What Zeochem does

Zeochem is a privately held Swiss specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1979 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with seven production and office locations across Switzerland, the United States (Louisville), China, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Singapore, and a headcount of 51-100. The company develops and manufactures three principal product families: synthetic molecular sieve zeolites (3A, 4A, 5A, 13X, Calcium X, and Lithium X grades, plus activated alumina and Purmol powders) used for gas and liquid separation, drying, and purification; silica-based chromatography gels (ZEOprep, ZEObeads, and ZEOsphere) used in analytical, preparative, and industrial-scale separations; and deuterium labeled compounds (marketed as ZEOtope) used as NMR solvents, deuterated reagents for active pharmaceutical ingredients and OLED displays, deuterium gas, and deuterium oxide.

Underlying technology centers on synthetic zeolite chemistry, with proprietary ultra-stable molecular sieve formulations and patented lithium molecular sieve binding systems enabling thousands of thermal regeneration cycles and product service lives approaching 20 years in applications such as ethanol dehydration. Chromatography gels include mixed-mode DRP silica for charged-molecule purification in biologics, while the deuterium franchise originates from the 2018 acquisition of Armar AG (ARMAR Isotopes) and is produced at a modern facility in Rüti, Switzerland, under ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Zeochem generates revenue primarily through direct sales of adsorbent and chromatography products to enterprise customers in medical oxygen generation, industrial gas, petrochemical, biopharmaceutical, ethanol/biofuel, natural gas/LNG, food and beverage, electronics, and CASE industry verticals, supplemented by technical services including molecular sieve regeneration. Pricing is quote-based with no public disclosure. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales supported by global sales engineers, technical service teams, and a professional website with detailed product and application content, while a 2025 partnership with Headwaters Solutions extends the company into integrated H2 pressure swing adsorption units for hydrogen purification.

Name

Zeochem

Legal name

Zeochem

Website

https://zeochem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zeochem is a privately held Swiss specialty chemicals manufacturer of synthetic molecular sieve zeolites, silica chromatography gels, and deuterium labeled compounds, serving enterprise customers in medical oxygen, industrial gas, petrochemical, biopharma, ethanol, and electronics applications across seven global sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Chemicals - Molecular Sieves and Adsorbents

NAICS

Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (3259), Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (325180), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Zeolites & Molecular Sieves (IMAEAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zeolites (Natural & Synthetic) (IMAEAFAN), Silica, Alumina & Metal Oxide Adsorbents/Desiccants (IMAEAIAG), Gas Separation & Purification Adsorbents (PSA/TSA) (IMAEAIAI)

Keywords

• Molecular sieve zeolites
• Chromatography silica gels
• Deuterium labeled compounds
• Odor control adsorbents
• Industrial gas purification

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Molecular Sieve Products: Sale of synthetic molecular sieve zeolites including 3A, 4A, 5A, 13X, Calcium X, Lithium X, and Activated Alumina for industrial gas separation, drying, and purification applications. Products are sold directly to industrial customers worldwide with technical service support.
2. Chromatography Gels: Sale of silica-based chromatography packing materials including ZEOprep (irregular), ZEObeads (microbeads), and ZEOsphere (spherical) products for analytical, preparative, and industrial-scale chromatography separations.
3. Deuterium Labeled Compounds: Sale of deuterated compounds including NMR solvents, deuterated reagents for pharmaceuticals and OLEDs, deuterium gas, and deuterium oxide under the ZEOtope brand. Products range from small-scale research quantities to large-scale commercial production.
4. Technical Services and Support: Technical service including product selection guidance, application-specific technical advice, conceptual design support, process optimization, and molecular sieve regeneration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zeochem manufactures and sells synthetic molecular sieve zeolites (3A, 4A, 5A, 13X, Calcium X, Lithium X types and activated alumina) for industrial gas separation, drying, and purification; silica-based chromatography packing materials (ZEOprep irregular, ZEObeads microbeads, ZEOsphere spherical) for analytical and preparative chromatography; and deuterium labeled compounds (NMR solvents, deuterated reagents, deuterium gas, deuterium oxide) under the ZEOtope brand. The company also provides molecular sieve regeneration services and partners with Headwater Solutions to supply H2 PSA units, supported by a global network of sales engineers and technical service experts.

