Policy

USPTO issues flurry of new rules to implement ‘America Invents Act’

By Eileen De Guire / August 10, 2012

US patent law is transforming as a result of the passage of the America Invents Act. The US Patent and Trademark Office is conducting meetings in eight cities to introduce…

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Ceramics and glass business news of the week

By / August 10, 2012

Here’s what we are hearing: Trek Inc. strategic partnership with M4 Sciences enables ultraprecision machining Trek Inc., a designer and manufacturer of high-voltage amplifiers and electrostatic voltmeters has established a…

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Facing diminishing capital, losses and 53% revenue drop, A123 takes lifeline from Chinese auto parts maker

By / August 9, 2012

Most all of us in the ceramics field, to greater and lesser extents, have been rooting for A123 Systems to succeed, so its been painful to see the company in…

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NSF’s seeking proposals, making investment in sustainable chemistry, engineering and materials

By Ashley White / July 31, 2012

The National Science Foundation has announced a cross-directorate initiative in Sustainable Chemistry, Engineering, and Materials. Created in response to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (which called for NSF…

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White House releases report on advanced manufacturing initiatives

By Eileen De Guire / July 30, 2012

A new report issued from the White House proposes 16 actions to improve manufacturing and innovation. Credit: Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee; PCAST, OSTP. The New York Times and other…

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Other materials science stories that may be of interest

By / July 23, 2012

Take a break and take a look: China cuts rare earth mining rights by half to aid consolidation (Bloomberg/Businessweek) – China, the supplier of 90 percent of the world’s rare…

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ICC4 Day 5 and parting thoughts

By Lee Leonard / July 20, 2012

Invited speaker Ashok Khandkar, from BloXR, discussed innovations in ceramic materials for biomedical applications. Credit: Russell Lee Leonard, ACerS. Thursday was the final day for the 4th International Conference on…

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New National Academies report on induced earthquakes from fracking, CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy

By Eileen De Guire / June 21, 2012

Hydraulic fracturing extracts methane from deep wells in shale deposits. A new National Academies study considers whether the technology induces local earthquakes. Credit: Wikimedia. A new study by the National…

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Data drives engineering of ceramics; workshop asks ‘how well?’

By Eileen De Guire / June 8, 2012

Steve Freiman opens a two-day workshop for about 30 participants to discuss the data needs and challenges facing the engineered ceramics and glass community. Credit: ACerS. Data. It is the…

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Other materials science stories that may be of interest

By / June 5, 2012

This “trigonal bipyramidal” crystalline structure that forms the basis of Oregon State University‘s “cool blue” pigment (see below). Credit: OSU. Check ’em out: “I like to break things”: Janine Schneider…

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