Interdisciplinary Department of Materials Science and Engineering established

The formation of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University has been approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, announced M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. The new department will be jointly operated by the College of Engineering and College of Science. The new Department of Materials Science and Engineering will offer Master of Science, Master of Engineering and PhD degrees. More than 100 graduate students will transfer to the new department and are already working on a wide range of materials-related interdisciplinary research projects. The new department will include 41 faculty members from several disciplines, including aerospace engineering, biology, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering and physics. An undergraduate program is under consideration for the future.

CSL Capital Management announces sale of PyraMax Ceramics, LLC to Imerys S.A.

A consortium led by CSL Capital Management, LLC announced today it has sold PyraMax Ceramics, LLC (“PyraMax”) to Imerys S.A. for a total consideration of USD 235 million and additional payments of up to USD 100 million, subject to meeting certain industrial and commercial performance criteria. PyraMax is in the final stages of completing a state-of-the-art, 500 million pounds per year manufacturing facility comprised of two production lines located in Wrens, Ga. Imerys’ acquisition of PyraMax, added to its current production capacity, will significantly enhance its ability to supply high-quality ceramic proppant to the fast-growing North America non-conventional oil and gas market.

Morgan Crucible unifies operations to provide a broader, more comprehensive product offering to its customers

Morgan Crucible has combined its two divisions Morgan Ceramics and Morgan Engineered Materials to create a unified business under the new name Morgan Advanced Materials. The simplified structure completes the company’s journey over recent years to create a unified and coherent “one Morgan” business that better reflects its activities in a wide range of technically demanding, high performance engineering applications. The change will allow the Group to promote its full range of products and technologies more effectively and help position it for continued growth in its chosen markets in the energy, transport, healthcare, electronics, petrochemical and industrial sectors. Morgan Advanced Materials designs and manufactures performance materials engineered as high specification components, assemblies and systems. Much of its business involves the design and manufacturer of precision-engineered bespoke parts developed in close collaboration with customers to help them make step change improvements in the performance of their products, some of which operate in extreme environments.

Refractories short course announced

The Orton Ceramic Foundation has announced the dates for its next “Introduction to Refractories” Short Course to be held June 24-26, 2013. The course is designed to provide an intense overview for engineers and technicians working in the field of refractories. The highlight of the course is the “hands-on” labs conducted at the Orton Testing facility. The labs are designed to give participants experience with common refractory tests and the application of standard ASTM test methods. Registration is limited.

Schott opens submissions for 13th Otto Schott Research Award

Schott opened submissions for the Otto Schott Research Award, which honors outstanding scientific achievements in the field of international glass research. First awarded in 1991, this honor alternates with the Carl Zeiss Research Award every other year. Valued at 25,000 euros, the award is aimed at world-class researchers. Candidates must provide references of their outstanding scientific achievements in fundamental research or technology development in the areas of glass and related advanced materials, components, and systems in the fields of optics and electronics, solar power, health, and living. The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2013. Applications can be submitted by email or traditional mail to the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Humanities and Sciences in Germany, Barkhovenallee 1, 45239 Essen (Heidhausen), Germany. Detailed information on how to apply, the award itself, and previous award winners can be found at www.otto-schott-research-award.de.

Glasstec 2014 dates announced

The dates for glasstec 2014, International Trade Fair for Glass Production–Processing–Products, are set. The event will be held from October 21–24, 2014 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. Exhibitor applications for glasstec 2014 will be available online at www.glasstec-online.com. At the first Advisory Board meeting for glasstec 2014, a number of key decisions were made regarding future stagings. Solarpeq—International Trade Fair for Solar Production Equipment 2014—will be completely integrated into glasstec. In the future, it will enhance the product ranges of the world’s largest glass trade fair and feature manufacturing technology for crystalline and thin-film photovoltaics as a special themed area. Glasstec is renowned for its unique array of product ranges across all stages of the value chain and its versatile special themes.

Canton and Pittsburgh events highlight midstream development opportunities in Ohio and Pennsylvania

Hundreds of executives from construction companies, engineering and architectural firms and other service providers gathered in Canton and Pittsburgh this week to hear a single message from oil and gas midstream developers: Get ready for billions of dollars of development in and around eastern Ohio—and be prepared to participate, because there is plenty of work to go around. The executives met Tuesday, April 9, at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Oil & Gas Midstream Seminar, and also April 10-12 at the North American Prospect Expo (NAPE) East in Pittsburgh. At both events, representatives of the midstream companies developing pipelines as well as processing and storage facilities for the Utica and Marcellus plays talked of their big plans for the region and their need for help in executing them.


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