Supported ventures
Free Radical Process Design
Free Radical Process Design (Pty) Ltd
Brands: Free Radical Process Design (FRPD)
Flagship product: Electrosoftner™ Prototype
Founding team: Dr. Ryno Pretorius (CEO) and Fritz August Ferreira
Application: Uses electricity to remove Calcium and Magnesium from hard water to produce soft water. The resulting lime scale can be used as an animal food supplement.
Sector/Industry: Industrialization Design, Engineering, Technology Development, and Chemical Process Engineering Consultancy (Water Technology / Cleantech)
Year founded and commenced operations: 2015
Year Partnered with TuksNovation: 2022
Website: frpd.biz
DESCRIPTION
Electrowinning is an industrial hydrometallurgical technique employed world-wide to produce metals from ionic solutions. The standard technology employed across the world is based on intellectual property developed more than 100 years ago; working in a semi-batch fashion, requiring manual operation and heavy lifting equipment. Dr Ryno Pretorius, founder of Free Radical Process Design, developed “Rotowinner” during his studies at the University of Pretoria.
“Rotowinner” is a novel and patented technology that produces various metals, specifically copper, on a continuous basis; negating the need for extensive operator interface and the aforementioned heavy lifting equipment – meaning higher operating efficiencies and, most importantly, increased worker safety. A license has been granted from UP to Free Radical Process Design to commercialise the “Rotowinner” technology. The company recently raised capital from the Technology Innovation Agency to assist with this.