CEM & USEPA Enter into R&D Agreement for Research into Green Microwave Chemistry Scale-Up Methods

CEM Corporation, a leading provider of microwave laboratory

instrumentation, announced today that it has signed a Cooperative

Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency. The goal of the agreement is to develop

large-scale, microwave chemistry methods for a wide variety of

chemistries using solvents that are more environmentally friendly, such

as water or polyethylene glycol (PEG). These environmentally-friendly

solvents could be employed to produce valuable intermediates and

products useful in the development of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals,

and nanomaterials.

Gordon M. Evans, Director of the Sustainable Technology Division at EPA’s

National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio, said, “We’re

very excited to have the opportunity to work with CEM. As one of the

world’s leading suppliers of microwave

equipment, we appreciate their interest in working with Dr. Rajender S.

Varma of our staff. We feel it’s a wonderful

recognition of the pioneering research he’s

conducted in this area and we’re looking

forward to this collaborative effort as a great way to advance the ideas

of green chemistry and sustainability through the use of

microwave-assisted chemical synthesis.”

The EPA has developed new chemical processes and solvent schemes that

are significantly safer for the environment. Under the terms of the

research agreement, CEM will contribute the time of its scientists and

apply existing technology or technology currently in development at the

Company to establish scale-up protocols of EPA chemical processes.

Likewise, the EPA will also contribute the time of its scientists, and

will provide required laboratory analysis in support of the project.

“Microwave energy is a highly-effective green

chemistry technology,” said Michael J.

Collins, president and CEO of CEM Corporation. “It

is clean, fast, efficient, and applicable to numerous types of

chemistries. We are looking forward to working with the EPA to expand

the present scale range of microwave-assisted reactions and developing ‘greener,’

or more environmentally-friendly, methods for those reactions.”

CEM is a pioneering company in the development of microwave systems for

use in chemistry and holds over 200 patents for the use of microwave

technology in chemistry. One avenue that will be explored under the

agreement is the use of the CEM’s patented

PowerMAX™ (simultaneous cooling while

heating) technology, which enables chemists to work with

temperature-sensitive or highly-reactive intermediates and still achieve

the same type of yield and rate-enhancing benefits seen in

microwave-assisted, high-temperature chemistries.

“CEM’s unique

combination of a strong, experienced R&D team and innovative,

developmental chemists gives us a level of expertise which is unusual

for our industry. That capability combined with our flexibility will

serve to make our work with the EPA a productive and scientifically

significant collaboration,” concluded Collins.

CEM Corporation, a private company based in Matthews, North Carolina,

is a leading provider of microwave laboratory instrumentation. The

Company has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and

France, as well as a global network of distributors. CEM designs and

manufactures systems for life sciences, analytical laboratories and

processing plants worldwide. The Company’s

products are used in many industries including pharmaceutical, biotech,

chemical and food processing, as well as academic research.