Oxford Catalysts Group plc - Safety classification for instant steam
27 May 2008
Oxford Catalysts, the leading catalyst innovator for clean
fuels, is pleased to announce
that it has successfully completed the safety classification
process for the transport and handing of its unique fuel mixture
for making 'Instant Steam'.
The work involved a comprehensive hazard identification process using external consultants, and the performance of a series of detailed physical characterisation tests at independent safety laboratories, including a national health and safety organisation. Amongst the properties tested were the flammability, thermal stability and ignition of the fuel.
Safety is a critical component to launching any new chemical
process; completing these
tests and obtaining the appropriate safety classification is
essential to satisfying the relevant regulations, and represents a
significant milestone in the commercialisation of Instant
Steam.
In October 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with a world-leading fast moving consumer goods ("FMCG") multinational to explore the use of Oxford Catalysts' proprietary technology for Instant Steam. Chemically generated Trigger Steam could help bring the many benefits of using steam in cleaning and disinfection applications to a much wider population of users.
Roy Lipski, Chief Executive of Oxford
Catalysts, said: "We are delighted that the fuel has been
successfully classified. All fuels contain energy and these tests
have shown that our fuel mixture is safe under normal operating
conditions. This is an important step for
commercialising our Instant Steam technology. Achieving this
classification proves that the components and chemistry of our
technology are safe for commercial use."
For further information, please contact:
Roy Lipski, CEO, Oxford
Catalysts
01235 841 700
Jonathan Marren/Oliver Stratton, KBC Peel Hunt (Nomad
& 020 7418
8900
Broker)
Billy Clegg/Alex Beagley, Financial
Dynamics
020 7831 3113
Notes to Editors
Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for
clean fuels, designs and develops specialty catalysts for the
generation of clean fuels from both conventional fossil fuels and
certain renewable sources such as bio-waste. Its patented
technology is the result of almost 20 years of research at the
University of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis
Centre, headed by Professor Malcolm Green, one of the world's most
respected inorganic chemists. Oxford Catalysts was founded by
Professor Green and Dr Xiao in October 2004.
Oxford Catalysts' strategy is to license its catalysts for commercial application by entering into co-development partnerships with leading manufacturers, producers and suppliers in the petroleum, petrochemicals, biogas, steam applications and catalysis markets.
Oxford Catalysts has two key platform technologies. The first is
for a novel class of catalysts incorporating metal carbides, which
can match or exceed the benefits of traditional precious metal
catalysts, at a lower cost, for several key processes used in the
petroleum and petrochemical industries. Applications of these
metal-carbide catalysts include the removal of sulphur from crude
oil fractions (known as hydro-desulphurisation or HDS), the
conversion of natural gas, coal or bio-mass into virtually
sulphur-free liquid fuels via the Fischer-Tropsch reaction (known
as the GTL, CTL and BTL processes respectively), and the
transformation of biogas (waste methane) into
syngas * the building block of liquid fuels.
The second platform relates to a unique chemical reaction which can be used to generate steam at temperatures between 100ºC and 600ºC+, instantaneously, starting from room temperature, using a cheap liquid fuel alongside the Company's patented catalysts. Such unprecedented Instant Steam could have important applications in a broad range of markets, from cleaning and disinfecting, to green energy in the form of motive power or electricity.
Oxford Catalysts Group PLC is listed on London's AIM market (coding symbol OCG). www.oxfordcatalysts.com
