Catacarb
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersLawrence, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Catacarb does
Catacarb, operated by privately held Eickmeyer & Associates, Inc. and founded in 1961 by A.G. Eickmeyer, licenses a Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) CO2 removal and capture technology to industrial customers. The core CATACARB Process chemically absorbs CO2 from mixed gas streams under pressure using a potassium carbonate solution and strips it with steam in a separate tower; the Enhanced HPC variant adds proprietary inorganic or organic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, and antifoams that together improve absorption and stripping efficiency by more than 40% over base HPC, enable mostly carbon steel construction, and reduce both capital and energy costs.
Catacarb serves enterprise customers across chemicals (EO/EG producers Shell, BASF, Mitsubishi Chemical), refining and hydrogen (ExxonMobil, SHARQ), ammonia synthesis, natural gas treating, and increasingly post-combustion carbon capture and waste-to-energy (Stockholm Exergi BECCS, KEZO Hinwil pilot, Karbon Korea Karfree V1). Go-to-market combines direct licensing to engineering contractors and operating companies with no annual fees on direct deals, plus channel partnerships with ANDRITZ and Sulzer that extend global reach. Revenue comes from one-time technology licensing and process design package fees, plus a recurring stream from ongoing sales of CATACARB catalysts, inhibitors, and antifoams that also unlock continued technical support.
Catacarb has installed more than 200 units in 35 countries since 1961, accumulated over 40 million operating hours of plant data, and runs a proprietary HPC simulation program based on inputs from 150+ plants. The firm reports 1-10 employees, is led by CEO Gary Buckholz, has no disclosed venture or private equity funding, and remains privately held under Kansas, USA jurisdiction. Recent strategic activity has concentrated on scaling post-combustion and waste-to-energy carbon capture, with the Stockholm Exergi 800,000-ton-per-year BECCS project representing the largest disclosed commercial engagement to date.
Catacarb firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catacarb
- Legal name
- Eickmeyer & Associates, Inc.
- Website
- https://catacarb.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catacarb industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Carbon Capture Technology
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capture Solvents, Sorbents & Catalysts Supply (Formulation, Manufacturing, Reclamation) (EUABAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Catacarb is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lawrence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Catacarb business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing: CATACARB licenses and designs both Basic HPC and Enhanced HPC technology to engineering contractors and operating companies. Process designs and know-how are furnished under license with no annual fees for direct client licensing. Can be licensed directly to clients or through select partnerships.
- Process Design Packages: Provides process design packages including process summaries, material balances, process performance/efficiency guarantees, operating instructions/control philosophies, and relevant equipment datasheets for CO2 removal section. Works with clients and contractors to integrate CATACARB Process into overall design and utility balance.
- Chemical Additives (Catalysts, Inhibitors, Antifoams): Ongoing sale of proprietary HPC solution additives including organic catalysts, inorganic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, and antifoams. Approved suppliers ensure reliable delivery of CATACARB chemicals to clients around the globe. Continued purchase of CATACARB chemicals opens access to world-class support.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Catacarb product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catacarb licenses the CATACARB Process, a Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) CO2 removal and capture technology, to engineering contractors and operating companies. The process chemically absorbs CO2 under pressure in an absorption tower using potassium carbonate dissolved in water, then strips the absorbed CO2 with steam. The company provides both Basic HPC and Enhanced HPC technology, proprietary chemical additives (inorganic and organic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, antifoams), and process design packages including performance/efficiency guarantees, simulation, and ongoing technical support.
Product overview
Catacarb offers a unified carbon capture technology portfolio centered on the CATACARB Process, a hot potassium carbonate (HPC) CO2 removal technology that has been exclusively developed since 1961. The core offering includes both Basic HPC and Enhanced HPC (with proprietary additives), supported by a complementary line of chemical products including inorganic and organic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, and antifoams. These products are designed to work together: the catalysts accelerate absorption/stripping rates, corrosion inhibitors enable cost-effective carbon steel construction, and antifoams prevent operational issues. Catacarb also provides associated services including HPC Simulation (proprietary design simulation), Process Design (full design packages), Conversion to CATACARB (revamp services), and ongoing Support. The company has deployed over 200 units in 35 countries across applications including carbon capture (CCUS), ethylene oxide, VAM, hydrogen/ammonia, natural gas, and other specialty gas streams.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CATACARB Process (Basic HPC) Hot potassium carbonate (HPC) CO2 removal and capture technology licensed from Eickmeyer & Associates, Inc. The process chemically absorbs CO2 under pressure in an absorption tower using potassium carbonate dissolved in water, then strips absorbed CO2 with steam in a separate tower, allowing selective removal of CO2 from mixed-composition gas streams. Targeted at industrial plants in power, refining, chemicals, and gas processing sectors.
