Ceramic and glass business news of the week for December 20, 2021

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

CoorsTek plant in South Korea earns top chemical safety award

The CoorsTek plant in Gumi, South Korea, was recently presented with an award from the National Institute of Chemical Safety in recognition of the facility’s exceptional safety protocols and best-in-class chemical accident prevention plan.

Rare earth developer secures funding for demonstration processing plant in Wyoming

Rare Element Resources, the mineral exploration and development company behind the Bear Lodge mining project in northeastern Wyoming, announced that it had secured funding for a demonstration-scale separation and processing plant in Upton, nine miles from its proposed rare earths mine.

Forglass opens glass engineering center

Forglass opened a glass engineering center in Katowice, Poland. It is the new home for a team of engineers, who design technological lines for glass producers across Europe. The center also houses an R&D department.

Argentina’s Vidrios Riojanos to construct glass manufacturing facility

Vidrios Riojanos, a glass producer owned by the government of La Rioja province in Argentina, received a federal government loan of ARS 900mn (US$ 9million) to build a wine glass bottles factory capable of 100,000 units per day in la Rioja. The facility is expected to begin production operations in August 2022.

Encirc plots £75 million distribution ‘mega hub’

U.K. glass bottle manufacturer and filler Encirc plans to build a national distribution hub for the U.K. and European drinks industry. It is anticipated the fully automated “mega hub” will be built within the next three years and will mark a step forward in the evolution of glass packaging supply chains in the U.K.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Entegris to acquire electronic materials maker CMC for $6.5 billion

Entegris struck a deal to acquire CMC Materials in a transaction valued at about $6.5 billion. CMC, which until last year was known as Cabot Microelectronics, is the world’s leading producer of chemical mechanical planarization slurries, used to smooth the surfaces of circuit-laden silicon wafers between semiconductor chip fabrication steps.

ASM and KOMIR cooperate to expand the use of rare earths and critical metals in Korea

Australian Strategic Materials Limited signed a joint statement of cooperation with the Korean Mine Rehabilitation and Resource Corporation, formerly Korean Resources Corporation, to enable the supply of critical minerals and metals into Korea.

Nigeria, China to partner on renewable energy

The federal government of Nigeria says it will partner with China on the development of a renewable energy research center that will boost renewable energy technology in selected Nigerian universities.

OTHER STORIES

Future of glass highlighted at Şişecam Symposium

Şişecam welcomed more than 600 glass professionals to the 36^th Şişecam Glass Symposium with the theme “Glass is Future.” The future, sustainability, and new technologies of the glass industry were among topics discussed at the virtual symposium.

CarbonCure celebrates milestone moments for decarbonized concrete

Canadian carbon dioxide removal company CarbonCure confirmed that its 500^th carbon mineralisation system was sold to one of its visionary concrete producer partners. The news comes as the company also celebrates two million truckloads of low carbon concrete made by its producer partners using its technologies.

Simple refractory repairs to prevent boiler shutdowns

The Plibrico Company, a leading supplier of monolithic refractories and construction services, published a list outlining common refractory problems along with cost-saving remedies to get your boiler back on-line.

NIST seeking input for emerging technologies study

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public input to inform congressionally mandated studies on eight emerging technology areas: artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain technology, advanced materials, 3D printing, Internet of Things and its application in manufacturing, and unmanned delivery services. Submissions are due Jan. 31, 2022.

MARKET TRENDS

Gas crisis fuels call for UK to update energy security policy

The Guardian reports that the UK Energy Research Centre, a group of academics funded by the government’s UK Research and Innovation body, called for a review of the country’s energy security policy, warning ministers had been “complacent about the supply of gas for too long.”

A power struggle over cobalt rattles the clean energy revolution

The New York Times reports on how the quest for Congo’s cobalt driven by the clean energy revolution is caught in a familiar cycle of exploitation, greed, and gamesmanship that often puts narrow national aspirations above all else.

Localization a key economic driver of the wind energy industry

According to Nordex Energy South Africa, wind energy industry localization will drive the value chain and stimulate local jobs and skills in the sector.

NEW PRODUCTS

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems commissions continuous mesh belt annealing line

Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems announced the commissioning of a 24” wide, 3-zone mesh belt annealing furnace to a Midwest manufacturer of brass components. The brass annealing furnace is designed with a maximum operating temperature of 1650°F with a capacity of 800 lbs/hr, and uses a blend of nitrogen and hydrogen atmospheres.

Oppo unveils its take on smart glasses with the Air Glass

Global smartphone brand OPPO officially unveiled its assisted reality device called Air Glass that comes with a spark micro projector, cutting-edge micro LED, and a bespoke diffraction optical waveguide display that supports user interactions through touch, voice, head movement, and hand motion.