Materials news, August 2010

PNE WIND completes second repowering project

PNE WIND AG has completed its second wind farm repowering project with the Görike wind farm in Brandenburg, Germany, quintupling the output.

Airbus to start 'green flight' trials with A380

Airbus, in partnership with Air France and air navigation service providers from UK, Canada and the USA, is about to commence ‘Transatlantic Green Flight’

Shell and Cosan JV on sugarcane ethanol

Shell and Cosan have signed a US$12 billion joint venture (JV) agreement to produce and commercialise ethanol and power from sugarcane.

Gurit inaugurates Red Maple blade tooling site

Gurit has officially inaugurated the new production site of its tooling business Red Maple in China. The facility allows for the development and manufactur

Southern Metal Finishing Conference Keynote Speaker Announced

The International Surface Finishing Academy is pleased to announce that Tonya Vyhlidal of Lincoln Industries will deliver the keynote speech.

Opportunities for composites in construction

Demand for composites in construction applications continues to grow, but to optimise the use of composites it is important to involve the composites engin

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

TPI Composites plans wind blade development centre in Massachusetts

Wind turbine blade supplier TPI Composites Inc has announced plans to open a wind blade innovation centre in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, to support its

Subsieve autosizer allows faster Fisher number generation

Chemical reactor specialist HEL has developed a new subsieve autosizer for powder size characterisation using air-permeability, replacing the Fisher Subsie

Polymer-Chemie establishes PM company

Polymer-Chemie GmbH has established its metal powder compound division, founded in 2005, as an independent legal entity as of August 2010.

Vale mine produces first nickel metal project

Vale Inco’s Goro project, located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific, has produced its first nickel metal product.

Hardmetals meeting at World Congress

The EPMA European Hard Materials Sectoral Group (EHMG) will hold open meeting on the 12th October 2010 in Florence, Italy, during the PM World Congress and

REpower opens wind power technology centre

REpower has officially opened its new wind turbine technology centre in Osterrönfeld in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district, Germany.

Recycled Carbon Fibre Ltd launches new website

Recycled Carbon Fibre Ltd has updated its existing website and launched a new site for its Green Carbon Fibre range of 100% recycled products.

SP - High Modulus exhibits at Monaco Yacht Show

SP - High Modulus, the marine business of Gurit, will be exhibiting at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

Materials Today Virtual Conference The New Carbon Era now available on demand, register now!

Chinese wind turbine production in Northern Ireland

Chinese manufacturing company Xiangtan Electrical Manufacturing Corporation Ltd (XEMC) may set up wind turbine production facilities in Northern Ireland.

Scottish offshore wind worth £7.1bn

Scotland’s offshore wind industry could contribute £7.1 billion of investment and create up to 28,000 direct jobs by 2020, according to Scottish Renewables

BASF exhibits turbine products at Husum WindEnergy 2010

Chemicals company BASF will showcase its products for the manufacture of wind turbines at the Husum WindEnergy trade show in September.

Wind farm training courses in Turkey

More training courses for wind farm installation will be offered throughout Turkey due to high demand, GL Garrad Hassan says.

Motive unveils Kestrel bio-composite electric vehicle

Canadian company Motive has announced the development of Canada’s first bio-composite bodied electric car, the Kestrel.

Drink-driving? - Whisky biofuel for cars

Biofuel made from whisky by-products could be used to fuel cars, according to Edinburgh Napier University in the UK.

Celanese increases Fortron® PPS production

Celanese Corporation affiliate Fortron Industries LLC will increase production of Fortron® polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) at its Wilmington, North Carolina,

JD Lincoln introduces epoxy-based surfacing film

JD Lincoln, part of the Composites Division of Umeco plc, is introducing a surface improvement film for epoxy composites.

Univar in distribution agreement with Celanese Emulsion Polymers

Chemicals distributor Univar has signed a distribution deal with Celanese Emulsion Polymers, a specialist in emulsion technology.

Looking at biogas in Central Europe

Biogas could be an important part of EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy, and the EU project Sustainable and Innovative European Biogas Environment (SEB

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Metalformers Anticipate Consistent Business Over the Short Term

According to the August 2010 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, metalforming companies expect business conditions to rema

Laser inspection technique for adhesive bonds

A laser inspection technique for assessing bond strength of adhesively bonded joints has been developed by LSP Technologies Inc.

