Sigma-Aldrich Expands Manufacturing Range And Capacity for Air Sensitive Organometallic Compounds

The newest Sigma Aldrich large-scale manufacturing facility, specifically designed to serve the growing need for air-sensitive reagents in fine chemical synthesis, is ready to open in Sheboygan Falls, WI.

"This new plant will boost our production capacity in air-sensitive organometallic chemistries and add extreme low-temperature capabilities (-110°C). Our array of glass-lined, stainless steel and Hastelloy vessels will give us the flexibility to perform a wide variety of reactions," said John Daniels, Plant Manager for the new facility.

The three-story manufacturing facility encloses 44,000 square feet. Production bays contain:

• 500- and 2,000-gallon stainless steel reactors (-25°C to +180°C)
  
• 2,000- and 4,000 glass-lined reactors (-25°C to +180°C)
  
• 1,000-gallon Hastelloy reactor (-25°C to +180°C)
  
• 100-, 300- and 500-gallon Hastelloy reactors (-110°C to +100°C)

"Our strengths are in manufacturing complex boron reagents for asymmetric reduction, novel arylboronic acids, a wide range of organometallic compounds—lithium, aluminum, silane and tin, and Grignards. This facility can produce compounds to our clients' exacting standards, including purity levels to 99.999% for chemical vapor deposition processes. Our scientific staff has years of experience safely handling air-sensitive materials. We can provide process development as needed. It's our goal to partner with pharmaceutical and industrial customers to keep their product timelines on track," said Ed Austin, Vice President of Production for Sigma Aldrich.

About Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich develops, manufactures and distributes the broadest range of high quality biochemicals, organic chemicals, chromatography products and diagnostic reagents available in the world. The Company's products are used in high-tech research and development in universities and industry, in the diagnosis of disease, and as specialty chemicals for pharmaceutical and other manufacturing purposes in more than 160 countries. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to the success of its customers, employees and shareholders through life science, technology and service.

Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals, a division of Sigma-Aldrich Corp., provides raw materials, process development, scale-up and complex, multi-step custom synthesis services to the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and industrial marketplace. Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals offers a wide range of products from 16 worldwide manufacturing sites, including cGMP plants in St. Louis, Missouri; Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; Gillingham, UK and Buchs, Switzerland.