Press Release
Hull, United Kingdom – 14 February 2006
New Hull company aims to be Europe’s No 1
A new high-tech company launched in Hull today aims to become the European leader in micro-reactor technology within five years.
ChemtriX Ltd has been formed out of the University of Hull, in equal partnership with specialist company LioniX BV, which operates out of the University of Twente in The Netherlands.
The University of Hull is a world leader with regards to the chemistry involved. LioniX is a leading manufacturer of the glass chips necessary to prepare a product for market.
ChemTriX Ltd will supply micro-reactor systems mainly to pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The SIM-card sized micro-reactors will enhance manufacturing efficiency by:
- increasing the yield of chemical reactions
- eliminating or decreasing by-products
- increasing safety for dangerous reactions
- enabling production on demand
- reducing energy consumption
The University’s Chemistry Department and LioniX BV have collaborated for the past two years on the development of this breakthrough micro reactor technology.
There has already been huge interest in the United States and on mainland Europe.
The new company was set up through the University’s Business and Community Knowledge Exchange. Its Director, Bill Walker, said: “We strongly believe that the University of Hull and LioniX have developed a product with significant international potential. We are delighted to have been able to help them bring this to market.”
Paul Watts, who has led on this work in the Chemistry labs at the University of Hull, said: " With the combination of the chemical know-how of the University of Hull and the micro-system technology expertise of LioniX we are confident that we can overcome the major obstacle which has confronted micro-reactor technology so far - the successful up-scaling of production of chemicals with micro reactors - which has prevented the up-take of this exciting technology by classic chemical manufacturing companies today.”
Chris Lamaison, ChemtriX vice-president for marketing and sales, says there is a great interest in micro reactor technology and discussions have been already started with interested parties for ChemtriX’s first product: a bench top chemical factory capable of manufacturing up to a few kg's per month of product. Systems are also available for research on single micro reactors.
For more information contact:
Bill Walker, Director, Business and Community Knowledge Exchange, University of Hull.
Email: w.walker@hull.ac.uk; Telephone 01482 466451.