Product overview

Zeochem is a Swiss quality-oriented manufacturer of high-performance molecular sieve zeolites, chromatography gels, and deuterium labeled compounds. The product portfolio consists of four main product lines: (1) Molecular Sieves including 13X, 3A, 4A, 5A, Calcium X, and Lithium X types, along with specialized product grades (Z3-03 for ethanol dehydration, Z3-06, Z4-01, Z4-04, Z5-01, Z10-03) and Purmol zeolite powders for moisture control; (2) ZEOtope branded Deuterated Compounds covering NMR solvents, deuterated reagents for APIs and OLEDs, deuterium gas, and deuterium oxide for tracers; (3) ZEOflair Odor Control Zeolites including 100/110, 340, 350, 800/810, and 90 for VOC and odor removal; (4) Chromatography Gels comprising ZEOprep (irregular), ZEObeads (spheroidal), and ZEOsphere (spherical) silica products with various bonded phases. Zeochem also offers molecular sieve regeneration services and partners with Headwater Solutions for H2 PSA unit supply. Production facilities span Switzerland, the United States, China, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZEOflair: Odor control zeolite products for VOC and odor removal in industrial applications
• ZEOprep
• ZEOsphere
• ZEOX
• Purmol
• Rubingel
• ZEOtope

Products and services

• Molecular Sieves Crystalline aluminosilicate zeolites (3A, 4A, 5A, 13X, Calcium X, Lithium X types) and activated alumina adsorbents that remove gas or liquid impurities by molecular size or polarity, with internal surface areas up to 1,000 m2/g, for industrial gas separation, drying, and purification applications.
• Z3-03 Ethanol Dehydration Molecular Sieve A 3A type molecular sieve designed specifically for ethanol dehydration, featuring superior mechanical strength, spherical bead shape, and up to 20-year service life in fuel, industrial, pharmaceutical, and food-grade ethanol applications.
• Lithium X Molecular Sieves (ZEOX) Patented lithium molecular sieves offering exceptional nitrogen capacity, extraordinary kinetics, and superior selectivity for high-purity oxygen production in VPSA oxygen processes and medical oxygen concentrators, with the highest nitrogen-loading capacity on the market.
• Purmol Zeolite Powder Synthetic zeolite powder in 3A, 4A, and 5A types used as moisture scavengers in polyurethane coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers, with fine particle sizes around 3.3-3.5um D50 (Purmol 3ST and Purmol 4ST).
• Activated Alumina An adsorbent used as a protective layer at the inlet of gas-phase molecular sieve beds, capable of holding over 50% of its weight in liquids and protecting the molecular sieve from hydrocarbon condensates and liquid water entrainment.
• ZEOtope Deuterium Labeled Compounds
• Deuterated Reagents for APIs (D-APIs) Deuterated reagents used in the production of deuterium labeled active pharmaceutical ingredients where hydrogen replacement with deuterium can reduce metabolism rates and extend drug half-life.
• Deuterated Reagents for OLEDs Deuterated reagents for organic light emitting diodes focusing on blue color molecules, where deuterium labeling extends molecule lifetime and produces a brilliant deep blue color.
• Deuterium Gas and Deuterium Oxide (D2O) Deuterium gas in customized cylinders up to 200 bar with isotopic enrichment of 99.8 atom%D or 99.98 atom%D, and deuterium oxide in small or bulk quantities with customized isotopic enrichment, used in semiconductors, fiber optics, physics, food/beverage traceability, agriculture and hydrology research.
• NMR Solvents Deuterated NMR solvents including DMSO-d6, Chloroform-D, and Methanol-d4, pre-packed in glass ampoules for NMR spectroscopy, produced at the ISO 9001:2015 certified Rüti, Switzerland facility.
• ZEOflair Odor Control Zeolites Hydrophobic and hydrophilic zeolite-based odor control adsorbents with various silica-to-aluminum ratios, available in powder and spherical bead forms, including ZEOflair 100/110, 340, 350, 800/810, and 90 for VOC and odor removal in personal care, coating, adhesive, paper, ink, polymer, automotive, and recycled plastic applications.
• ZEOprep Chromatography Gels Irregular-shaped silica gel chromatography products used in normal-phase, reversed-phase, flash chromatography, and solid phase extraction; available in bare silica and bonded phases including C18, C8, CN, Diol, NH2, NH2P, SAX, and SH.
• ZEObeads Chromatography Gels Spheroidal-shaped silica microbeads offering better chromatographic performance than irregular products, used in reversed-phase chromatography and normal phase applications.
