as Noyes Data Corporation and has since moved in to new premises in New Jersey. According to the authors the royalties for this publication are still flowing in. Back in 1990, the ICOM ‘90 event was being held in Chicago, IL, while the 8th European summer school on membrane science was held in Gargano, Italy. NATO were organising a course on chromatographic and membrane processes in biotechnology to be held in Portugal, while in Poland Dr H. Kleszczynska of the University of Agriculture at Wroclaw was putting together a symposium on Biophysics in Membrane Transport.
million widely and such
tons of toxic solvents, used as cleaners, degreasers product ingredients in industries as electronics
manufacturing, adhesives, paints and other coatings, printing, de-inking and textile manufacturing. According to industry estimates, solvents made with ethyl lactate can replace conventional solvents in more than 80% of these applications. Argonne reduced the cost of producing ethyl lactate by improving separation and purification techniques in fermentation-based process to manufacture it, said Jim Frank, the scientist who manages the project for Argonne. “But our major breakthrough,” Frank said, “is a new, patented advanced membrane
Membrane
Technology
No. 100
system that avoids the production of wastes and improves reaction efficiency to significantly reduce the market
price.”
resulting
in
a similar
percentage
decline in earnings from current expectations in the third and possible the fourth quarter of 1998.”
For full details of this process refer to Membrane JecbnologyIVo.98, page 78 (June 1998).
For further information contact: lonics Inc., PO Box 9131, Watertown, Massachusetts 02272-9131. USA. Tel: +l 617 926 2500; Fax: +l 617 926 4304.
lonics profits i Najade introduces fall on ceramic membrane
income Ionics has reported that for its six month period ended June 30, 1998, its net income fell 25.4% to US$ 15.57 million on revenues of US$ 159.2 million. Revenues for this period fell 8.6% from a figure of US$ 174.2 million for the same period in 1997. Ionics also reported losses for its second quarter results with revenues of US$ 80.3 million, down 7.9% compared with the same period in 199’7. Net income for this quarter showed a further decline of 36.4% at US$ 4.6 million compared with US$ 7.23 million in the second quarter of 1997. Ionics said that backlog at the end of the quarter was US$196.8 million compared with USS 153.6 million at the beginning of 1998 an increase of 28%. Ionics boss, Arthur L. Goldstein, explained that, “lower revenues from customers for water equipment and systems, especially those in the microelectronics industry, and the consolidation of the Company’s SeparaTech business”, were some of the reasons for the disappointing performance. On the other hand, it was noted that booking for the second quarter totalled US$ 109 million, representing an all-time record for the company. However, Goldstein said, “although second quarter bookings have remained strong, continuing the pattern of the previous two quarters, delivery schedules, coupled with margin pressures in certain market segments, could cause some of these same conditions to continue,
Membrane
Technology
No. 100
company Najade Dutch Separation BV products has said it will be introducing a new ceramic tubular membrane at the Aquatech ‘98 exhibition, which will be held in Amsterdam on 22 25 September. Najade states that these ceramic membranes, designed for waste water applications, have a flux of 4000 L/hr at one bar with pore sizes of 0.3 pm. The company these membranes are because of the monolithic
adds that low cost structure
and there are no vulnerable toplayers that can peel off or be damaged by abrasion. In addition, Najade says that a novel, revolutionary system of standard units (type MU) for mixing a gas with a liquid can be implemented. For example, for the distillation of seawater at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures, fractionation and distillation of volatile components, scrubbing and/or cooling of gases, aeration of liquids. Najade will be unveiling the new membranes at stand 825 in Hall A. For further information contact: Albert van Duijn, Najade Separation B.V., Droststraat 2, NL-2352 SN Lelderdorp, The Netherlands.Tel: +31 71 589 96 16; Fax: +31 71 589 05 44.
USFMemcor wins US$7 M Lake District contract UK-based awarded
USF Memcor, a US$7 million
has been order to
install
and
continuous for North
microfiltration plant West Water at Ennerdale
commission
a
Water, Cumbria, UK. It is reported that the 59 MLD continuous microfiltration system (CMF) will consist of 19 x 90MlOC microfiltration units to be housed in a purpose-built facility. The CMF equipment will be used to treat water from Ennerdale Water, to produce potable water for a local population of 60,000 and industrial water users in the Whitehaven area. Situated in a remote area of the Lake District, Ennerdale Water has been used as a source of potable water for many years. According to USF the membranes will remove algae in addition to any potential instance of cryptosporidium or other chlorine-resistant pathogens with a 99.9% potable water recovery rate. In addition, by passing the backwash water through a membrane system, the USF Memcor equipment will allow North West Water to optimise water resources while achieving maximum water quality with minimum wastage. For further information contact: USFIMemcor, Derby Road, Wirksworth, DE4 4BG. UK. Tel: + 44 162 982 3811; Fax: +44 162 982 5169.
US$25 M upgrade for Akzo Nobel membrane plant Akzo Nobel N.V. has decided to invest US$25 million to upgrade its membrane chlorine plant in Skoghall, Sweden, with the aim of reducing the plant’s use of electricity and to cut maintenance costs. Akzo Nobel reports that the investment comprises the newest generation of membrane electrochemical cells, an evaporation unit for caustic lye, and upgrading of the, electricity supply to the plant. The new facilities are expected to come on stream in October 1999. The Skoghall plant has a capacity of 75,000 tons per year. In 1978, the Skoghall plant was the first chlorine plant in Europe to switch to using membrane technology.