Ceramic Industry articles from January 2009

Ceramic Industry archives from January 2009

Crystal ball, please.(INSIDE CI)(Column)
January 1, 2009... My daughter recently taught me how to play Sudoku online. It took a little doing, since numbers truly just don't make much sense to my language-oriented brain. In any event, she'd warned me before we got started that she wasn't any good at the...

H.C Starck pledges to continue to meet tantalum demand.(IN THE NEWS)(Talison Minerals Pty. Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The H.C. Starck Group recently announced that it regrets the decision of Talison Minerals Pty. Ltd. to suspend mining at the world's largest tantalum operation in Wodgina, Australia, in early December 2008. "We have known Talison as a reliable...

Imerys NA announces pricing increases.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Imerys North America Ceramics recently announced that it is raising prices for all ball clay, kaolin, feldspar and mica products effective January 1, 2009. All products manufactured in the U.S. will increase f.o.b. price by 7.5% for kaolins and...

Kyocera announces construction of new solar cell plant.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Kyocera Corp. recently announced plans to build a new large-scale solar cell manufacturing facility in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Construction of the plant, which will be the Kyocera Group's largest manufacturing facility in Japan, is...

Rio Tinto will upgrade clean hydropower in Quebec.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Rio Tinto plans to invest $228 million in the construction of a new 225 MW high-efficiency turbine at Rio Tinto Alcan's Shipshaw power station in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. The project is expected to be completed in December 2012. "This...

International calendar.(IN THE NEWS)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... * Jan 18-23 33rd International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites ** Daytona Beach, Fla., www.ceramics.org Jan 25-29 Spring 2009 Canadian Gift and Tableware Association Gift Show ** Toronto, Canada,...

Lenox group to reorganize under Chapter 11.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Lenox Group, Inc. recently announced that it has filed a voluntary petition for reorganization relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of New York. The company intends to file a variety of first day motions...

MEI announces name change to MEL Chemicals.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Magnesium Hektron, Inc. (MEI) has changed its name to MEL Chemicals Inc. There is no change in terms of ownership or structure. MEL Chemicals Inc. will continue to supply a wide range of zirconium chemicals, including zirconium oxides, doped...

RHI signs framework contract with Qatar Steel.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... RHI AG recently signed a contract with Qatar Steel Co., one of the leading steel producers in the Near and Middle East, for the supply of high-tech refractory products and technological expertise. The 30 million [euro] (~ $38 million) contract...

Albemarle announces specialty alumina price increase.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Albemarle Corp. will increase prices for aluminum trihydroxide and other specialty aluminas by 15 to 25% on all shipments made on or after January 1, 2009, or as contracts allow. According to the company, the increases are needed to help offset...

Hit the beach: the advanced ceramics community will convene in Daytona Beach this month for the annual ICACC event.(Conference news)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 33rd International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC), organized by the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and its Engineering Ceramics Division (ECD), will be held January 18-23...

Advances in recycling.(GLASS WORKS)
January 1, 2009... Glass containers are 100% recyclable, which is just one more reason why glass is a truly sustainable package. But getting a clean, abundant supply of recycled glass to "close the loop" and make new bottles and jars is a persistent challenge for...

Raw & manufactured materials: 2009 overview.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. economy took a beating in 2008, and a good portion of the rest of the world followed suit. A mortgage crisis decimated the already depressed U.S. housing market. Financial institutions soon followed,...

Materials handbook.(ABRASIVE SUPPLIERS-LIGNOSULFONATE SUPPLIERS)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... ABRASIVES. Substances used to grind, shape or polish another material. Abrasives used in the ceramic industry can be classified as either conventional abrasives or superabrasives. The size, shape, hardness and friability of an abrasive particle...

Materials handbook.(LITHIUM BORATE SUPPLIERS-ZIRCONYL PHOSPHATE OR ZIRCONIUM PHOSPHATE SUPPLIERS)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... LITHIUM BORATE SUPPLIERS FMC LITHIUM Seven LakePointe Plaza, 2801 Yorkmont Rd., Ste. 300 Charlotte, NC 28208 (704) 868-0837; (888) LITHIUM Fax: (704) 868-5387 Email: lithium_info@fmc.com Website: www.fmclithium.com...

Harnessing a renewable energy resource.(special report: resource management)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Volatile energy prices, greenhouse gas emissions and public perception of industrial operations are substantial issues faced by manufacturers in the ceramic industry. However, many manufacturers have discovered that...

Medicinal boron: European researchers are harnessing the unique properties of boron to develop new drugs and diagnostics.(MATERIAL: innovations)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers are on the verge of unleashing the power of the element boron in a new generation of drugs and therapies as decades of research begins to bear fruit. To date, boron has been one of biology's best-kept...