CCAI’s Finishing Technologies Pavilion & Conference To Debut at FABTECH 2010

The Chemical Coaters Associatino International Finishing Technologies Pavilion and Conference aims to complete the manufacturing process at FABTECH, North

MIRteq announces North American distribution agreement with Composites One

Australian company MIRteq has appointed Composites One as its exclusive distributor in the USA and British Columbia in Canada.

Morocco builds 200 MW wind farm

Moroccan power utility ONE is building a 200 MW wind farm outside Tarfaya.

Airborne receives €9 million from Holland Private Equity

Airborne International BV has attracted a €9 million investment from Holland Private Equity to accelerate the growth of the company. The funds will be used

JEOL Correlative Microscope Wins Award

Columbia Chemical Receives GMW 4700B Chemical Approval

Columbia Chemical has been granted zinc nickel approval by General Motors for COLDIP NI-Z TRI BLUE 100 with Zinc-Chro-PELLENT under the GMW 4700B specifica

GKN wins technical paper award

A paper co-written by GKN staff has won the 2010 MPIF Howard I. Sanderow outstanding technical paper award.

Production resumes at tungsten mine

North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd, based in Vancouver, Canada, plans to re-start production at its Cantung tungsten mine in the Northwest Territorie

Nuclear award for metal powder shield

Arkansas Nuclear One, owned by integrated energy company Entergy Corporation has won a Meritorious Performance in Operations Award 2010 at the American Nuc

SureBlades takes over where Vestas left off

Nearly a year since Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas closed its blade facility on the Isle of Wight, former workers have formed a company that manuf

Largest ocean energy device installed in US waters operates successfully

Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), a developer of river and ocean energy technology, says its Beta Power System has generated grid-compatible power from

EPA sets emissions limits for cement plants

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing rules that will cut emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from Portland cement manufact

U.S. Industrial Production Inches Upward in July

A newly released Federal Reserve report showed U.S. industrial production rose 1% in July after having edged down 0.1% in June.

Dow Venture Capital invests in Blade Dynamics Ltd

The Dow Chemical Company, through its Venture Capital group, has made a minority equity investment in wind turbine blade technology specialist Blade Dynami

Vestas falls into loss in Q2 2010

Vestas has seen a €162 million tumble in net profit to a loss of €119m in the second quarter (Q2) of 2010, and downgrades its full year forecast.

US firm manufactures composite tanks for Saudi Arabia

US company RL Industries has fabricated three large composite storage tanks for a chemical plant in Saudi Arabia.

PMI Index Remains Strong in July

Latest PMI report shows economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in July for the 12th consecutive month.

Transporting 62 m wind turbine blades

Goldhofer, a heavy haulage and special transportation specialist, has launched a flatbed semi-trailer for transporting wind turbine blades up to 62 m.

Huber acquires Kemgard flame retardants business

Huber Engineered Materials has acquired the Kemgard® flame retardants and smoke suppressants business of Sherwin-Williams.

Floating offshore wind to Scotland

Statoil’s Hywind floating offshore wind turbine foundations could be used in Scotland, according to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.

Danish mega wind turbine test centre

Denmark’s Risø DTU is building a test centre for large wind turbines at Østerild in North-Western Jutland.

Gurit launches PVC core range for Chinese wind market

Gurit has completed the development of a new range of PVC structural foam core materials designed for use in the manufacture of wind turbine rotor blades i

Materials Today 2010 Cover Competition

Inaugural NASF Chicago Briefing Set for September

New NASF-sponsored environmental and technology symposium scheduled for Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m., at the Union League Club of Chicago.

Hexion reports higher second quarter sales

Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc reports revenue of US$1.3 billion for the second quarter of 2010, compared to $947 million in 2009.

Materials Today 2010 writing competition

Global renewable energy expands rapidly

The global alternative and renewable energy industry expanded “rapidly” over the last year despite the global economic recession impact on worldwide energy

DoE Targets 50 GW Offshore Wind by 2030

The Department of Energy (DoE) is targeting 50 GW of offshore wind until 2030.

Ireland could have 300% renewable energy

Ireland’s renewable energy sources have a potential three times the country’s energy requirements.

Indian Theni wind farm fully commissioned

Indian Energy has fully commissioned its 16.5 MW Theni wind farm and the associated substation.

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Registration Open for New England Surface Finishing Regional Conference

The 2010 New England Surface Finishing Regional Conference will be held on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa, Hyannis, Mass.

David Crimp Named Executive Vice President, Enthone Europe

Appointment extends Crimp’s current role as executive vice president of Cookson Electronics’ Alpha business in Europe.

IPC Military Conference Targets D.C.

