ST. LOUIS, March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sigma-Aldrich announced today that it has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) to manufacture and sell Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) agents - organic molecules that can be added to polymerization reactions to precisely control molecular weights and structures of polymers. Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich has the rights to manufacture and sell the RAFT agents worldwide for all research and development applications. The RAFT agents are the latest addition to Sigma-Aldrich's growing line of polymer science products sold through its Aldrich(R) Materials Science Initiative.
RAFT technology is a living radical polymerization process and a powerful method for the synthesis of tailor-made polymers with predetermined molecular weights and highly complex architectures. Such designer polymers can be used to prepare materials with unique properties controlled by their nanometer scale molecular architecture in industries such as biomedical, specialty chemical and personal care. The RAFT method is applicable to a wide range of monomers and experimental conditions and its utility is reflected in more than 200 patents related to RAFT technology. Sigma-Aldrich will manufacture and distribute the critical components of RAFT polymerization, RAFT agents, to enable companies and research organizations to undertake further research into this groundbreaking technology.
Sigma-Aldrich currently offers seven RAFT agents that can be supplied in quantities from standard 1g and 5g packs to several hundred grams and expects to make additional RAFT agents available later in 2010. The new RAFT products expand the Aldrich Materials Science line of tools for controlled polymerization. To learn more about polymer and polymerization products available from Aldrich Materials Science, please visit www.sigma-aldrich.com/poly.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 38 countries and has 7,700 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning website at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.
Sigma-Aldrich(R) is a registered trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.
CONTACT: Sean Battles of Sigma-Aldrich, +1-314-286-7616,
sean.battles@sial.com
Web site: http://www.sigma-aldrich.com/
http://www.csiro.au/products/RAFT/
