Here’s what we are hearing:

Kyocera’s 315-watt, 80-cell solar module launches in the US

Kyocera Solar Inc. has announced the launch of its highest-output solar module, the 80-cell KD 315. The new module is ideal for large-scale installations like solar-covered parking, and is now available for US customers. Designed for high output, safety and ease of installation, the UL-certified KD 315 modules feature a UV stabilized, aesthetically pleasing black anodized frame; easily accessible ground points; proven junction box technology with 12 AWG PV wire to work with transformerless inverters and quality locking plug-in connectors for quick connections.

Morgan Thermal Ceramics showcases insulation and fire protection materials at AHR Expo 2012

MTC announces that it will be showcasing its FireMaster FastDoor and FastWrap material for HVAC and grease ducts, along with its Superwool Plus material for boilers, water heaters and boiler flues, at the AHR Expo 2012. MTC will also be showcasing its FireMaster FastDoor and FastWrap XL material for HVAC and grease ducts. FireMaster FastWrap XL is a flexible blanket composed of high temperature fibers classified for applications to 2,192°F (1,200°C) and is supplied fully encapsulated in durable glass fiber reinforced foil facing for easy handling and installation. It is a component in various UL firestop designs for fire resistance rated floors, ceilings and walls.

PPG glass helps health office earn first LEED Platinum certification in Tennessee

The Upper Cumberland Regional Health Facility in Cookeville has become the first building in Tennessee to earn LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-New Construction) certification at the platinum level, in part because of its use of Solarban 70XL and Solarban 60 solar control, low-emissivity (low-e) glasses by PPG Industries. Brian Templeton, a principal with Upland Design Group, the architect of record for the facility, said Solarban 70XL glass was specified for the structure’s large, translucent, daylighting panels, while Solarban 60 was selected as the vision glass for the entryway, work spaces and other surface-level applications.

The week in solar stocks: Impossible Germany

In the past week, “Germany to Kill Solar!” headlines hit the wires. This was, notably, one week after the “Germany Saves Solar!” headlines led solar stocks higher. To recap: German demand in the fourth quarter of 2011 wildly surpassed expectations, with a demand frenzy ahead of 2012 annual subsidy cuts and cheaper-than-ever solar panel prices leading to what would be a few years’ worth of installations for much of the world in a few months in Germany. That in turn led to bullish calls from Wall Street that the left-for-dead solar sector was back, and in Wall Street parlance, the shares oversold. And that’s not all.

Mantec Group Limited consolidates three specialist technical ceramics companies into one business

In January 2012, the businesses of Ceramic Gas Products Ltd. and Taylor Tunnicliff Ltd. were consolidated into Fairey Filtration Systems Ltd. Fairey Filtration Systems Ltd. was subsequently renamed Mantec Technical Ceramics Ltd. The three specialist technical ceramics companies have for many years had shared the same facilities and management. The strategic changes will help to maintain competitiveness and create a stronger business to help secure a profitable future.

Transforming old into new: The relaunch of the Fritsch homepage

During the times of the Web 2.0 era, today is yesterday and a constant optimization of an internet presence is a must. Besides “visible” constant updates and optimizations, Fritsch has worked simultaneously on the relaunch of our homepage. Now it is comprehensively designed and revised, and this in multiple regards: The tried and proven was upgraded and new features implemented. User friendliness was a must, so now there is a noticeably improved navigation on the entry page that assists visitors and new customers to quickly obtain the desired information or to specifically contact us. New and interesting topic areas with important information for Fritsch customers were also created, such as information centered on the topic of particle sizing and mechanochemistry.

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I’ve been following the news coverage of the annual Consumer Electronic Show held last week in Las Vegas, and it appears that a lot of writers were underwhelmed by what they saw. Some items, such as large-format OLED television screens and a slew of “smart” TVs, turned heads, but few observers claim to see any huge breakout products.

However, there was one event display that commentators consistently mentioned in positive tones: Corning’s booth where it showcased its glass technologies. In other words, one of the stars of the CES show wasn’t really a consumer product but is enabling technologies in the engineered glass field.

Importantly, Corning used the CES to do a public rollout of what it calls Gorilla Glass 2. From the Corning news release:

Corning Gorilla Glass 2 enables up to a 20 percent reduction in glass thickness, while maintaining the industry-leading damage resistance, toughness, and scratch resistance customers have come to expect from the world’s most widely deployed cover glass. The thinner Gorilla Glass 2 enables slimmer and sleeker devices, brighter images, and greater touch sensitivity. These benefits can provide electronics manufacturers with superior design flexibility as they address consumer demand for increasingly high-performing, touch-sensitive, and durable mobile devices.

James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials, went on to say that

“[W]e designed this new glass to enable meaningful reduction in thickness without sacrificing the outstanding glass performance for which Gorilla Glass has become highly recognized. This glass, along with Windows operating system innovations from Microsoft, will help deliver exceptional beauty, performance, and toughness for new Windows PCs. You will see this early this year with Windows-based PCs which we expect to be the first in-market laptops designed to leverage the performance of our new second-generation glass.”

