DANBURY, Conn., June 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATMI, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATMI) is launching commercialization of a new carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system that combines technologies from ATMI and SRI International. Under a marketing agreement, ATMI will lead commercialization efforts and is engaging potential development partners for rapid scale-up and commercial deployment of CO2 capture systems.
The system features ATMI's precision BrightBlack™ carbon adsorbent technology and a proprietary, adsorbent-based gas separation technology designed by SRI. When combined, the technologies form a unique and effective system that exhibits excellent performance in CO2 capture. Results from recent small-scale field testing will be presented at the 2012 NETL CO2 Capture Technology Meeting, July 9th in Pittsburgh.
"SRI and ATMI have validated a new approach to CO2 capture," said Chris Lantman, Ph.D, director of commercial business development, SRI Physical Sciences Division. "It offers significant advantages compared to current systems. SRI believes its collaboration with ATMI will bring an important solution to the marketplace."
Laboratory, pilot and field tests conducted under the direction of Gopala Krishnan, Ph.D., associate director of SRI's Materials Research Laboratory, revealed that BrightBlack carbon microbead adsorbents display exceptional physical adsorption characteristics for CO2, with high capacity and low regeneration energy. They also possess excellent chemical and mechanical stability in an SRI process that features a recirculating adsorbent system with integrated CO2 adsorption and steam-stripping sections. The combined system has consistently demonstrated CO2 capture efficiencies greater than 90 percent with CO2 purities as high as 99 percent. It can be used at coal or natural gas-fired power plants, and has demonstrated performance using flue gas typical of either coal or natural gas-fired power plants.
"First commercialization will likely come from small-scale, industrial customers wanting to capture and reuse CO2 in their processes to reduce their raw materials costs and CO2 footprint," commented Josh Sweeney, marketing director for ATMI's BrightBlack technologies. "We believe this approach is also a good fit for the large-scale utility applications that dominate carbon capture discussions. With capture costs as low as $10 to $15 per ton achievable with this technology, large scale utilities are attractive longer-term targets."
High-Performance Carbon Adsorbents
ATMI's BrightBlack brand of precision carbon comprises a family of specialty carbon molecular sieves that are engineered for extremely high adsorption capacities and can be optimized for gas storage, gas capture and reuse, and a variety of industrially important gas separations. Additionally, BrightBlack carbons show promise as advanced electrode materials in energy storage applications.
Earlier versions of BrightBlack carbon adsorbents were first used in the company's Safe Delivery Source® (SDS®) gas cylinder delivery system. By using the carbon to adsorb highly toxic and dangerous gases used to manufacture computer chips, the SDS system can store these gases sub-atmospherically. This has helped avoid catastrophic events associated with high-pressure cylinders caused by human error or damaged cylinders. SDS systems have dramatically reduced the risk of using these gases and has helped semiconductor manufacturers save lives and improve productivity.
Over the last eight years, ATMI has produced nearly 50 metric tons of its microporous carbon adsorbents. For more information on BrightBlack™ carbon adsorbents, please visit www.atmi-brightblack.com.
This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory under Award Number DE-NT0005578.
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.
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About ATMI
ATMI, Inc. provides specialty semiconductor materials, and safe, high-purity materials handling and delivery solutions designed to increase process efficiencies for the worldwide semiconductor, flat panel, and life sciences industries. For more information, please visit http://www.atmi.com.
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About SRI International
Innovations from SRI International have created new industries, billions of dollars of marketplace value, and lasting benefits to society –touching our lives every day. SRI, a nonprofit research and development institute based in Silicon Valley, brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, new products, Government and business clients come to SRI for pioneering R&D and solutions in computing and communications, chemistry and materials, education, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, national defense, robotics, sensing, and more.
Statements contained herein that relate to ATMI's future performance, including, without limitation, statements with respect to ATMI's anticipated results of operations or level of business for 2012 or any other future period, are forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations only and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, changes in semiconductor industry growth (including, without limitation, wafer starts) or ATMI's markets; competition, problems, or delays developing, commercializing, and delivering new products; customer-driven pricing pressure; potential loss of key customers; problems or delays in integrating acquired operations and businesses; uncertainty in the credit and financial markets; ability to protect ATMI's proprietary technology; and other factors described in ATMI's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. ATMI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.