Lawrence, Kan. – Icorium Company has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IIB award to support the continued development of technologies that can improve the efficiency, flexibility and commercial readiness of advanced refrigerant reclamation systems. The award will fund work in digital twins, membrane separations, porous materials and engineering design that builds upon the company’s ongoing NSF-supported research.
The Phase IIB project (Award ID 2451718) builds on Icorium’s NSF Phase II program, where the company successfully demonstrated pilot-scale separation of complex refrigerant mixtures using extractive distillation with ionic liquids (EDIL). Icorium recently achieved refrigerant purities exceeding 99.5 weight percent in pilot-scale testing, meeting industry standards for reclaimed refrigerants.
“We are incredibly grateful to the National Science Foundation for its continued support,” said Kalin Baca, co-founder and CEO of Icorium. “Phase IIB gives us the opportunity to build on our pilot-scale success while addressing the technical and engineering challenges that come with commercialization. There is still important development work ahead, but this award helps us reduce risk as we continue scaling the platform.”
As part of the project, Icorium will develop machine learning-enabled digital twin capabilities that combine process simulation, pilot-scale data and operational information to improve process understanding, optimization and operator decision-making. The project will also evaluate membrane and porous material technologies that can complement the company’s core separation platform by removing trace impurities and reducing energy consumption.
“Real-world refrigerant streams are complex, and that creates significant challenges for effective reclamation,” said Abby Harders, chief technology officer at Icorium. “By combining our core separation technology with digital tools and complementary separation methods, we can address more challenging feedstocks while improving efficiency and product quality.”
Recovered refrigerants play an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting a more circular economy. However, many real-world refrigerant streams contain complex mixtures and impurities that are difficult or impossible to separate using conventional technologies. Icorium’s approach focuses on developing technologies that can recover higher-value products from these challenging streams.
The technologies supported through the Phase IIB award will also strengthen Icorium’s broader advanced separations platform as the company continues working toward commercial deployment.
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About Icorium Company
Icorium is an advanced separation technology company redefining refrigerant reclamation. Its proprietary separation technology, built on ionic liquid-based extractive distillation, hollow fiber membranes and pressure swing adsorption using porous materials, recovers high-purity refrigerants from complex mixtures that would otherwise be stockpiled, destroyed or released into the atmosphere. This scalable platform helps the industry meet evolving environmental regulations, reduce waste and advance toward a circular refrigerant economy. Founded in 2022 as a University of Kansas spinout, Icorium is headquartered at KU Innovation Park in Lawrence, Kan., and has earned national recognition for its innovation, including National Science Foundation funding and multiple startup awards.
About America’s Seed Fund (NSF SBIR)
NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, also known as America’s Seed Fund, provides non-dilutive funding to startups and small businesses to transform scientific research into market-ready products and services.