NiTech Solutions

Company background

Set up in 2003 by Professor Xiong-Wei Ni, NiTech Solutions is a leading authority on delivering increased profitability and reduced costs through the use of patented mixing technologies. This technology enables companies to easily and cost effectively adopt continuous processing, overcoming many of the problems associated with batch processing.

Utilising a tubular design, with an innovative baffle system to promote oscillation, injection points, and temperature control cladding, NiTech’s groundbreaking technology intensifies the mixing process, with greater control and increased efficiency, and has been developed with the aid of SMART: SCOTLAND grants.

The range of applications for NiTech’s technology includes:

  • Crystallisation
  • Hydrogenation
  • Biodiesel
  • Dye and pigment chemistry
  • Hydroformlyation
  • Emulsions
  • Dispersions
  • Polymerization
  • Pharma intermediates
  • Fine chemicals

Using the SMART: SCOTLAND award

The company were awarded a SMART: SCOTLAND award to carry out a feasibility study of applying oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR) technology in the context of continuous crystallisation using L-glutamic acid, an important pharmaceutical crystal, as the model compound. The aim was to establish if continuous crystallisation utilising the OBR technology is feasible.

The effect of the SMART: SCOTLAND award

NiTech have demonstrated that continuous crystallisation is not only a viable industrial solution, but also provides significantly better controllability on temperature profile, crystal morphology, size and consistence. A patent in relation to temperature controlling and profiling in the Continuous Oscillatory Baffled Crystallisation Apparatus (COBCA) and its associated process applications was filed in 2005. A COBCA was designed and built to the company’s specifications.

The set up of the COBCA

Bunge Inc, who has a two third market share of the North America’s palm and sunflower oils and derivatives, have conducted a feasibility study with NiTech in using COBCA for fractionation of palm and sunflower oil. Degussa, AstraZeneca, the Robinson Brothers and NPIL pharma Ltd are some later companies who are currently engaging with NiTech. The company have commented: “Overall this pioneering SMART: SCOTLAND project was a great success.

“The SMART; SCOTLAND award for continuous crystallisation has enabled us to demonstrate success that has now gained the interest of many leading pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Genzyme, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and Pfizer and others such as Croda and FujiFilm in the fine chemicals sector.”