International

Freedonia: Demand for refractories to rise over 5% annually through 2014

By / March 31, 2011

Credit: Allentown Shotcrete Technology. The Freedonia Group, a market research firm, says that the market for refractory products generally will enjoy strong, steady growth over the next three years, especially…

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Bioactive cement plaster: Bioengineering in action

By Martin Grolms / March 29, 2011

Electron micrographs of the cross-section of magnesium phosphate cement-cylinders. (a) MPC-cylinder without bacteria. (b) Macroporous structure within the inner section of freshly prepared MPC with embedded R. ruber bacteria. (c)…

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Videos of the week: Concentrix’s concentrating photovoltaic technology

By / March 29, 2011

Last week I posted about a utility-scale concentrating photovoltaic being built in the San Diego–Imperial Valley area using CPV units built by Concentrix, a division of Soitec. Soitec, based in…

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San Diego area getting new grid link, 150 MW concentrating photovoltaic system and manufacturer

By / March 25, 2011

The San Diego area has been building out a special electrical transmission line, called the Sunrise Powerlink, which is opening up possibilities of creating utility-scale renewable energy options in nearby…

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Refractories here and there, West and East

By / March 23, 2011

Credit: Capital Refractories. I am currently in Missouri at the St. Louis Section/Refractory Ceramics Division 47th Annual Symposium that runs through March 24, 2011. The organizers, who include people such…

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Two new MgH2-based approaches for hydrogen storage proposed

By / March 23, 2011

Berkeley lab’s schematic of how high-capacity magnesium nanocrystals encapsulated in a gas-barrier polymer matrix provide a new and revolutionary hydrogen storage composite material. Credit: Jeff Urban; DOE. Two separate groups…

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Sandia, TEES and Khalifa U. launch GNEII nuclear energy safety institute for Middle East region

By / March 18, 2011

GNEII nuclear energy safety, security institute was officially launched with the signing of an agreement among TEES, Sandia National Laboratories and Khalifa University. Credit: Khalifa University. The world now is…

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Chu reports to Congress on DOE’s nuclear aid response for Japan

By / March 15, 2011

Sent out a few minutes ago from the DOE, this is from Secretary Steven Chu’s testimony this morning before the United States House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development (part…

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Thinking of our friends and the situation in Japan (updated)

By / March 14, 2011

It goes without saying that all ACerS members, leaders and staff are distraught about the effects of Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and the struggle of that nation to regain control of…

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Analysis of scale of animal trabeculae suggests new materials, structures

By / March 14, 2011

X-ray microtomograms of trabecular bone geometry across six orders of magnitude of animals’ body mass. (a) lesser dwarf shrew, (b) Arctic fox, (c) Przewlaski’s horse and (d) Asian elephant. Credit:…

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