- Enhanced HPC The CATACARB process enhanced with proprietary additives (inorganic and organic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, antifoams) to improve CO2 stripping and absorption efficiencies by more than 40% over base HPC. Enables mostly carbon steel construction reducing capital cost, and supports higher-purity CO2 capture for industrial facilities.
- CATACARB Chemical Additives (Catalysts, Inhibitors, Antifoams) Ongoing sale of proprietary HPC solution additives including organic and inorganic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, and antifoams. Approved suppliers ensure reliable global delivery to clients operating CATACARB units. Continued purchase of CATACARB chemicals opens access to world-class process support.
- Process Design Packages Tailored process design packages for CO2 removal sections including process summaries, material balances, performance/efficiency guarantees, operating instructions and control philosophies, and relevant equipment datasheets. Works with clients and contractors to integrate CATACARB Process into overall plant designs and utility balance.
- HPC Simulation Proprietary HPC simulation software built on data from 150+ CATACARB plants and 40+ million operating hours. Empirically-driven modeling of mass transfer, momentum transfer, thermodynamics, and solution chemistry provides high-confidence designs and performance/efficiency guarantees.
- Conversion to CATACARB Revamp service converting existing HPC systems to CATACARB. Often requires minimal equipment changes; addition of CATACARB additives can increase absorption and stripping efficiencies by more than 40%.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40%+ efficiency improvement with inorganic catalyst over uncatalyzed HPC process
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Catacarb
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Catacarb technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Catacarb partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KEZOcoreKEZO, Zurich Oberland's waste utilization service provider, partnered with CATACARB to develop pilot carbon capture plant using HPC technology at waste incineration facility in Hinwil, Switzerland. System designed for 90% CO2 separation efficiency. Sulzer provides worldwide technology licensing for this project. Operational data will inform KEZO's commercial deployment decisions.
- Stockholm ExergicoreStockholm Exergi selected CATACARB Enhanced HPC technology for world's largest carbon capture project. CATACARB provides technology, design, and support to capture approximately 800,000 tons of CO2 per year from biomass and waste-to-energy operations. Collaboration began April 28, 2021. Operations planned to begin 2028. Partnership supported by EU Innovation Fund and Swedish government.
- ANDRITZcoreInternational technology group ANDRITZ licensed CATACARB HPC technology to expand their carbon capture portfolio. ANDRITZ provides technology, design and support to offer complete carbon capture plants to wide range of industries. Complements ANDRITZ's existing chemical absorption and membrane separation technologies. Based on extensive experience in flue gas treatment systems design.
- Karbon KoreacoreEickmeyer & Associates designed and licensed CATACARB HPC process for Karbon Korea's mobile demonstration plant 'Karfree V1'. Plant installed at KC Glass Factory in Cheonan, South Korea, successfully completing six months of trial operation. Subsequently relocated to Gangnam Resource Recovery Facility for incineration flue gas capture demonstration. Korea Testing Laboratory confirmed 99.11% CO2 purity and 96.26% capture rate.
- Shell ChemicalsminorShell Chemicals is a leading EO/EG producer and licensor that employs the CATACARB process for their CO2 removal needs. CATACARB works with EO/EG plant licensors to fine-tune CATACARB design for optimal economics.
- BASFminorBASF is a leading EO/EG producer employing the CATACARB process for their CO2 removal needs.
- Mitsubishi ChemicalminorMitsubishi Chemical is an EO/EG producer and licensor employing the CATACARB process for their CO2 removal needs.
