CGBN

Infinium uses ceramics to make metals cleaner, cheaper

In lab space across from a yoga studio in an office park in Natick, Massachusetts, Adam Powell holds up a brilliant white ceramic tube that he says is the key to making the production of many widely used metals significantly cheaper and less polluting. Powell is the chief technology officer of Infinium, a startup spun out of Boston University that’s been operating quietly since 2008 and is now ready to go to market with its first products—the “rare earth” metals neodymium and dysprosium.

Acquisition of Porextherm Dämmstoffe GmbH heralds further growth for Morgan Advanced Materials

Morgan Advanced Materials announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire leading insulation manufacturer Porextherm Dämmstoffe GmbH, adding to its broad portfolio of thermal insulation products and solutions. The agreement was entered into by Morgan Deutschland Holding GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the German competition authority.

GE breaks ground on $400M Power & Water advanced manufacturing facility

GE announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art Power & Water advanced manufacturing facility to be built in Greenville, SC. GE plans to invest $400 million over the next ten years in Greenville to expand the company’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. The facility will serve as an incubator for innovative advanced manufacturing process development and rapid prototyping for the Power & Water businesses, including wind turbines, heavy duty gas engines, distributed power gas engines, nuclear power services and water processing. The new facility is expected to open in 2015.

PPG to manufacture Starphire glass using oxy-fuel furnace in Fresno

PPG Industries announced that it will manufacture Starphire ultra-clear glass using oxy-fuel furnace technology at its float glass plant in Fresno, Calif. West Coast production of Starphire glass will yield significant environmental and supply chain benefits. PPG’s Fresno plant is one of only six flat glass production facilities in the world to incorporate oxy-fuel furnace technology, which employs oxygen instead of air to help combust raw materials used in the manufacture of float glass. Oxygen-fired glass furnaces consume 15 percent less natural gas than conventional air-fired furnaces while reducing carbon emissions by 10 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 50 percent.

Rak Ceramics and Sacmi: new sizes of tile with Continua Plus

Rak Ceramics (United Arab Emirates) has commissioned Sacmi to renew its large tile production line. An all new Continua Plus line for the manufacture of technical and glazed porcelain tiles is currently being shipped: this will produce tiles as big as 1500 x 3000 with different thicknesses. Continua Plus is the evolution of the now consolidated Continua, a technology developed and patented by the Sacmi Group to manufacture large slabs. 

NSG flips switch in new Vietnam float glass line

The NSG Group’s new ultra-thin glass float line at NSG Vietnam Glass Ltd., which announced its inception in April, was lit up this week for the first time. According to the company, the new line will begin production from the second half of this fiscal year and joins a Japan line as the second of its kind. Both the Japan and Vietnam line are dedicated to NSG’s Ultra Fine Flat glass, which coincides with the company’s handle on the LCD application market.

Vitrum announces dates for 2015 event

The glass industry will travel to Italy in 2015 for the bi-annual Vitrum, taking place October 6-9 at the Fiera Milano exhibition complex in Rho. The highlights of the event, now being held for the 19th time, will include glass products and machinery from around the world for industry, buildings, furniture and residential settings.

Kyocera, four other companies reach basic agreement on development plan for 430-MW solar power project

Kyocera Corporation, along with Photovolt Development Partners GmbH, Kyudenko Corporation, ORIX Corporation, and Mizuho Bank, Ltd., announced that they have reached a basic agreement to investigate the possibility of operating a 430-MW solar power project on the island of Ukujima (Sasebo City, Nagasaki Pref., Japan). The project would be the largest in the world to be implemented on agricultural land.

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