Air Products and NORAM Form Siloxy Joint Venture to Address Pulping Liquor Discharge from Non-Wood Pulping Processes
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., June 20 / -- Air Products today announced it has formed a joint venture company named Siloxy Limited with NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to market patented and proprietary technologies to improve the environmental and economic performance of non-wood pulp mills. Many non- wood pulp and paper mills must comply with new stringent water discharge regulations. The Siloxy(TM) technologies provide compliance by substantially reducing the discharge of water pollutants from these mills while producing a positive return on investment. The technology may be applied to wood-based pulping as well.
"We are excited about the formation of the Siloxy joint venture and what it offers the pulp and paper industry in the way of environmental and economic benefits," said Robert W. Levis, vice president and general manager, Asia Merchant Gases for Air Products.
"We're very pleased to be working with Air Products to address a long- standing technical and environmental issue. We believe that we have solutions that will demonstrate economic and environmental benefits," said George Cook, president of NORAM.
"These are proven technologies that we can put in place in regions of the globe where waste streams from straw pulping process impact water resources and water quality. Siloxy offers a way for pulp mills to continue to manufacture, reduce their environmental impact, and improve their economics," said Tom Mullen, Siloxy's president and general manager.
Siloxy has ownership of three novel technologies:
o Desilication technology that removes silica from a by-product stream (black liquor) of the pulping process.
o Oxidation technology which combusts black liquor or waste streams with a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) with pure oxygen.
o Evaporator technology for highly foaming black liquors.
More information on these novel technologies can be found at www.siloxy.com.
About Siloxy
Siloxy Limited is a joint venture company between NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. Siloxy Limited is incorporated in Ireland. For more information, visit www.siloxy.com.
About Air Products
Air Products serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.
About NORAM
NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. is a technology and engineering company specializing in the development, engineering and commercialization of new chemical processes. Founded in 1988, this privately owned Vancouver-based Canadian company has grown to execute capital projects on five continents. Leading-edge technologies are offered to the chemical, pulp and paper, minerals processing and electrochemical sectors. Through its staff of experienced engineers, designers, and project managers, NORAM offers a wide range of proprietary engineering, equipment and project expertise. For more information, visit www.noram-eng.com.
First Call Analyst: Nelson Squires
FCMN Contact: bauerda@airproducts.com
Source: Air Products
CONTACT: Media Inquiries, Art George of Air Products, +1-610-481-1340, georgeaf@airproducts.com; or Ira Wolff of NORAM, +1-604-681-2030; iwolff@noram-eng.com; or Tom Mullen of Siloxy, +1-800-441-4315; mullenwt@siloxy.com;
Web site: www.airproducts.com/
http://www.siloxy.com/
http://www.noram-eng.com/
