Ceramic and glass business news of the week for February 12, 2024

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Bill Gates- and Jeff Bezos-backed startup discovers large-scale copper deposit in Zambia

Backed by a coalition of billionaires, including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, California-based metals exploration company KoBold Metals says it has discovered a vast copper deposit in Zambia. The company believes its Mingomba copper project in Zambia will be one of the world’s biggest high-grade large copper mines.

Rainbow Rare Earths hails successful rare earth oxide separation at pilot plant

Rainbow Rare Earths reported advancements in oxide separation at its “back-end” pilot plant in Florida, where partner K-Tech successfully produced separated rare earth oxides from mixed rare earth carbonate derived from the Phalaborwa project in South Africa.

Cleveland-Cliffs reports second successful blast furnace hydrogen trial

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. successfully completed a hydrogen injection trial on its Indiana Harbor No. 7 blast furnace. The trial was enabled by a recently commissioned hydrogen pipeline at Indiana Harbor.

Oklahoma City wants to steal New York’s thunder with new tallest skyscraper in US

Today, the tallest building in the U.S. is One World Trade Center in New York City, standing at 1,776 feet. But there are plans for a taller skyscraper, the Legends Tower in Oklahoma City, which would stand at 1,907 feet.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

MP Materials and Lynas explore merger amid rare earth market turmoil

MP Materials and Lynas Rare Earths, two leading producers of rare earth elements, could be considering a merger, the Australian Financial Review reported. Both Lynas, with a mine in Western Australia and a plant in Malaysia, and MP, with operations in California’s Mountain Pass, have faced challenges due to plummeting rare earth prices.

Suvo Strategic Minerals enters nonbinding MoU with major concrete infrastructure supplier

Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd. entered into a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with Polvine Pty Ltd, also known as PERMAcast. The two companies intend to jointly develop a low-carbon concrete for a range of end-use applications.

Taiwan Cement Corporation to roll out carbon capture projects with ThyssenKrupp Polysius

Taiwan Cement Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with ThyssenKrupp Polysius. Under the MoU, the partners will implement carbon capture projects aimed at capturing 100,000t/yr (10%) of Taiwan Cement Corporation’s CO₂ emissions by 2030.

GenH2 and the University of Melbourne sign agreement to advance hydrogen research

Using GenH2’s Cryostat CS500 simulation test platform, University of Melbourne researchers aim to revolutionize cryogenic and hydrogen research and development.

Materials science research collab looks to improve quantum communications

Multiverse Computing, a quantum computing solutions provider, and Single Quantum, a specialist in superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, announced an industrial materials science R&D project under a $1.4 million contract with the German Aerospace Center’s DLR Quantum Computing Initiative.

SINTX to develop ceramic 3D printing for US Army

Technology Assessment & Transfer, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SINTX Technologies, entered a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory to leverage their strengths in the areas of ceramic 3D printing and ceramic matrix composites.

OTHER STORIES

Thermal Management Symposium & Workshop: March 18–19, 2024

The American Carbon Society is organizing a two-day symposium and workshop on thermal management on March 18–19, 2024. The event will take place in the Hunt Library on the Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University.

McDanel announces name change to support expansion of material capabilities

McDanel has transitioned its name from McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies to McDanel Advanced Material Technologies. This decision is aligned with McDanel’s strategic plan to expand its technology portfolio, historically focused on high-purity tubular advanced ceramics, to include a broader range of material technologies.

Owens Corning initiates review of strategic alternatives for glass reinforcements business

Owens Corning is reviewing strategic alternatives for its global glass reinforcements business. The decision to explore alternatives for this business is consistent with the company’s strategy to focus on building and construction materials.

Colorado officials look to expand state’s semiconductor industry

Colorado economic development officials have big plans for expanding the semiconductor industry, fueled by federal funding from legislation enacted in 2022 and a series of incentives approved by state legislators in 2023.

NIST previews open competition for semiconductor research and development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology released a notice of intent for an open competition on digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, and assembly. The competition will result in the establishment of a Manufacturing USA Institute.

US DOT opens applications for $5 million research initiative for novel cement development

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $5 million funding opportunity for a research initiative on the use of steel slag in cement and concrete. This entire funding amount will be awarded, based on a competitive bidding process, to a single accredited university in partnership with a steel producer.

MARKET TRENDS

US LNG export pause leaves EU, industry at odds over energy security

Europe will have enough gas supply for the next 10 years and thereafter despite a move by the U.S. administration to pause approvals on new liquefied natural gas plants, EU energy officials and analysts said, dismissing industry’s warnings.

Mapping the energy transition’s effects on jobs

A new analysis by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers shows the places in the U.S. where jobs are most linked to fossil fuels. The research could help policymakers better identify and support areas affected over time by a switch to renewable energy.

India’s semiconductor manufacturing: Has a strong foundation been laid?

Two years after India brought in a scheme to promote semiconductor manufacturing, it is yet to approve a chip fab application. But a strong foundation has been laid, as explained in a Business Today article.

Silicon could make car batteries better—for a price

Silicon can store far more energy than graphite, the anode material in lithium-ion batteries. But their high cost and tendency to swell during charging has prevented their widespread adoption outside niche applications. Several companies now have technologies to control silicon’s swelling and are moving closer to large-scale manufacturing.

NEW PRODUCTS

L&L Special Furnace delivers XLE3436 box furnace to investment castings supplier

L&L Special Furnace delivered a large floor-standing box furnace to the heat-treating department of an investment castings supplier. The L&L model XLE3436 box furnace has an effective work zone of 34” wide by 22” high by 32” deep. It is equipped with a direct-lift vertical door with a floor switch to activate.

Vetropack launches lightweight returnable glass bottle

European glass manufacturer Vetropack introduced a 0.33-litre returnable bottle as a standard solution for the Austrian brewing industry. The bottle is one-third lighter than its conventional reusable counterpart, and more than two-thirds of the material used in production is recycled glass.

‘The Techniques of Roman-Period Glass Blowing’ by William Gudenrath

The Corning Museum of Glass announced the release of “The Techniques of Roman-Period Glassblowing” by artist and scholar William Gudenrath on Jan. 29, 2024. The free electronic tutorial features 53 illustrative videos of Gudenrath demonstrating historical glassblowing processes.