The IPC Conference for the North American EMS Industry: What It Takes to Supply the Military will kick off at the Embassy Suites in Washington, D.C., Sept.

ZCL Composites reports second quarter results

ZCL Composites Inc, a Canadian manufacturer of composite tanks for the petroleum industry, reports revenue of $31.0 million for the second quarter (Q2), e

Wind Simplicity Wind Turbines Designed for Recycling

Wind Simplicity Inc is in the final in the 2010 Design for Recycling® competition for its commitment to recycling in its design and manufacture of its Wind

Atlantis 1 MW tidal turbine to EMEC

Atlantis Resources Corporation’s 1 MW tidal power turbine, the AK1000™, is due for installation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), located in Ork

COMPOSITES EUROPE showcases Dutch composites industry

The partner country for COMPOSITES EUROPE 2010 is Holland and Dutch composites association VKCN will host the Holland pavilion, with support from the EVD I

Carpenter and SB Specialty Metals to extend market for blade materials

Alloy specialist Carpenter Technology Corporation has agreed a deal with SB Specialty Metals LLC, which makes high alloy particle metallurgy materials, to

‘Burying’ silver particles improves organic electronics

Scientists from Hong Kong Polytechnic University have discovered that a layer of silver nanoparticles placed between two layers of the organic semiconducto

Platinum catalyst could help improve fuel cells

Scientists at Cornell University's Energy Materials Center have researched a catalyst coated with platinum nanoparticles that could make PEM (proton exchan

SCM supports growing Asian copper market

Copper and bronze specialist SCM Metal Products, Inc, based in North Carolina, USA, plans to expand its copper powder plant production capacity in Suzhou,

A tale of twists and untwists

Breakthrough in biofuels reported

A direct-write approach

Watch it grow!

Delayed Time Zero

Quantum computers

'White graphene' to the rescue

Nanomaterials find a new home

Nanotubes pass acid test

Graphene oxide gets green

Magnets trump metallics

Creating biomimetic surfaces

Greener cars = opportunities for chemical companies

Chemical companies can do more to support the automotive industry in going green whilst also opening new markets for themselves, says market research firm

HgCapital buys 44 MW wind farm in Sweden

HgCapital has bought a 44 MW wind farm in Malå, Västerbotten, Sweden, which will be developed by NV Nordisk Vindkraft AB.

Vestas delivers 140 V112-3.0 MW wind turbines to Australia

Vestas will deliver 140 units of its V112-3.0 MW wind turbine to AGL Energy Ltd and Meridian’s 420 MW Macarthur wind farm in Australia.

Acrastrip resin cleaner now available in wipes

U.S. Polychemical Corporation has introduced a saturated wipes version of its Acrastrip composite resin remover.

Closed moulding demos at IBEX 2010

Composites One, Magnum Venus Plastech (MVP) and the Closed Mold Alliance will demonstrate closed mould boat building technology during IBEX 2010 next month

Creative Pultrusions to supply composite distribution poles to Los Angeles

Creative Pultrusions Inc has won a contract to supply composite distribution poles to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). The US$2.97 mill

U.S. Auto Sales Heat Up for Most Manufacturers

After a month-over-month decline in U.S. auto sales, many automakers switched gears and boosted revenues in July—to the collective tune of 5%.

TAI delivers first large, complex composite structure for F-35

Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc (TAI), a major international F-35 Lightning II supplier to Northrop Grumman Corporation, has delivered a prototype of its

Siemens Supplies 98 Wind Turbines to Oklahoma

Siemens Energy is supplying 98 wind turbines for the 227.5 MW Crossroads wind power plant in Oklahoma, USA for Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E).

ABMACO organises Composites in the 2014 World Cup seminar

The Brazilian Composite Materials Association (ABMACO) is holding a seminar on Composites in the 2014 World Cup on 12 August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Window solar thin-film with over 20% efficiency potential

Norwegian EnSol AS is developing a solar thin-film technology to be used on windows with a potential to reach over 20% efficiency and be commercially avail

Zoltek reports strong third quarter sales

Carbon fibre producer Zoltek Companies Inc reports net sales for the quarter ended 30 June 2010 of US$42.4 million, an increase of 40% on the third quarter

Making bio-oil more efficient than diesel

Bio-oil could become a more efficient source of renewable energy with a potential of replacing fossil fuels such as diesel, according to a £1.4 million pro

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Register Online to Attend the 2010 Southern Metal Finishing Conference

The 2010 Southern Metal Finishing Conference, sponsored by the International Surface Finishing Academy, has announced that online registration for the annu

Coventya Completes Integration, Consolidation

Coventya, Inc., is pleased to announce the completion of the integration and consolidation of its Oriskany, N.Y., electroless nickel manufacturing producti

Automated Dynamics delivers machine to GKN Aerospace

Automated Dynamics has delivered a new piece of high performance composite processing equipment to GKN Aerospace in the UK.

