Materials characterisation company Malvern Instruments has acquired Viscotek, a provider of chromatography for the characterisation of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins
Malvern Instruments is a supplier of systems for the characterisation of particulate materials, providing complete applications across a broad range of industries.
The acquisition of Viscotek brings new and complementary technologies and expertise into the company, adding gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Flow Injection Polymer Analysis (Fipa) and dilute solution viscosity (DSV), and extending the range of characterisation solutions offered.
Paul Walker, managing director of Malvern Instruments said: "Viscotek has a long-established reputation for innovation and quality, and there is a close and complementary fit between the Viscotek product range and Malvern's, for both protein and polymer applications.
"This acquisition will increase the characterisation capabilities of Malvern's existing nanometrology product lines".
Viscotek, headquartered in Houston, Texas, was founded in 1984 by Max Haney, inventor of the four-capillary differential viscometer detector.
"Since its inception, Viscotek has pioneered innovative technologies and products for gel permeation chromatography of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins, and determination of dilute solution viscosities," he said.
"In recent years Viscotek has experienced exciting growth.
"The powerful alignment of Viscotek's products with the Malvern range will provide even more opportunity to comprehensively meet a broad range of customer needs.
"I am delighted that the company has become part of Malvern Instruments, where I am confident of further development and a thriving and expanded business".
Expanding on the complementary nature of the two companies' product ranges, Paul Walker went on to say: "In the biomolecular arena the addition of Viscotek systems alongside our existing product range will further inform physical biochemists of the structure-function relationship of proteins, important in determining disease mechanisms for example.
"In the field of industrial and pharmaceutical polymers, Malvern will now be able to offer complete characterisation, essential in the development of new functional polymers that meet the demands of increasingly complex drug delivery systems and stringent environmental requirements.
"Through Malvern's global sales organisation, customers worldwide will have access to the full range of solutions, all backed by the company's extensive technical and applications support network".
Viscotek's present management team will continue to lead the business, which will operate as Viscotek, a Malvern company.
