Any products or solutions that they develop will be co-branded under a joint licensing agreement, details of which will be announced soon, the companies said.

Solecta is headquartered in Oceanside, Calif., and supplies membranes and separations analysis services. Lubrizol, of Wickliffe, Ohio, is one of the world’s leading suppliers of lubricant additives but has entered a variety of other businesses the past couple decades, including chlorinated polyvinyl chloride resins, polymers and chemicals used in paints and coatings and health and beauty products.

The separations industry includes membranes and other technologies used to separate materials during processing of things such as dairy products, foods and beverages, during precision fermentation and in industrial processes such as wastewater treatment and mining. Membranes used in such industries are divided into two main categories, organics polymers and inorganic ceramics.

Since entering the industry, Lubrizol has said that separations technology has been stagnant for years and is ripe for innovation, such as improvements in effectiveness. The company said that energy efficiency improvements are also needed because separations processes are responsible for 10% of global energy consumption.

In a Feb. 16 news release, Lubrizol and Solecta said the latter company brings experience in membrane design and manufacturing, while the former has expertise in molecular science, chemical formulation and surface science.