Year partnered with Savant: 2022
Sector: Mineral Extraction
Application: Mining
Current Product: A novel electrochemical reactor that makes use of a rotating cathode. This reactor is capable of softening water on a continuous basis, thus producing high purity agricultural lime as a by-product without the addition of any chemicals or hazardous by-products
Market Size: (Local) ZAR 400 million (Global) USD 53 billion
Differentiation: Electro-softner utilises a proprietary rotating electrode-and-scraper configuration
Investment Stage: Pre-Seed
Stage: Incubation
Founding Team: Dr. Ryno Pretorius
FRPD
About FRPD
Founded by Dr. Ryno Pretorius, FRPD is a pioneering technology development company deeply rooted in a commitment to innovation and sustainability. The company’s primary focus is on commercializing the RotowinnerTM, a patented electrowinning system that aims to revolutionize industries by enhancing metal recovery, addressing mine-influenced water treatment, optimizing water softening, and contributing to green hydrogen production.
Free Radical Process Design (FRPD) stands at the forefront of innovation with its groundbreaking electrochemical reactor featuring a rotating cathode for continuous water softening. This innovative process not only produces high-purity agricultural lime as a by-product but does so without the use of chemicals or the generation of hazardous by-products. In contrast to conventional methods involving chemical dosing or energy-intensive processes, FRPD’s Electro-softener employs electro-deposition to effectively remove iron, calcium, and magnesium from water. The result is a continuous production of soft water with minimal maintenance and zero waste by-products. Unlike traditional approaches like chemical dosing, ion-exchange, and reverse osmosis, which often require chemicals and are resource-intensive, FRPD’s solution minimizes environmental impact and waste generation.
Value Proposition
FRPD’s value proposition lies in offering innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to age-old industrial challenges. The Electro-softener, with its rotating cathode technology, provides continuous water softening without the need for chemicals, ensuring high-purity agricultural lime by-product and zero hazardous waste. The Rotowinner, with its patented design and advanced features offers superior performance and versatility across various applications, demonstrating FRPD’s commitment to shaping a greener and more sustainable future. Through collaboration with industry experts and research institutions, FRPD actively works towards positive change, emphasizing collective efforts to accelerate the adoption of environmentally responsible technologies.
Team
Dr Ryno Pretorius
Dr Pretorius is a specialist in challenging, difficult and dangerous process engineering. His projects encompass rare earths, metal fluoride production, next-generation electrowinning technologies, national resource development consulting, flotation chemical production, paper modification, chemical water purification, biological water purification, biological treatment of irradiated graphite, nuclear medicine, chemical treatment of irradiated graphite and fluoropolymer manufacture.