- Shell Catalyst & TechnologiesminorCATACARB General Manager and VP Marc Donnelly co-authored Shell whitepaper 'Navigating Low Product Demand: How EO/EG Producers Can Optimize Their Operation' with Shell Catalyst & Technologies.
- SHARQminorSHARQ is an EO/EG producer employing the CATACARB process for their CO2 removal needs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Catacarb competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries offers the KS-1 and KM-CDR solvent-based CO2 capture processes, widely licensed for post-combustion capture at power plants and industrial facilities. It competes directly with CATACARB in the same CCUS technology licensing market.
- Carbon Clean: Carbon Clean delivers modular post-combustion carbon capture technology using proprietary solvent systems to industrial emitters. It competes head-to-head with CATACARB in industrial flue gas decarbonization and has overlapping customer segments in cement, steel, and waste-to-energy.
- Aker Carbon Capture: Aker Carbon Capture provides modular and mobile post-combustion CO2 capture solutions for industrial emitters, directly competing with CATACARB's HPC technology in cement, waste-to-energy, and power applications. Both target similar blue-chip industrial customers with point-source capture offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Siemens Energy: Siemens Energy offers post-combustion CO2 capture solutions and EPC services to power and industrial customers, overlapping with CATACARB's flue gas decarbonization applications at scale.
- Air Products: Air Products is a major industrial gas and hydrogen producer with proprietary CO2 capture and gas processing technologies, serving overlapping refinery, ammonia, and hydrogen customers as CATACARB.
- Fluor Corporation: Fluor is a global EPC contractor with significant proprietary post-combustion CO2 capture technology (Fluor Econamine FG+) for power and industrial clients. It competes with CATACARB in delivering full capture plant design and execution.
- Shell CANSOLV: Shell CANSOLV provides amine-based CO2 capture technology licensed to industrial and power customers globally. As part of Shell's broader catalyst and technology licensing portfolio, it overlaps with CATACARB in industrial CCUS applications but does not specialize in HPC.
- Honeywell UOP: Honeywell UOP licenses the Benfield process, a hot potassium carbonate-based CO2 removal technology closely related to CATACARB's HPC process, used historically in ammonia and hydrogen plants. As a broad incumbent, UOP offers an overlapping capability as part of a much larger gas processing and refining technology portfolio.
- Linde (OASE Gas Treating): Linde licenses OASE and BASF aMDEA gas treating technologies for CO2 removal in natural gas, ammonia, and hydrogen plants - directly overlapping with CATACARB's HPC-based CO2 capture in industrial gas streams.
Emerging players
- Climeworks: Climeworks is a leading direct air capture (DAC) company focused on atmospheric CO2 removal rather than point-source capture. While it addresses a different segment of the CCUS value chain, it competes for the same customer carbon-reduction budgets and policy-driven demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Catacarb social profiles
Digital presenceCatacarb financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catacarb leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Catacarb funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catacarb M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catacarb
What does Catacarb do?
Catacarb licenses the CATACARB Process, a Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) CO2 removal and capture technology, to engineering contractors and operating companies. The process chemically absorbs CO2 under pressure in an absorption tower using potassium carbonate dissolved in water, then strips the absorbed CO2 with steam. The company provides both Basic HPC and Enhanced HPC technology, proprietary chemical additives (inorganic and organic catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, antifoams), and process design packages including performance/efficiency guarantees, simulation, and ongoing technical support.
Is Catacarb a public or private company?
Catacarb is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Catacarb founded?
Catacarb was founded in 1961. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Catacarb based?
Catacarb is headquartered in Lawrence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catacarb make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing is the primary driver. The others are process Design Packages and chemical Additives (Catalysts, Inhibitors, Antifoams).
Who are Catacarb's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Carbon Clean and Aker Carbon Capture. Broad incumbents are Siemens Energy, Air Products, Fluor Corporation, Shell CANSOLV, Honeywell UOP and Linde (OASE Gas Treating). Climeworks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Catacarb have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catacarb.
What industry is Catacarb in?
Catacarb's product category is Industrial Carbon Capture Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAGAJ, Capture Solvents, Sorbents & Catalysts Supply (Formulation, Manufacturing, Reclamation). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2810.