• ZEOsphere Chromatography Gels Spherical silica chromatography products for high-end analytical and preparative purification, available in classical normal and reversed phases (C18, C8, C4, CN, NH2, Diol, Phenyl) and a DRP Mixed-Mode phase for enhanced selectivity with charged compounds.
• ZEOsphere DRP Mixed-Mode Silica Novel stationary phase with dual interaction capabilities (hydrophobic and ion-exchange) for purification of charged intermediates, peptides, insulins, oligonucleotides, and APIs, improving recovery and yield while reducing organic solvent usage.
• Molecular Sieve Regeneration Services A service that restores wet or deactivated sieves to original working capacity without damaging the zeolite or physical properties, protecting customers' financial investment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Z3-03 molecular sieve service life approaching 20 years in ethanol dehydration plants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Headwater Solutions (Headwaters Solutions LLC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 3 November 2025Zeochem partnered with Headwaters Solutions LLC after a professional relationship spanning two decades to supply new H2 PSA (Hydrogen Pressure Swing Adsorption) units worldwide and provide advanced revamp services to extend H2 PSA product recovery and purity. The partnership combines Zeochem's high adsorption capacity zeolites with Headwaters' extensive experience in building H2 PSA units and developing innovations in PSA control and fabrication.
• Armar AG (Armar Isotopes)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018Zeochem acquired the assets from Swiss company Armar AG (Armar Isotopes) in March 2018. Armar was founded in 1986 and had long-term cooperation with Zeochem in the production of deuterated compounds. Production of all deuterium labeled compounds was moved to Zeochem's modern facility in Rüti, Switzerland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Albemarle Corporation: Specialty chemical company with a significant catalyst and fine chemicals business serving refining, petrochemical, and industrial gas customers. Overlaps with Zeochem in specialty adsorbents and catalyst supports for hydrocarbon processing.
• Honeywell UOP: A global leader in process technology and molecular sieves/adsorbents for refining, petrochemical, and gas processing. Directly comparable to Zeochem in zeolite-based separations but operates at vastly greater scale across a much broader product portfolio.
• Clariant: Swiss-headquartered specialty chemical company with catalysts and adsorbents businesses serving industrial gas, petrochemical, and emissions control. Comparable to Zeochem as a specialty adsorbent peer with similar European base and broad end-market exposure.
• Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich / Supelco): Life science and specialty chemicals giant with a leading chromatography silica, solvents, and deuterated NMR solvents portfolio. Comparable to Zeochem's ZEOprep/ZEOsphere chromatography gels and ZEOtope NMR solvent product lines.
• W. R. Grace & Co. Specialty chemicals and catalysts producer with a strong molecular sieves and silica-based adsorbents franchise serving refining, petrochemical, and industrial customers. Directly comparable in core zeolite and chromatography silica offerings.
• Arkema (CECA): Arkema's CECA division is a long-standing European molecular sieve and specialty adsorbent manufacturer serving industrial gas, petrochemical, and insulation. Directly comparable in product range (3A, 4A, 5A, 13X sieves) and customer base.
• BASF: One of the world's largest chemical producers with a significant specialty zeolite and adsorbent portfolio serving industrial gas, petrochemical, and automotive catalysis. Competes with Zeochem in molecular sieves and adjacent specialty inorganic adsorbents.

Direct peers

• Tosoh Corporation: Japanese specialty chemical manufacturer with a dedicated molecular sieves and zeolites business serving global industrial gas and petrochemical customers. One of the closest direct competitors to Zeochem in zeolite adsorbents and chromatography media.
• Saint-Gobain NorPro: Manufacturer of molecular sieves, desiccants, and catalyst carriers including 3A, 4A, 5A, and 13X types. A direct peer in industrial adsorbents and a competitor in gas drying, purification, and petrochemical processing.
• Zeolyst International: Specialty manufacturer of zeolites and molecular sieves for catalysts, adsorbents, and ion-exchange applications. Closely comparable to Zeochem in synthetic zeolite manufacturing and industrial gas/refining end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zeochemllc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zeochem