Ceramic and glass business news of the week for January 31, 2022

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Saint-Gobain uses ExOne binder jetting for AM of technical ceramics

With two different ExOne machines, Saint-Gobain Research North America is forging the path to industrial adoption of more efficient, more sustainable designs through ceramic materials research and application development. Saint-Gobain invested in its first ExOne binder jetting machine, an Innovent, in 2018. The company added an X1 25Pro in 2020.

AGI glaspac inaugurates Indian glass production facility

Indian container glass manufacturer AGI glaspac inaugurated its new manufacturing facility in Bhongir, Telangana, India. With an aim to cater to the growing demand in the speciality glass segment, the new 154 tonnes per day glass plant has initiated the production of clear glass products such as vials and nail polish bottles.

Pyrex to construct French glass manufacturing furnace

Glassware manufacturer Pyrex, part of the International Cookware Group, is to invest more than €8 million in a production furnace at the facility in Chateauroux, France. The new furnace will reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes per year.

Gerresheimer to expand glass vial production at Wertheim site

Pharmaceutical glass manufacturer Gerresheimer is to expand its glass vial production at its Wertheim, Germany manufacturing facility. The company said it was to invest in production in Wertheim to increase vials capacity by 150 million vials per year. It also plans to create 70 new jobs for this purpose.

Fuyao plots $16M US glass processing facility

Fuyao Glass America, a venture of China-based Fuyao Glass Industry Group, plans to launch a 182,000-square-foot processing facility in South Carolina. The company’s $16.1 million investment is projected to create 70 jobs.

Laos says Chinese firm can explore for rare earth minerals

Lao government officials have cleared a Chinese firm to dig for rare earths on farm and grazing land in a northeastern province of the country, with compensation for displaced villagers not yet settled.

New York demonstration project to showcase potential of long-duration zinc-air battery

Canadian energy storage company Zinc8 Energy Solutions plans to deploy a 100kW/1.5MWh battery storage system at an apartment building in Queens, New York, to demonstrate the potential of its long-duration zinc-air storage technology. It is a type of flow battery relying on regenerating zinc particles to store and dispatch energy.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

MIT Energy Initiative launches the Future Energy Systems Center

The MIT Energy Initiative launched a new research consortium—the Future Energy Systems Center—to address the climate crisis and the role energy systems can play in solving it. This integrated effort engages researchers from across all of MIT to help the global community reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions.

Agreement inked to develop hydrogen recycling of end-of-life wind turbine magnets

Magnet metal and rare earths miner Pensana signed a cooperation agreement with oil, gas, and wind power company Equinor to form a working group to share technical and commercial information to develop a low-energy method for recycling end-of-life magnets at Pensana’s rare earths hub in the Saltend Chemical Park in the U.K.

Höganäs and Piab partner to increase sustainability of additive manufacturing

Sweden’s Höganäs AB and Piab AB have formed a partnership to leverage their respective areas of expertise with the goal of advancing automation in additive manufacturing, aiming to increase the sustainability and efficiency of the process.

OTHER STORIES

SCHOTT reports a successful year and increases investments

SCHOTT announced a number of details on their global sales results and planned investments for 2022. For example, sales rose to EUR 2.5 billion in the 2020/21 fiscal year, amounting to an increase of 13% compared to the previous year. The company plans a new record investment of EUR 450 million for 2022.

Bucher Emhart Glass reports ‘exceptionally high demand’

Exceptionally high demand helped boost Bucher Emhart Glass sales in 2021. The container glass technology supplier said it experienced a rapid upturn in demand from the slump of the previous year. Order intake grew by nearly two thirds compared to the low level of the previous year, putting it back to the very high level of 2019.

L&L Special Furnace Co Inc receives order for 10 lab-scale box furnaces

L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. received an order for 10 model GS1714 general-purpose, bench-top lab furnaces. These furnaces will be used as part of a precious metals recovery system for a worldwide manufacturer of catalytic converters, medical devices, and pollution environment controls.

Automotive lobbying group abandons the term ‘self-driving’

The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group representing a number of auto industry heavyweights, renamed itself to the “Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association” (AVIA), a notable shift away from the term “self-driving.”

Senators introduce bipartisan bill to end US dependence on Chinese rare earth elements

On January 14, Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Restoring Essential Energy and Security Holdings Onshore for Rare Earths (“REEShore”) Act “to protect America from the threat of rare-earth element supply disruptions, encourage domestic production of those elements, and reduce [the United States’] reliance on China.”

House unveils America COMPETES Act of 2022

On January 25, the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a legislative package called the America COMPETES Act of 2022, their long-awaited full response to the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed last June. Both acts would directly appropriate $52 billion for semiconductor production and R&D initiatives that were authorized last year.

MARKET TRENDS

Poll: 88% of Europeans want more renewable energy

A poll, commissioned by the European Parliament and Commission jointly, asked 26,530 people across all 27 EU states about various issues, from citizenship to renewable energy. An immense 88% of people said they wanted renewable energy to be a larger share of European GDP. As of 2020, the EU had a 21.3% share of energy from renewable sources.

What happens if Russia cuts off Europe’s natural gas?

The New York Times looks at the increasing global tensions concerning Ukraine and world energy markets and discusses some of the key issues.

NEW PRODUCTS

Discover Zetasinter chamber: ceramic large capacity furnace

Nanoe released a new furnace that broadens the design possibilities of ceramic 3D printing. Thanks to a large dimension chamber (30cm x 20cm x 20cm), it is now possible to sinter large ceramic parts in the Zetasinter chamber.

Alteo: New range of specialty alumina solutions for refractories

Alteo announced REal, a new range of alumina solutions for refractories. This new range is easier to select, easier to manage, demonstrates improved performance levels, and is stable and high quality.

ROSS ultra-high shear mixer for sanitary and industrial applications

The ROSS X-Series Inline Ultra-High Shear Mixer is designed for efficient high-throughput emulsification, dispersion, and homogenization. It is available in both sanitary and industrial configurations.