CF Technologies

What CF Technologies does

CF Technologies, Inc. ("CF Tech") is a privately held research, engineering, and manufacturing firm headquartered in Hyde Park, Boston, MA, founded in 1989 by John Moses. The company specializes in supercritical fluid processing, using solvents such as CO2, ethanol, acetone, dimethyl ether, propane, and pentane compressed to their critical points to achieve liquid-like solvent density with gas-like diffusivity and viscosity. Core products include ASME Code Stamped and National Board Certified DurOLok pressure vessels (sizes 0.5L to 1000L, pressures up to 15,000 psi) built under an exclusive license to the patented DurOLok Quick-Acting Closure system, plus complete bench/pilot/commercial scale extraction, fractionation, separation, and aerogel production systems. The company holds 25+ U.S. patents spanning supercritical fluid extraction, rare earth separation chromatography, hydrocarbon processing, and aerogel manufacturing.

CF Tech operates a diversified revenue model spanning custom equipment manufacturing (hardware sales such as the 5L DurOLok vessel at $30,000), toll processing services at pressures up to 15,000 psi, R&D and engineering services (bench and pilot scale experimental studies, process design packages priced at less than 0.5% of installed plant cost), and technology licensing. Pricing is predominantly quote-based for custom systems and scope-based for services. Its customer base spans federal government (Department of Energy, NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, EPA, Idaho National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Lab, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army), top research universities (MIT, Princeton, Northeastern, Tufts, University of Massachusetts, Memorial), and Fortune-class industrial customers including DuPont, Honeywell, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Gillette.

The company serves six primary customer segments — nuclear/radiopharmaceutical (its primary focus, including Lutetium-177 separation for cancer therapy), renewable fuels/biodiesel, precision manufacturing cleaning, food/flavor/fragrance extraction, advanced materials, and research institutions. Strategic positioning is anchored by a co-development partnership with Idaho National Laboratory/Battelle Energy Alliance (jointly assigned U.S. Patent 12,416,064 B2 issued March 2026), a recurring DOE SBIR/STTR grant pipeline supporting rare earth element separation, defense nuclear nonproliferation, and biodiesel from waste streams, and a vertically integrated facility at the Sawtooth Tech Center with in-house machine, welding, and fabrication shops. The firm employs 11–50 staff and remains founder-owned with no institutional investor ownership identified.

Name

CF Technologies

Legal name

CF Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://cftechnologies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CF Technologies is a privately held Boston firm, founded in 1989, that designs supercritical fluid extraction systems and ASME-certified DurOLok pressure vessels for nuclear, renewable fuel, and advanced materials customers including the DOE, DOD, and Fortune 500 enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supercritical Fluid Processing Equipment and Engineering Services

NAICS

Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Gaskets, Packg & Sealg Devices & Rubber & Plastics Hose (3050), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Analytical Instruments & Chromatography Systems (HLAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC), Process Gas & High-Pressure Compressors (IMAHANAF), Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Supercritical fluid extraction
• Pressure vessel manufacturing
• Critical fluid processing
• CO2 extraction systems
• Rare earth separation

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Equipment Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of pressure vessels and complete supercritical fluid extraction systems. Products include DurOLok pressure vessels, bench/pilot/commercial scale systems. Custom fabrication including welded skids, heat exchanger systems.
2. Toll Processing Services: Toll processing up to 15,000 psi for extraction, fractionation, reaction and supercritical chromatography. Accepts legal natural products for processing. Zero to medium value waste streams processed into high value extracts.
3. R&D and Engineering Services: Laboratory and pilot scale experimental and optimization studies. Client and university sponsored joint development programs. Process design packages. Start-up, operator training, and consulting services for field installations.
4. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies including rare earth element purification processes and supercritical fluid methods to nuclear, pharmaceutical, and industrial clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CF Technologies designs, manufactures, and operates supercritical fluid processing equipment and provides related engineering, R&D, and toll processing services. The company's core offering centers on high-pressure extraction, fractionation, separation, and chromatography systems—including the proprietary DurOLok pressure vessel line—used by industrial, nuclear, pharmaceutical, defense, and research customers to extract, purify, and clean materials using critical fluids such as CO2, ethanol, acetone, dimethyl ether, propane, and pentane.

Product overview

CF Technologies (CF Tech) is a research, engineering and manufacturing firm specializing in supercritical fluid processes and separations technology. The company offers a portfolio of products and services centered around its proprietary DurOLok Pressure Vessels, which feature a patented quick-acting closure system. The product line includes extraction vessels ranging from 0.5L to 1000L with pressures up to 15,000 psi, along with complete extraction, fractionation and separation systems at bench, pilot and commercial scales. Services include toll processing, environmental remediation, aerogel production, precision parts cleaning, and process design consulting. The company also holds multiple patents covering critical fluid extraction, metal recovery and hydrocarbon processing technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DurOLok: Quick-acting, ASME Code Stamped and National Board Certified pressure vessels for supercritical fluid extraction, ranging from 0.5L to 1000L with pressures up to 15,000 psi. Exclusive license to the patented DurOLok Quick Acting Closure system.

