PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES
Rainbow completes drilling at Phalaborwa rare earths project
Rainbow Rare Earths completed an auger drilling program at the Phalaborwa rare earths project in South Africa aimed at delivering an inferred Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant resource classification within the 35-million-tonne gypsum stacks. Assay samples were dispatched to SGS Laboratories, with results expected during the first quarter of 2021.
Skyharbour expands Maverick East Zone with additional high grade uranium discovered
Skyharbour Resources Ltd. announced the remaining results from its 2020 fall diamond drilling program at its Moore Uranium Project in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to the previously announced hole ML20-09, drillhole ML20-12 returned another broad zone of sandstone and basement-hosted uranium mineralization.
China’s first rare-earth heat insulation facility to be constructed
Baotou Research Institute of Rare Earth in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and a tech firm in Chengdu from Southwest China’s Sichuan Province plan to build a rare-earth heat-insulation material facility, which has attracted 20 million yuan ($3.09 million) of investment in its first phase and can produce 800 kilograms per month.
ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
CeramTec Group acquires Dentalpoint AG to expand its ceramic Medtech leadership
The CeramTec Group acquired Dentalpoint AG, the Swiss specialist for ceramic dental implants. This acquisition helps CeramTec invest in the rapidly growing future market for metal-free dental prostheses and sustainably expand its portfolio for medical technology applications.
UMS Group officially acquires Alteo
UMS, an international management consulting firm specializing in extraction, transport, and mining logistics in West Africa, announced the takeover of Alteo, enabling the French headquartered producer of specialty aluminas to strengthen its financial position and to consider further expansion.
Magnesia & refractories major Kümaş acquired by Turkish steel leader Erdemir
Kümaş Manyezit Sanayi A.Ş. of Turkey, one of the world’s leading magnesite producers, was acquired by the country’s leading steel producer, Ereğli Demir ve Çelik Fabrikaları T.A.Ş. (Erdemir), for US$340m. The Share Transfer Agreement was signed on January 4 and will conclude after legal approvals.
Northern Data acquires data center site in Northern Sweden fully powered by green energy
Northern Data AG acquired a data center facility in Northern Sweden to meet massive customer demand. The site currently consists of six data center halls on an area of 2.5 hectares and will now be further expanded by Northern Data following the acquisition.
PGT Innovations to acquire 75% ownership stake in Eco Window Systems
PGT Innovations, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of premium windows and doors, signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 75% ownership stake in Eco Window Systems and its related companies. Eco is a leading manufacturer and installer of aluminum, impact-resistant windows and doors serving the South Florida region.
Monolith, NPPD sign large renewable energy agreement
Monolith Materials and Nebraska Public Power District plan to cooperate on a renewable energy project that could be one of the largest in the state’s history. Monolith signed a letter of intent to provide 2 million megawatt-hours every year, which would be enough to allow Monolith to power a proposed $1 billion expansion near Hallam with 100% renewable energy.
Recresco and Knauf Insulation sign glass recycling agreement
Glass recycling company Recresco secured a five-year contract to supply Knauf Insulation with high quality glass cullet. Under the deal, glass from commercial and residential collections from Torfaen Council in Wales, U.K. and the wider community, and reprocessed at the Recresco site will serve Knauf Insulation for the manufacture of Mineral Wool insulation.
Stevanato Group partners with Microsoft for digital expansion
Stevanato Group strengthened its collaboration with Microsoft Italy to meet the challenges the pharmaceutical glass industry is experiencing from the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects planned with Microsoft Mixed Reality technologies are part of Stevanato’s broader digital transformation plan, which is aimed for completion by 2022.
OTHER STORIES
Gulf Energy Information launches H2Tech journal for the hydrogen community
Gulf Energy Information announced the launch of H2Tech, a working technology journal for the hydrogen sector that will be published quarterly in 2021. Coverage topics include technology advances for hydrogen production and use, hydrogen distribution and fueling infrastructure development, safety and sustainability concerns, and more.
ACI Virtual Concrete Convention to be held March 28–April 1
The American Concrete Institute announced that the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention will be held March 28–April 1, 2021. Originally scheduled as an in-person event in Baltimore, Maryland, this event is now 100% virtual. A total of 45 technical sessions will be presented live with on-demand viewing available afterward.
2021 Orton materials testing price list released
The Materials Testing & Research Center at The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation has released pricing for testing services in 2021. A complete list of available tests is online: https://www.ortonceramic.com/en/Testing.
Apple rumored to adopt GaN technology for smaller and faster USB-C chargers
Apple is rumored to be planning smaller and lighter versions of its USB-C wall chargers. The report comes from Digitimes, which says that Navitas Semiconductor is expected to obtain orders for gallium nitride chargers from Apple in 2021.
SINTX Technologies looks ahead to 2021 opportunities and beyond
SINTX Technologies, Inc., an original equipment manufacturer of silicon nitride ceramic for medical and nonmedical applications, will celebrate its 25th year in existence in 2021. A recent press release highlights some of their accomplishments to date and their plans for the future.
USA Rare Earth outlines mine-to-magnet strategy
In a Mining.com article, CEO of USA Rare Earth Pini Althaus outlined his goals for the company, including establishing rare earth element separation and processing capability in the U.S. and building manufacturing facilities for magnets containing the critical elements.
CiDRA Holdings announces the spin-out of its concrete quality systems business
CiDRA Holdings has a twenty-year history of conceiving, developing, and building leading-edge companies and then spinning them out as standalone businesses. CiDRA Concrete Systems, Inc. is the latest example of this process in action.
NSF seeking input on strategic plan
The National Science Foundation is seeking public comments on its agency-wide strategic plan for 2022 to 2026. NSF specifically welcomes input on ways it can better respond to emerging science and policy issues, help maintain U.S. leadership in the evolving global landscape, and underscore the value of fundamental research. Comments are due January 22.
DOE Fusion Panel approves long-range plan
The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee unanimously approved a strategic plan to guide the Department of Energy’s efforts in fusion energy and plasma physics research over the next decade. An article by FYI, the American Institute of Physics’ news and resource center for federal science policy, covers the details.
Binghamton University researchers to lead $2.6 million study of solar energy and power grids
Binghamton University researchers will use $2.6 million in federal funding to help develop ways to reliably support higher amounts of solar power on the grid. The three-year project will focus on advanced grid-forming photovoltaic inverter control technologies.
MARKET TRENDS
Electric cars hit record 54% of sales in Norway as VW overtakes Tesla
Battery electric vehicles accounted for more than half of all cars sold in Norway last year, putting the country way out in front in efforts to kill off the internal combustion engine. And Tesla lost its sales crown to the Volkswagen Group.
Investments in privately funded fusion ventures grow
A Physics Today article looks at five companies who are betting they can achieve controlled thermonuclear fusion a decade or more before the $25 billion international ITER project.
NEW PRODUCTS
Sisecam gets approval for antimicrobial V-Block coating technology
Şişecam completed the approval and certification process from the Ministry of Health for its V-Block coating technology that neutralises viruses and bacteria. Sisecam plans to commence mass production of glassware products treated with Antimicrobial V-Block Technology at the start of 2021, with the product initially offered for sale in Turkey.
Appear Inc to launch world’s lightest and first graphene battery-powered 5G smartphone
Appear Inc. announced the launch of the world’s lightest and first graphene battery-powered smartphone with innovative water-resistant technology. The smartphone will be available in stores and major online retailers by March 2021.
Author
Lisa McDonald
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