2011 Acta Materialia Gold Medal

Recipients of the 2009 ACTA Student Awards

Spraying Systems Co. Launches New Website

New tank cleaning website features products to increase cleaning effectiveness and efficiency.

Pro Ventum and GE build 90 MW Thai wind farm

German wind developer Pro Ventum International and GE are building a 90 MW wind farm about 250 km northeast of Bangkok, Thailand.

SO.F.TER. introduces natural fibre reinforced composites

SO.F.TER. will launch a new line of polyolefin based compounds reinforced with plant fibres during the K plastics show in October.

Uyemura Boosts West Coast Resources

Don Walsh, Uyemura director of operations, has announced that Chemithon Surface Finishing, Inc. has been tapped to represent Uyemura in four states as well

New study sheds light on US wind power market

With a record number of wind power additions in 2009, the U.S. is second only to China.

Tungsten conference call for papers

The organisers of the International Conference on Tungsten, Refractory & Hardmaterials have issued a call for papers for its technical programme.

Royal Metal Powders starts production

According to the MPIF, Royal Metal Powders Inc, based in Maryville, Tennessee, USA, a division of American Chemet Corporation (ACC), has started production

GTP invests US$10 million in tungsten powder production

Global Tungsten & Powders Corp, a division of Plansee, plans to invest more than US$10 million in its plant in Towanda, Pennsylvania, USA by the end of 201

Lions Gate hires mining specialist

Lions Gate Metals Inc, a Canadian company owning copper and molybdenum mines located in British Columbia, has entered into a consulting agreement with Ken

Four UK offshore wind demo sites announced

Four UK offshore wind demonstration sites, each 100 MW or less, have been awarded by the Crown Estate to four companies.

Owens Corning reports second quarter 2010 results

Owens Corning reports consolidated net sales of US$1.4 billion in the second quarter of 2010, up 13% on the second quarter of 2009. Sales in its Composites

Fossil fuel subsidies are 12 times support for renewables, study shows

Global subsidies for fossil fuels dwarf support given to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and biofuels, according to a new report by B

Energy Composites receives composite tank order

Energy Composites Corporation (ECC) is to fabricate 76 large diameter chemical storage tanks for a mining company's new nickel processing plant in Newfound

ACCIONA Energy invests C$115m Canadian wind farm

ACCIONA Energy is building a 45 MW wind farm in Lamèque, New Brunswick, Canada, representing an investment of C$115 million.

Chem-Trend celebrates 50th anniversary

US mould release agent manufacturer Chem-Trend is celebrating 50 years of business.

Carl Zeiss Offers Online Promotions

Compact Scanning Electron Microscope

HD Supply to sell Ameron’s uPole composite utility poles

Ameron International Corp has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with HD Supply Utilities for the distribution of Ameron’s uPole® composite utility

New Roles for PPG Industries Executives

PPG Industries, a leading coatings and specialty products company, recently announced several executive assignments.

Online Hotel Reservations Available for NAI Coating Show in October

Attendees for the upcoming NAI Coating Show in Indianapolis, Ind., are invited to book their hotel reservations online.

Thermoplastic composite trunk liner for Porsche

At COMPOSITES EUROPE 2010, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT will display a trunk liner for the Porsche Carrera 4 made using a thermopla

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Will Poland ever get offshore wind?

Development of offshore wind farms in Poland has been slow, despite the country's leadership of the wind energy sector in Central and Eastern Europe, raisi

REpower repowers German wind farm

REpower Systems AG has launched a wind farm repowering project in the district of Dithmarschen (Schleswig-Holstein) with Repowering Kronprinzenkoog GbR inc

ICON Aircraft selects composite structure suppliers for Icon A5

Icon Aircraft, Seal Beach, California, USA, has selected Liberty Aerospace of Melbourne, Florida, USA, and Flytech Kft. of Szombathely, Hungary, as supplie

Preview - COMPOSITES EUROPE 2010

A preview of the COMPOSITE EUROPE 2010 exhibition will be published in the September/October issue of Reinforced Plastics magazine.

Reinforced Plastics Editorial Calendar 2011

Six issues of Reinforced Plastics magazine will be published in 2011, focusing on the following topics.