Products and services

• DurOLok Pressure Vessels Quick-acting pressure vessels with proprietary DurOLok closure system, ASME Code Stamped and National Board Certified. Available in sizes from 0.5L to 1000L with maximum pressure rating of 15,000 psi. CRN approved for Canadian installations. Sold to industrial, research, and government customers.
• DurOLok 5L 5,000 psi Supercritical CO2 Extraction Vessel ASME-rated extraction vessel rated for 5,000 psi (345 bar) at 200°F (90°C). Features 316 SS construction with four 1/4" NPT nozzles, quick-acting DurOLok closure, and custom mounting brackets. Listed at $30,000 per unit.
• Critical Fluid Processing Systems Bench scale, pilot scale, and commercial scale supercritical fluid extraction, fractionation, and separation systems. Custom engineered for various pressures (2,500-15,000 psi) and applications including CO2 extraction, chromatography, and aerogel production.
• Toll Processing Services Contract processing services up to 15,000 psi for extraction, fractionation, reaction and supercritical chromatography. Accepts legal natural products for extraction from agricultural plants and sea life. Pricing based on project scope.
• Critical Fluid Parts Cleaning Services High precision, residue-free cleaning of intricate shapes and critical components including gyroscope systems, laser optics, ceramic components, electromechanical assemblies, and precision bearings using non-toxic, non-flammable CO2. Zero-discharge cleaning replaces CFCs and halogenated solvents.
• Aerogel Production Systems and Services Custom formulation systems for high performance thermal and acoustic insulation; multi-component catalysts, adsorbents, and ceramic precursors; monolithic custom aerogels; supercritical drying laboratory and pilot scale services.
• Environmental Services Removal of hazardous organics from water, solids and industrial wastes; closed-loop recovery and recycling of valuable products; developed technology for recycling oil absorbents (EPA Innovator awarded).
• Process Design Packages Preliminary process design packages including process flow diagrams, material balances, equipment specifications, and process narratives with cost tables for commercial plant installation decisions. Priced at minimal cost, almost always less than half a percent of installed plant cost.
• Laboratory and Pilot Scale R&D Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Greater purification in higher yield in a single step for rare earth element processing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Battelle Energy Alliance / Idaho National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Co-development partner for rare earth element purification and separation technologies. Jointly assigned U.S. Patent No. 12,416,064 B2 for selective recovery of metals from ion exchange resins. Collaborated on high-purity radiolanthanide separation research, including Lu-177 for cancer therapy. Research performed at both CF Tech and MIT Nuclear Reactor Lab.
• Florida Polytechnic University / FIPRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2022Partnership with Dr. Patrick Zhang and the Florida Industrial and phosphate Research (FIPR) Institute to develop supercritical CO2 process for extracting and purifying rare earth elements from Florida phosphate mining waste streams. Part of DOE SBIR Phase I grant.
• WRR (Waste Resource Recovery)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2016Consultant and partner on DOE-funded research for converting waste water treatment plant FOG (Fats, Oils, Greases) to ASTM certified biodiesel. WRR partner facility in Connecticut planned for Phase II pilot installation.
• Massachusetts Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing customer and joint development partner. MIT Nuclear Research Lab collaborated on radiolanthanide research including Lu-177 purification development.
• Idaho National Laboratory (Supercritical Solid Catalyst Technology)majorTechnology or IntegrationLicensed use of INL's patented supercritical solid catalyst technology combined with CF Tech's SCCO2 technology for biodiesel production without water and sulfur contaminants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shimadzu Corporation: Shimadzu produces industrial and analytical instrumentation including chromatography and spectroscopy systems — comparable to CF Tech's analytical instrumentation and chromatography offerings as part of a much larger diversified scientific equipment portfolio.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent manufactures analytical instruments including chromatography and mass spectrometry systems serving pharma, environmental, and chemical markets — comparable to CF Tech's analytical-scale chromatography work but as part of a broad instrumentation portfolio.
• Waters Corporation: Waters is a global leader in chromatography systems and analytical instruments, and previously acquired Thar Process (a supercritical fluid chromatography specialist) — overlapping with CF Tech's chromatography and supercritical fluid separation capabilities, but at vastly greater scale.
• Uhde High Pressure Technologies (thyssenkrupp): Uhde designs and builds high-pressure process plants and equipment for chemical, petrochemical, and gas processing industries — comparable to CF Tech's high-pressure processing systems but at much larger industrial-plant scale.

Emerging players

• Büchi Labortechnik: Büchi produces laboratory and industrial extraction equipment including supercritical fluid systems for food, pharma, and natural products — an adjacent European peer in extraction and processing equipment with comparable customer segments.
• Pressure BioSciences: Pressure BioSciences develops high-pressure instrumentation for sample preparation and analytical applications — a smaller-scale peer in pressure-based processing technology with overlap in life sciences and research customers.

Direct peers

• NovaSwiss / Separex (Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik BTS): NovaSwiss/Separex manufactures supercritical fluid extraction systems and high-pressure components for industrial and pharmaceutical applications — a direct European peer in supercritical CO2 extraction equipment serving comparable end markets.
• Parr Instrument Company: Parr designs and manufactures high-pressure reactors, pressure vessels, and stirred autoclaves for laboratory and industrial use — a directly comparable specialty high-pressure equipment manufacturer serving similar research and process development customers.
• Teledyne Isco: Teledyne Isco manufactures chromatography pumps, sample preparation, and supercritical fluid extraction systems — directly competing with CF Tech in preparative and process-scale chromatography hardware and pumps for research and industrial customers.
• Supercritical Fluid Technologies (SFT): SFT manufactures supercritical fluid extraction equipment at bench, pilot, and process scale using CO2 and other critical fluids — directly overlapping CF Tech's core product and customer base in academic, government, and industrial extraction applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB79AMaLZjWhFvphv3QtYPw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cf-technologies-inc.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 CF Technologies