Commercialization of Eltron Technology
Eltron has a long history of inventing new technologies. Of course, not all of our technologies have resulted in commercial products. We are working on moving a number of technologies to the market. The change in company ownership and management in June 2005, has caused a rededication of the company's desire to commercialize our technology. A brief list of the technologies that we are seeking commercialization and development partners can be found at this link: Eltron technology summary.
Licenses and Patent Assignments:
Historically, Eltron's method of commercializing technologies has been to license or assign our intellectual property to other entities that then take the technology to the market. Below is a partial list of the technologies that Eltron has developed that have been licensed or assigned to others for commercialization. The status of commercialization activity in these technologies is up to the licensee.
- Oxygen Transport Membranes for generation of oxygen and synthesis gas from air. Air Products and Chemicals has licensed a number of Eltron patents related to the separation of oxygen. This is part of the Air Product's ITM Oxygen and ITM syngas technology. Air Products and partners including the United States Department of Energy have spent in excess of $100 million scaling up and commercializing this technology. More information on ITM syngas and ITM oxygen can be found on the Air Products and DOE web sites including: http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/progress05/iv_a_11_chen.pdf
- Catalysts for NOx abatement. Eltron developed a new, highly active NOx abatement catalyst system. US Patent 6,033,640 has been assigned to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). For more information on the Electric Power Research Institute at: http://my.epri.com
Collaborative Development
Eltron also has a number of technologies that are moving toward commercialization where we are collaborating with other companies to move technologies forward. Below is a list of current projects that are the result of collaborative effort.
- Hydrogen Transport Membrane: Eltron Research, NORAM Engineering and Constructor Ltd., Praxair, and Coorstek are developing a family of membranes that enable high H2 production rates with essentially 100% selectivity to H2. The membranes are designed to operate at the same conditions as high-temperature water-gas shift (WGS) reactors (350-440 °C) and have been operated with up to 1,000 psi pressure differential across the membrane. In synthesis gas systems that incorporate WGS, the membranes enable efficient, low cost separation of H2 and CO2, enabling CO2 sequestration while producing high purity H2. The membranes will work with refinery waste streams as well as synthesis gas derived from natural gas, liquid hydrocarbons, coal, petroleum coke and biomass. The membranes are ideal for natural gas or coal-based IGCC applications. Palladium has been the material of choice in the handful of H2 membrane application in industry. The Eltron membrane has 10 times the flux for a given set of conditions and costs about 10 times less as well. The technology recently won the R&D 100 award for one of the most significant new technologies in the world in 2005. The development group was awarded a $15.3 million DOE project to scale up these membranes for use in a FutureGen coal to hydrogen IGCC facility.
- PeroxEgen™ On-site hydrogen peroxide generation. At concentrations of 50-100 ppm, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been shown to be an excellent biocide and, unlike other treating chemicals, only water remains after the treatment. H2O2 is available industrially at about 70% purity. It is very hazardous in this concentration and is expensive to ship, dilute and store which has greatly limited its use. Eltron has a “black box” that takes oxygen out of the air and attaches it to H2O molecules, making H2O2. The unit can produce H2O2 concentrations up to 4,000 ppm but works best in the 50-100 ppm range. This cheap, safe method of producing H2O2 “on the fly” has application in municipal and industrial water supplies, wastewater treatment, cooling tower and swimming pools, oilfield waterflood and produced water treatment, ballast water, etc. Eltron is supplying a full-scale prototype unit to Water Treatment company for use in a cooling tower application.
To learn more about PeroxEgen and the company bringing it to market, EltronWater Systems LLC, follow this link www.eltronwater.com
With new ownership and management, Eltron is interested in doing more to commercialize the technology that we are developing. We will consider other arrangements including joint-ventures to move our technologies to the market place. If you are interested in discussing commercialization of any of Eltron's technologies, please contact us.