Ceramic Industry articles from March 2008

Ceramic Industry archives from March 2008

March madness.(INSIDE CI)(Column)
March 1, 2008... Early March is generally the time of the year when I'm the most stir-crazy. Spring hasn't quite sprung yet, and the wonders of winter have completely lost their charm. I'm tired of sledding and building snowpeople, and I've really bad it with...

International calendar.
March 1, 2008... * March 2-7 PITTCON[R] 2008 ** New Orleans, La., www.pittcon.org * March 5-8 NCECA 2008, 42nd Annual Conference ** Pittsburgh, Pa., www.nceca.net March 10-12 PIM 2008 ** Long Beach, Calif., www.mpif.org March 10-14...

Ferro forms Electronic Packaging Materials business unit.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Ferro Corp.'s Electronic Material Systems has combined several sub-business units into the newly formed Electronic Packaging Materials (EPM) unit. The new EPM unit was formed to make it easier for customers to buy both performance-enhancing...

Ceradyne enjoys opportunities beyond military markets.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Ceradyne, Inc. recently announced that its ceramics operation, ESK Ceramics in Kempten, Germany, received a five-year contract for its EKasic[R] silicon carbide industrial pump seal faces for an estimated minimum amount of 35 million [euro]...

Sacmi Istanbul puts down roots in Bursa.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Sacmi Istanbul recently inaugurated a new production facility in Bursa, Turkey, to produce machines and plants for sanitary-ware, including structural frameworks, mechanical parts and components. The new facility will be called Sacmi Bursa. ...

Almatis forms dedicated business units for refractories and ceramics.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Almatis recently announced that it has created two dedicated commercial units with an enhanced focus on their respective industries. The new Commercial Ceramics, Polishing, and Other (CPO) business unit includes polishing and other...

Rio Tinto Alcan expands alumina deal with Norsk Hydro.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Rio Tinto Alcan recently announced that it has reached an. agreement with Norsk Hydro ASA to expand its alumina supply to Hydro Aluminium from 500,000 tonnes to 900,000 tonnes of alumina per year from 2011 to the end of the contract. Under a...

Lifetime to close three Pfaltzgraff factory stores.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Lifetime Brands, Inc. recently announced that it will close 30 underperforming stores, including three Pfaltzgraff[R] factory stores and 27 Farberware[R] outlet retail stores. The stores that will close are projected to generate losses on an...

Alfred announces plans for high-temp materials testing lab.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Alfred University recently announced that it is taking the first step in creating a high-temperature materials testing laboratory to support materials-based companies, primarily those located in New York. "We see this initiative as part of an...

R.T. Vanderbilt to cease talc production.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... R.T. Vanderbilt Co., Inc. recently announced its decision to discontinue its NYTAL[R] and CERAMITALC[R] industrial talc product line, and to cease talc production at its Gouverneur Talc Division by the end of 2008. The company will continue to...

Cookson announces proposed sale of Foseco's CBC business.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Cookson Group plc recently announced that has entered into a conditional agreement to sell Foseco plc's Carbon Bonded Ceramics (CBC) business to companies owned by RHI AG. The CBC business had revenue of approximately 20 million [pounds...

Maryland Refractories acquired by Steel Valley Firebrick.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Maryland Refractories Co. (MRC) recently announced that it has been acquired by Steel Valley Firebrick Recycling and Recovery, LLC (SVF). MRC will be operated as a subsidiary of SVF, and all of its employees will remain with the company. "The...

Lucifer Furnaces launches new website.(IN THE NEWS)(Website overview)
March 1, 2008... Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. has updated its website with better navigation, improved functionality and printer-friendly product pages. A manufacturer of heat-treating furnaces and ovens, Lucifer Furnaces has been meeting the needs of customers...

New facility offers Staxera room for growth.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Staxera GmbH, founded in 2005 as a joint venture of Webasto AG and H.C. Starck GmbH, has opened a new R&D and production center for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in Dresden, Germany. The decision to move into the facility was made in March...

Control instruments analyzers receive ATEX approval.(IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Control Instruments Corp. recently announced that its full line of PrevEx flammability analyzers has received ATEX approval. The analyzers monitor a number of common vapors and are unaffected by temperatures in processes as diverse as...

Almatis.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Marcelo Zocchi has been appointed the new vice president of Almatis' Commercial Ceramics, Polishing, and Other business (CPO) unit. Zocchi joined Almatis in June 2005 as general manager of the Specialty Hydrates...

GranitiFiandre.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(promotion of Joy Klein)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GranitiFiandre recently announced the promotion of Joy Klein to the position of director of National Accounts, effective January 1, 2008. Klein has been associated with GranitiFiandre since 1998 and has been promoted...

