Ceramic and glass business news of the week for December 5, 2022

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Schott begins large-scale hydrogen tests

Speciality glass manufacturer Schott began its large-scale tests on how to power its melting tanks with hydrogen. For one month, R&D experts will gradually increase the ratio of hydrogen in the melt up to 35% at Schott’s headquarters in Mainz, Germany.

Carolina Refractories, Inc. expanding operations in Horry County

Carolina Refractories, Inc., a manufacturer of monolithic refractories, announced plans to expand its operations in Horry County, South Carolina. The company’s $3.7 million investment will create 38 new jobs over the next five years. The expansion is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2023.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Arcadis completes the acquisition of DPS Group

Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy organization for natural and built assets, completed the acquisition of DPS, a consultancy, engineering, and construction management company for life sciences and semiconductor facilities. The acquisition comes after five years of successful collaboration between both organizations.

Mamba Exploration secures option to acquire high-grade Hyden rare earths project

Mamba Exploration entered into an option agreement to purchase 100% of the rare earth element rights across four exploration licenses near the town of Hyden in Western Australia. The “exceptionally high-grade” licenses are being acquired from private vendor Licograph Pty Ltd and cover an area of 561 square kilometers.

Saint-Gobain signs renewable energy supply agreement in Spain

Saint-Gobain signed a power purchase agreement with Endesa, a Spanish energy supplier. The 11-year agreement will start in 2024 and will cover around 55% of Saint-Gobain’s Spanish electricity needs. The electricity supplied by Endesa will be generated by its renewable portfolio: wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.

OTHER STORIES

UNITECR 2023 call for papers: Deadline extended to December 15

The upcoming 2023 edition of the Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories will take place Sept. 26–29, 2023, in Germany. The deadline for abstract submissions is extended until Dec. 15, 2022. Once your abstract is accepted, you will be asked to submit a paper (detailed manuscript) or a poster by June 30, 2023.

CHIPS and Science Act enshrines policy for new NSF Technology Directorate

The CHIPS and Science Act prescribes the mission of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships that the National Science Foundation created early this year, establishing priority focus areas and authorizing new programs supporting technology commercialization, regional innovation, and workforce development.

Intel research fuels Moore’s Law and paves the way to a trillion transistors by 2030

At IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting 2022, Intel researchers showcased advancements in 3D packaging technology with a new 10x improvement in density, as well as novel materials for 2D transistor scaling beyond RibbonFET, including super-thin material just 3 atoms thick.

Active Minerals International announces 2023 price increase

Active Minerals International, LLC (AMI) announced today a list price increase for all products effective Jan. 1, 2023. Their portfolio of Air-Float Kaolin, Gellent Attapulgite, and Acti-Gel 208 rheology modifier products will increase up to 8.0% as contracts allow.

MARKET TRENDS

Cloudy outlook for sunscreen ingredients in the US

The chemical maker DSM is advancing bemotrizinol through the FDA approval process. If the company is successful, bemotrizinol would be the first new UV filter to hit the U.S. market since 1996. At the same time, the FDA is threatening to pull approval for existing UV filters because of agency research showing that, other than zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, these compounds absorb into the bloodstream.

NEW PRODUCTS

Corning redefines tough with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

Corning Incorporated unveiled its newest glass innovation, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. With a new glass composition, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 delivers improved drop performance on rough surfaces like concrete while preserving the scratch resistance of Gorilla Glass Victus.

ROSS Model HSM-405SC-25 inline high shear mixer with solids/liquid injection manifold

The ROSS Model HSM-405SC-25 inline high shear mixer with solids/liquid injection manifold (SLIM) technology is a unique rotor/stator device that generates a powerful vacuum without the aid of external pumps and pulls powders directly into the mix chamber, promoting instantaneous wet out under high shear conditions.