Corning also says that product qualification and design implementation for GG2 is underway with various customers, and a number of products containing GG2 are expected “during the coming months.”

GG is pretty ubiquitous, and the release claims that it is “the most widely deployed cover glass, used by more than 30 major brands and designed into more than 575 product models, spanning more than 500 million units worldwide. As one of the company’s fastest growing businesses, Corning Gorilla Glass is expected to reach more than $700 million in 2011 sales, nearly triple 2010 results.”

It’s probably not a coincidence, but Corning posted several new videos during the CES. I had hoped to provide a video specifically about GG2, and one was/is apparently in the works. I received a notice that a new video on GG2 had been posted on YouTube, but by the time I got around to try to take a look at it, it had been taken down by Corning. So, instead of a GG2 video, I am using a new video featuring Peter L. Bocko, Corning Glass Technologies’ CTO, who explains how the company foresees the market and demand for thin glass applications. Some of the new videos are:

• Corning sights & sounds at CES 2012
• Bocko commentary: A thinner display industry
• The fusion process: At the core of Corning’s glass innovations
• Corning Gorilla Glass for seamless, elegant design
• Corning’s ultra-slim flexible glass for roll-to-roll processing

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High-speed CMOS sensors are used here to control production machinery. Credit: Fraunhofer IMS.

High-speed CMOS sensors provide better images

CMOS image sensors have long been the solution of choice for digital photography. They are cheaper to produce than existing sensors, and they are also superior in terms of power consumption and handling. However, these optical semiconductor chips are now reaching their limits: while miniaturization in consumer electronics is leading to increasingly smaller pixels around 1 micrometer across, certain applications require larger pixels in excess of 10 micrometers. To solve the problem, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new optoelectronic component, the lateral drift field photodetector (LDPD). To produce the new component, the researchers improved upon the currently available CMOS chip manufacturing process based on the 0.35 µm standard. The high-speed CMOS sensors are ideal candidates for applications that require large pixels and a high readout speed, such as astronomy, spectroscopy or state-of-the-art X-ray photography.

The art of molecular carpet-weaving

Stable two-dimensional networks of organic molecules are important components in various nanotechnology processes. However, producing these networks, which are only one atom thick, in high quality and with the greatest possible stability still poses a great challenge. A team of physicists headed by Dr. Markus Lackinger from the Technische Universität München and Professor Thomas Bein from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München has  developed a process by which they can build up high-quality polymer networks using boron acid components. The “carpets” consist of ordered two-dimensional structures created by self-organized boron acid molecules on a graphite surface. By eliminating water, the molecules bond together in a one-atom thick network held together solely by chemical bonds. The regular honey-comb-like arrangement of the molecules results in a nanostructured surface whose pores can be used, for instance, as stable forms for the production of metal nanoparticles.

Temporary license application for Lynas Advanced Materials plant

Lynas Corporation Limited has completed all requirements for the application to the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board for a temporary license for the Lynas Advanced Material Plant, in Gebeng, Malaysia. A temporary license will allow Lynas to commission the LAMP and, subject to continuous oversight by the Malaysian regulatory authorities, progressively ramp up the plant to nameplate capacity and sell its products. A temporary license has a duration of 2 years. If the temporary licence is granted, and if Lynas complies with the requirements of the temporary license, a permanent operating license can be issued within the 2 years.

NSF turns to ancient pottery to improve modern heat resistant ceramics

In order to better understand how ceramics are able to resist heat, the National Science Foundation has awarded grants totaling half a million dollars to three research groups to look into how the ancient Greeks made their pottery, a process which allowed for as many as 100,000 vases to survive from ancient antiquity to now - a period of some twenty five hundred years. The hope is that such research will reveal more about the nature of iron-spinel chemistry, which is what gives ceramics an ability to withstand heat while remaining chemically stable. Getting a better grip on how ceramics work is critical to future space flight technological efforts, as ceramics are used to help space vehicles withstand both extreme hot and cold temperatures.

Ceramic membranes can reduce wastewater filtration costs

New ceramic membranes for water filtration and purification for use in industrial wastewater treatment processes are being developed by Morgan Technical Ceramics. Traditionally polymer or ceramic tubular membranes are used to clean and conserve water in industrial wastewater applications. However, polymer systems need replacing regularly, especially if not tailored to the application, and ceramic tubular membranes need high water flow rates to operate effectively. The reliability of the ceramic membranes enable businesses to reduce maintenance and energy usage and make associated cost savings.

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Here’s what we’re hearing from press releases, news stories, blogs, etc..

