Materials characterization company Malvern Instruments has acquired Viscotek Corporation, a leading provider of chromatography solutions for the characterization of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins.
Malvern Instruments is a world-class supplier of systems for the characterization of particulate materials, providing complete application solutions 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 characterization 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 characterization capabilities of Malvern’s existing nanometrology product lines.”
Viscotek Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, was founded in 1984 by Dr. 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 yearsViscotek 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.”
But the cost of failure is rising, panellists said. Failure in the Doha Round would be likely to increase protectionist pressures around the world and result in a rollback from the progress already made towards freer global trade. Mandelson said the negotiations had become a prisoner to some extent of the American political calendar.
Campaigning is already underway for elections to replace Bush next January, and a new president is unlikely to be able to put the Doha Round at the front of the US policy agenda, he said. The new president is likely to want to review any commitments that have already been made.
