SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): November 14, 1996.
RENTECH, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
Colorado 0-19260 84-0957421
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(State or other jurisdiction Commission I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or File No. Identification No.
organization)
1331 17th Street, Suite 720, Denver, Colorado 80202
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (303) 298-8008
Item 5. Other Events.
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Rentech, Inc. ("Rentech" or "the Company") has received notice from the
United States Patent Office that three new patents will be issued pertaining
to claims on Rentech's gas conversion technology and its end products.
Two of the patents to be issued include key elements of Rentech's process
which enables Rentech's iron-based catalyst to compete with cobalt-based
catalysts. The patents protect process steps that improve Rentech's process
carbon conversion efficiency by over 30%. Because Rentech's iron-based
catalyst is significantly less expensive than cobalt catalysts, the
improvement in conversion efficiency makes Rentech's process cost-competitive.
Additionally, cobalt catalysts, due to their toxicity, are less
environmentally friendly as they create a waste hazard for their users. By
comparison, Rentech's iron-based catalyst can be disposed of in a landfill
with no environmental concerns. These factors make the Rentech process more
cost effective and environmentally safe for converting gases containing
hydrocarbons to liquids while allowing Rentech's end products to be
competitively priced with products made from crude oil or other products made
from FT processes.
The third patent notification is for use of Rentech's oxygenated, sulphur
and aromatic-free diesel fuel as an additive. This solidifies its previous
patent relating to use of Rentech's diesel fuel as an additive, which,
according to the patent to be issued, "increases the oxygen content in diesel
fuel while maintaining diesel fuel specification limits for viscosity." The
addition of these three patents brings the total number to eight patents
surrounding Rentech's technology and end products.
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The Company believes that the patents, efficiencies and environmentally
friendly process and products that Rentech's technology offers, make the
Rentech process one of the most desirable gas conversion technologies
available for remote gas sources. The Company also believes its gas conversion
technology provides means that have been long-sought by advocates of natural
gas for transforming natural gas into liquid hydrocarbon products that are
easier to store and transport, and if used on sufficient scale, could improve
the economics of gas development projects around that world that are too
remote from pipelines and liquid natural gas plants to be economically
feasible.
Rentech has licensed its technology for use in a 350 barrel per day
project in Arunachal Pradesh, India, under development for Donyi Polo
Petrochemical Pty of Bombay, India. Rentech has been solicited for quotations
for several other larger facilities by specific interested parties.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
RENTECH, INC.
Date: November 14, 1996 By: (signature)
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Dennis L. Yakobson, President
