Materials Science News

RSS

Basell to Acquire Akzo Nobel's Polymerization Catalysts and Components Business

Basell and Akzo Nobel have signed agreements whereby Basell will acquire Akzo Nobel’s Polymerization Catalysts & Components business. The business includes catalyst manufacturing and other assets located at Edi...

17 Feb 2006

Alcoa Plans World-Class Aluminum Smelter in Trinidad and Tobago

Alcoa has announced that it has signed an Agreement in Principle with the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to build a world-class 341,000 metric-tons-per-year aluminum smelter (mtpy) in the Cap-de-Ville ...

17 Feb 2006

Successful Development of a High Efficient Micro Tubular Fuel Cell

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has developed a micro tubular solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) which is operable at low temperatures between 500 and 600°C. Since SOFCs are fabr...

17 Feb 2006

Better Fuel Cells Through Quantum Mechanics

Fuel cells must be made more efficient if they are to provide a viable alternative to traditional energy sources, and the choice of materials is crucial to how efficient they are. New findings from scientists at the Roya...

17 Feb 2006

World's Longest Laser Invented

Academics at Aston University in Birmingham, UK have invented what is thought to be the world’s longest laser. They have transformed an optical fibre 75 kilometres long into the laser, which the team hopes will imp...

17 Feb 2006

New Tough, Low Density Resin System for Composite Moulding from Ashland

Three new unsaturated polyester resin formulations now available from Ashland Composite Polymers, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc., reduce weight and improve the painting charact...

17 Feb 2006

BASF's PBT Becomes Its First Engineering Polymer to Receive Eco-Efficiency Label

Just one year after its market introduction, Ultradur® High Speed, BASF’s new especially easy-flowing PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), has become the company’s first engineering plastic to receive the so...

17 Feb 2006

CSIRO Develop New Technology that Could Save The Printing Industry Millions of Dollars

A novel method for coating printing rollers could slash the use of chemicals, water and excess energy in the printing rollers manufacturing industry if a trial by one Australian company is anything to go by. The Kirk ...

17 Feb 2006

Titanium Carbide Used to Catch Sunlight to Heat Water

A unique solar collector was developed by specialists of the Moscow “ALTEN” company under the guidance of Boris Kazandzhan, Professor, Doctor of Science (Engineering), Moscow Power Engineering Institute. Orig...

17 Feb 2006

Konarka Receive $20m Funding to Develop Polymeric Photovoltaics

Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing Power Plastic(TM) that converts light to energy, announced today it has raised $20 million in venture capital financing. The financing was led by 3i, a world leading...

17 Feb 2006

BASF Interested in Acquiring Degussa's Construction Chemicals Business

BASF is interested in strengthening its portfolio in the area of construction chemicals. Following Degussa’s announcement that it was considering to divest its construction chemicals business, BASF signaled its int...

17 Feb 2006

Clay Allows a More Environmentally Friendly way to Produce Methyl Isobutyl Ketone Solvents

Dutch researcher Ferry Winter of Utrecht University has developed a heterogeneous catalyst for the production of the industrially important solvent methyl isobutyl ketone. With the new catalyst the production process is ...

17 Feb 2006

Rosti Opens another Plastics Manufacturing Plant in Poland

The Rosti Group’s Technical Plastics Division has opened a new manufacturing facility in Poland. The 8,000 m2 area is located in Bialystok, the largest industrial city in North East Poland, where Rosti established ...

17 Feb 2006

IPSCO to Spend $45m to Improve Pipe and Plate Making Facilities

IPSCO Inc. announced today two new capital investments to improve both its steel and its pipe making capabilities and to further extend the ongoing development of the Company’s range of value added products. As...

17 Feb 2006

Structured Materials Industries Wins Grant to Develop Nonvolatile Memory

Structured Materials Industries, Inc. (SMI) has been awarded a Phase I SBIR by the Air Force to develop space qualified nonvolatile memory leveraging a commercial fabrication technology. SMI will demonstrate an EEPROM me...

17 Feb 2006