Morgan Technical Ceramics’ ceramic end effectors set to become component of choice for handling 450mm semiconductor wafers

Increased consumer demand for more memory storage has led to recent advances in the semiconductor industry and semiconductor manufacturers are now investing heavily in the next generation 450mm wafers. Pilot lines are being built worldwide and key to their success is the ability to produce chips in an efficient and economical way. Ceramic semiconductor wafer handlers from Morgan Technical Ceramics will be a critical component, enabling manufacturers to improve productivity and yield. …  [The ] ceramic features excellent mechanical and chemical properties capable of withstanding the harsh and corrosive environments found in the etching process. It has exceptional structural strength and stiffness compared to alternative materials such as aluminum. As a result, larger, thinner wafer handlers can be made, which allows wafers to be stacked closer together for greater productivity. For example, the company’s 99.5% alumina is a strong material that will support the heavier, larger diameter wafers and is only one millimetre at its thinnest part.

Kyocera files suit against Eastman Kodak Company for patent infringement in inkjet printers

Kyocera Corporation filed a complaint against Eastman Kodak Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for infringement of one of Kyocera’s patents for inkjet recording head structure. The complaint alleges that the head component of Kodak inkjet printers infringes U.S. Patent No. 7,097,286, which is Kyocera’s intellectual property. This patent resulted from the Kyocera Group’s research and development efforts and more than 50 years of innovation in the field of advanced ceramics. The suit seeks as-yet undetermined monetary damages, as well as an injunction against Kodak to cease manufacturing and sales of products that infringe said patent.

Chinese shale gas developments herald major US industrial export opportunities

Because of the US’s leading position as a shale gas producer, American companies possess most of the specialized expertise used in the process of fracking, which entails pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals and other materials at extreme pressures thousands of feet underground through horizontally drilled wells in order to fracture shale rock formations and release the natural gas held within them.  … Houston, Texas-based CARBO Ceramics and French multinational Saint-Gobain are two large suppliers of ceramic proppants with major manufacturing operations in the US. Both companies are trying to increase capacity in anticipation of more fracking projects, but at the same time are facing pricing pressures from several China-based manufacturers of ceramic proppants, said one US-based distributor who declined to be named.

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Red, green and blue OLEDs with an active surface area of 2×2 millimeters, being tested for performance. Credit: Deutscher Zukunftpreis/Ansgar Pudenz.

Electronics made of plastic

Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute have developed an alternative to silicon semiconductors using an organic material, a type of dye commonly used in the production of road signs. Such materials have the advantage that they can be applied as a coating on flexible films and other substrates. This gives rise to new possibilities, such as displays that can be rolled up and carried in a vest pocket or switchable window panes that light up at night to illuminate rooms while hardly consuming any electricity. However, organic dyes are poor electrical conductors. But, their less-than-satisfactory conductivity can be increased by doping, and after years of experiments, researchers have succeeded in creating materials with an electrical conductivity a million and more times greater than the original dyes, with a doping ratio of no more than one percent.

Minerals and metals scarcity in manufacturing: the ticking timebomb (pdf)

Executives of leading global manufacturing companies believe that the impact of minerals and metals scarcity will increase strongly in the next five years. However, there are large variations in the likely impact on different sectors and regions and their state of preparedness. Economic and political dimensions are generally more important than the physical dimension of scarcity. Collaboration within the supply chain and new business models will be fundamental to the ability to respond appropriately to the risks and opportunities posed by the scarcity of minerals and metals. The December 2011 report is published by PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants (PwC).

Towards artificial photosynthesis for solar hydrogen generation

Traditionally, photo-electrochemical cell electrodes are made of semiconducting materials such as metal oxides, some of which are also known for their photocatalytic properties. For quite some time, researchers at Empa’s Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics have been investigating nanoparticles of these materials, for instance titanium dioxide, for the neutralization of organic pollutants in air and water. Collaborating with colleagues at the University of Basel and at Argonne National Laboratory, they have now succeeded in making a nano-bio PEC electrode, consisting of iron oxide conjugated with a protein from blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria), which is twice as efficient in water splitting as iron oxide alone (see paper in Advanced Functional Materials, “Functionalization of Nanostructured Hematite Thin-Film Electrodes with the Light-Harvesting Membrane Protein C-Phycocyanin Yields an Enhanced Photocurrent”).

Class project turns recycled car parts into sandals and possibly jobs

Junkyard car seatbelts and abandoned tires come together in a sustainable sandal that could one day put Detroit homeless people to work manufacturing them. University of Michigan students created Treads Motor City Sandals in a unique class that requires aspiring designers, engineers and business professionals to work together to make a marketable product. Treads is one of six eco-friendly mini business ideas that students developed for consideration for addition to a portfolio of micro enterprises.

Diamonds and dust for better cement

Over 17 billion tons of Portland cement are consumed each year.  Portland cement provides the essential binder for strong, versatile concrete; its basic materials are found in many places around the globe; and, at about $100 a ton, it’s relatively cheap. Making it, however, releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide, accounting for more than five percent of the total CO2 emissions from human activity. Recently, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab gradually squeezed specks of fine dust of the mineral tobermorite in a diamond anvil cell until they achieved pressures like those 100 miles below the surface of Earth. This was the first experiment to determine tobermorite’s bulk modulus from diffraction patterns obtained by sending a bright beam of x-rays through the sample, revealing how its structure changed as the pressure increased. The results will appear in Cement and Concrete Research and are now available online to subscribers.

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