Ceramic and glass business news of the week for April 24, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Saint-Gobain receives 2023 Better Project Award for its smart energy management system

Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Gypsum Inc., received the 2023 Better Project Award from the U.S. Department of Energy for the company’s smart energy management system at its Buchanan, N.Y., gypsum facility.

Cogeneration technology installed at Orion’s plant in Louisiana

Orion Engineered Carbons announced that cogeneration technology that produces renewable energy was installed at its Ivanhoe plant in southern Louisiana. The cogeneration system, which includes a steam turbine generator, uses the waste steam from the carbon black plant’s production process and converts it to electricity.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

RHI Magnesita announces acquisition of Seven Refractories

RHI Magnesita aquired the Europe, India, and U.S. operations of Seven Refractories, a specialist supplier of nonbasic monolithic refractory mixes. Nonbasic refractory mixes are expected to become increasingly important with the development of new low CO₂ emitting manufacturing technologies within RHI Magnesita’s key customer industries.

ITP Aero buys a stake in German high-tech venture BJS Ceramics GmbH

ITP Aero, the leading Spanish company for aerospace engine components, bought ca. 10% of BJS Ceramics. Additionally, both companies agreed to develop next-generation ceramic fibers and their application into ceramic matrix composites components for next-generation aerospace engines.

TGL to acquire 50% voting shares of MMM Holding

Tariq Glass Industries plans to acquire 50% of the shares of MMM Holding, which currently holds 78.61% of the voting shares of Balochistan Glass. Tariq Glass is a manufacturer of glass containers in Pakistan.  Balochistan Glass is a listed company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of glass containers for the food and beverage industry.

Lithoz and SiNAPTIC sign major strategic deal with purchase of CeraFab S65 printers

Lithoz and medical device startup SiNAPTIC will sign a major strategic partnership agreement including sales and marketing activities at the forthcoming Rapid + TCT show in May. The deal also includes the purchase of seven Lithoz CeraFab S65 Medical printers for SiNAPTIC’s new research center in Lafayette, Colo.

Tanzania signs $667m deals for rare earth and graphite projects

Tanzania on Monday signed agreements worth $667 million with three Australian companies to mine rare earth minerals and graphite. Under the deals with Evolution Energy Minerals, Ecograf, and Peak Rare Earths, Tanzania will have a 16% stake each in jointly established companies to operate the projects.

Manchester graphene collaboration announced

A United Arab Emirates-based company to develop and produce graphene-based products was created between Graphene Innovations Manchester Ltd and Quazar Investment Company. The new company will invest more than $1 billion to develop and mass manufacture a range of graphene-based products.

OTHER STORIES

Ceramics Expo to take place next week in Novi, Mich.

The eighth edition of Ceramics Expo will take place next week, May 2–3. To enhance its offering for 2023 and in response to developments in the use of advanced ceramic materials across high-tech manufacturing industries, the event has moved to a new location: the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich.

GPI announces the 2023 Clear Choice Awards winners in glass packaging

The Glass Packaging Institute announced the winners of the 2023 Clear Choice Awards, which recognize North America’s top brands and manufacturers creating remarkable glass product designs that form dynamic consumer experiences.

G7 ministers set big new targets for solar and wind capacity

The Group of Seven rich nations set big new collective targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels. But they stopped short of endorsing a 2030 deadline for phasing out coal and left the door open for continued investment in gas.

National Academies launch new Climate Crossroads initiative

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are launching the new Climate Crossroads initiative to help the nation meet the challenges of climate change. It will serve as a nexus point within the National Academies, allowing the organization to chart new pathways for sustained national and global leadership over the coming decades.

Allied Mineral Products announces exclusive distributor for Japan aluminum market

Allied Mineral Products announced SHINAGAWA Refractories as its exclusive distributor of monolithic refractory technology for the aluminum market in Japan. SHINAGAWA and Allied have a long-standing relationship. In 2005, Allied licensed its monolithic refractory technology to SHINAGAWA in Unanderra, Australia.

Nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima plant is to be released into the Pacific

Sometime in the next few months, more than a million tonnes of treated radioactive water from Japan’s ruined Fukushima nuclear reactor will begin to be pumped into the Pacific Ocean. The Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Japanese government say the water is safe. Some environmentalists think more research is needed.

US Patent Office launches Green Energy award

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced the addition of a new category for its Patents for Humanity Awards Program: Green Energy. This new award category, which will provide business incentives to support innovative work on climate change, accepts any U.S. patent or patent application directed to green energy technologies.

MARKET TRENDS

Cybersecurity nightmare in Japan is everyone else’s problem too

Supply-chain hacks have huge potential to disrupt the economy. While much manufacturing and assembly happens in lower-cost markets, Japan is a powerhouse in producing a select group of high-end goods. A Bloomberg article investigates the global implications when Japanese companies get hacked.

This Nigerian EV entrepreneur hopes to go head to head with Tesla

Phoenix Renewables Limited is launching a homegrown electric-­vehicle industry in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, Nigeria. The startup was started by Mustapha Gajibo, who started with electric retrofits of community vehicles like motorized tricycles and now aims to bring electrification to communal buses.

NEW PRODUCTS

ROSS V cone tumble blenders for high-accuracy mixtures

The ROSS model VCB-50 V cone tumble blender is designed for atmospheric operation and features a stainless-steel type 316 intensifier bar fitted with high-speed 19” chopper blades operating at 475 RPM to reduce the size of agglomerates. The intensifier bar doubles as a spray bar equipped with fan-style nozzles for minor liquid additions.