Element Six (E6), a prominent name in synthetic diamond and advanced material solutions and part of the De Beers Group, has established a commercial collaboration with Oxi-Tech Solutions, an innovative clean-tech firm located in the UK. This partnership’s primary objective is to speed up the worldwide implementation of chemical-free disinfection systems utilizing synthetic diamond electrochemistry.
Within the realms of agriculture, dairy farming, and food and beverage production, industrial cleaning processes are currently under significant strain. Companies are grappling with increasingly strict regulations concerning chemical runoff, elevated biological hygiene requirements, and the pressing need to decrease energy and resource expenditures. At the same time, conventional chemical sanitizers are proving less effective against resilient waterborne pathogens.
In a bid to eliminate the reliance on harsh, resource-intensive chemical inputs, this collaboration combines Oxi-Tech’s unique Pulse Oxidation technology with Element Six’s cutting-edge capabilities in manufacturing industrial supermaterials.
Oxi-Tech’s systems, which have been validated in the field, produce on-site ozone—a naturally occurring disinfectant that is highly reactive and short-lived—by leveraging only ambient water and low-voltage electricity. This process is effective in swiftly eradicating waterborne bacteria, viruses, and intricate biofilms.
While previous methods of generating electrolytic ozone have struggled due to component wear, the incorporation of Element Six’s proprietary boron-doped diamond (BDD) technology addresses these durability issues. By doping synthetic diamond with boron, the material transitions from being an insulator to a robust electrical conductor. When used in electrochemical cells, these self-supporting BDD electrodes offer superior chemical stability, high current density potential, and exceptional physical resilience, enabling Oxi-Tech’s systems to operate efficiently over long periods without degrading.
This partnership is already yielding tangible results and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) benefits within the commercial food sector. For instance, at Yoxter Organic Farm, run by the esteemed UK dairy brand Yeo Valley, the introduction of the diamond-enabled Pulse Oxidation system led to a significant decrease of 75% in chemical usage as well as a 75% reduction in the thermal energy needed for heating traditional cleaning water, all while adhering to strict hygiene standards.
Siobhán Duffy, CEO of Element Six, highlighted the sustainability goals fueling this initiative, stating, “This partnership is about making high-performance cleaning simpler, safer, and more sustainable across a range of industrial sectors, including agriculture, farming, and food production. By combining our synthetic diamond technology with Oxi-Tech’s systems, we can help customers improve hygiene while reducing reliance on chemicals and lowering costs.”
Paul Morris, CEO of Oxi-Tech, remarked, “We already know this technology works. Partnering with Element Six, the world leader in synthetic diamond industrial technologies, allows us to scale it faster, bringing safer, greener cleaning to more end-users at scale.”
Looking ahead, the strategic roadmap for both companies will focus on extending the technology beyond localized agricultural uses and into high-volume global food processing, beverage bottling operations, and municipal clean-in-place (CIP) systems where eco-friendly, chemical-light validation is crucial.