Field
Proven Metals Displacement Chromatography (MDC)
delivers order of magnitude improvement in metals
recovery with clean technology. Chela Tech, Inc.
has announced that all rights for separating metals
from solutions using United States Patent Number
6,689,715 for Tethered Polymer Ligands is assigned
to Chela Tech, Inc. This invention relates to improved
porous solid supports for chromatography and catalysis.
Alameda, CA (PRWEB) March 7, 2006 -- Chela Tech,
Inc. has announced that all rights for separating
metals from solutions using United States Patent
Number 6,689,715 for Tethered Polymer Ligands is
assigned to Chela Tech, Inc. This invention relates
to improved porous solid supports for chromatography
and catalysis. The supports are prepared by covalently
binding a tether polymer to a solid support, and
then blocking the remainder of the support surface
with a blocking reagant. The tethered polymer ligands
are then covalently bound to the support by graft
polymerization reactions.
This invention enables Chela Tech, Inc. to use nano-sand as the basis for high
throughput metals displacement chromatography (MDC) for separations of metals
from solutions for mining, environmental, and other applications.
The field tested product is a metals specific recovery column with high flow
rate, very fast loading and stripping, high selectivity, and long life.
According to Dr. Richard Hammen, CTO: “Our technology in the form of metal
displacement chromatography (MDC) columns has been successfully field tested
and currently can capture Ag; Al; As; Au; CrO4=; Cu; Ga; Hg; Mn; Ni; Pb; Pt;
UO2=; and Zn to non-detectible levels for discard solutions, or to desired
economic cut-off levels.
MDC costs per unit metal are essentially the same at any dilution factor."
Bo Varga, VP Marketing explains: “Our initial focus on gold and copper recovery
and we project first revenue in 2006. Our products can replace carbon columns
and deliver more revenue at a lower cost. We can load the column in a few hours
and unload in a few minutes. Our plug-and-play gold recovery skid can be trucked
into or out of a mining site for both rapid set-up and tear-down.”
Chela Tech plans to provide skid-mounted, plug-and-play metal recovery solutions
for the mining industry on a sales, lease, or tolling basis. The technology
will be licensed for other applications such as high throughput protein separations,
environmental cleanup, indium recovery from FPD etch waste, etc.
Chela Tech technology development was funded over the past 20 years with
$3 million invested in IP and product development, about ½ from founders
and ½ from NIH, NSF, EPA, & DOE grants, with full rights retained
by Chela Tech. Two fundamental US patents are issued and others are pending
or in process.
Chela Tech is talking with investors as of February, 2006 regarding the funding
required to rapidly build a business of major value to the global mining industry.
About Chela Tech, Inc.
Chela Tech, Inc. is a Silicon Valley based company founded to deliver much
faster & lower cost recovery of precious, commodity, and specialty metals
from ores by commercializing patented nano spiderweb ion-exchange products
based on “clean, energy-saving technology”. ChelaTech's management team includes
Dr. Rich Hammen, Ph.D. CTO, prior with Vestar Research, Inc., SRI, and JPL;
Bo Varga, VP Marketing, prior with the NanoSIG; and Ken Epstein, VP Business
Development, a principal with www.newcap.com and
prior a senior venture manager at Dow Chemical Company. Professional advisors
include IP attorney Richard Trecartin of www.Dorsey.com and
corporate attorney Mitch Zuklie of www.Orrick.com .
Company contact:
Bo Varga
Vice-President, Marketing
Cell: 415-260-6480
Office: 650-747-9238
www.chelatech.biz
Media contact:
Sandra Kay Helsel, Ph.D.
SK Helsel & Associates
Tel: 520-325-4636
www.SKHelsel.com
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