Setaram, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Setaram, Inc. recently announced the appointment of Randy Clore as senior sales engineer with responsibility for the Midwestern U.S. With a background in chemistry and marketing, he has over 25 years of experience in instrumentation sales,...

Magneco/Metrel, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Charles W. Connors, Jr. was recently promoted to president and chief operating officer (COO) of Magneco/Metrel, Inc. Connors joined Magneco/Metrel in 1982 and rose through the ranks in manufacturing, research and development, and sales and...

Oneida Ltd.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Oneida Ltd. recently announced that Andrew G. Church, currently chief financial officer (CFO), has been given additional responsibilities and promoted to chief operating officer (COO) of the company. He will continue to serve as CFO, a position...

Morgan Advanced Materials and Technology (AM&T).(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Morgan Advanced Materials and Technology (AM&T) has hired Jamie Snipes as business development manager for its industrial aftermarket segment. Snipes comes to Morgan AM&T from CREE, Inc., where be served as senior materials development engineer...

Alcoa.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Alcoa recently announced that John Thuestad, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Elkem AS, joined Alcoa effective January 1, 2008, in the newly created position of president, Global Primary Products--United States. In this position,...

Bekaert.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointment of Peter Andries and Thomas Ray at Bekaert Sputter Products)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peter Andries has been appointed market manager North America for the Bekaert Sputter Products division. In his new position, Andries will be responsible for all sales and marketing activities in North America. He...

Blasch Precision Ceramics.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Shay Harrison, Ph.D., has been named director of Operational Development for Blasch Precision Ceramics. In his new position, Harrison will be responsible for overseeing the transition of innovations from R&D to manufacturing, and making process...

CeramTec North America Corp.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2008... CeramTec North America Corp. (CTNA) recently announced that Michael J. Mueller has joined the company as president. Mueller joins CTNA with more than 29 years of experience in advanced materials and specialty chemicals manufacturing. In...

U.S. must prepare for day of reckoning.(UP FOR DISCUSSION)
March 1, 2008... Asian governments that dupe our leaders and take advantage of our free trade policies with their predatory trade tactics are draining the U.S. of its economic wealth. Communist Chinese leaders take offense at our superpower status and show...

Ultrasonic machining.
March 1, 2008... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Engineered ceramic materials exhibit a host of very attractive properties for today's scientists, design engineers and R&D engineers. Properties of interest include high hardness, high thermal resistance, chemical...

Shaping the future: the defect performance of CMP slurries made with optimized solid-state ceria particles far exceeds that of optimized solution-grown or flame-synthesized ceria particles.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The shallow trench isolation (STI) process is a key step in the production of leading-edge integrated circuit devices. In this process, silicon dioxide-filled trenches serve to electrically isolate different active...

The Laser age: despite a long history, new applications for the laser processing of microelectronic ceramics are still under development.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lasers have been used for the cutting, scribing and drilling of the ceramic substrates used in microelectronics packaging for nearly three decades. Yet, despite this long history, new applications for the laser...

Laser-assisted CMC milling: new technology will soon enable the high-speed precision machining of CMCs at a significantly reduced cost.
March 1, 2008... Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are becoming widely used in aerospace applications (especially in rocket motors and turbine engine hot exhaust areas) as a method to reduce weight while increasing performance and efficiency. Continuous-fiber...

Make your mark: recent technologies have led to new laser methods that provide endless possibilities for ceramic processing.
March 1, 2008... Due to the increased demand for permanent and cost-effective marking methods worldwide, laser technology has moved to the forefront to meet the needs of manufacturers in almost every industry. Advances in laser technology in recent years have...

Energy-saving refractories: colloidal silica-bonded monolithic refractories offer a number of energy-saving opportunities over refractories that are bonded with cement.(special section / refractories)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As energy prices soar, resource-intensive industries are being increasingly challenged to find ways to save energy wherever possible. One area for potential energy savings is in a place one might not immediately...

A batching solution: one refractory manufacturer has been able to achieve a [+ or -] 1% variation in its batches due to a new material handling system.(CASE STUDY)
March 1, 2008... Coal use is expected to grow substantially in the U.S. Indeed, coal demand east of the Mississippi River is projected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to increase by 5.9 quadrillion Btu, or 39%, between 2005 and 2030. West of...

UNITECR '07 snapshot.(REFRACTORIES REVIEW)
March 1, 2008... The 10th Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories (UNITECR) convened in Dresden, Germany, at the convention center on the banks of the Elbe River, September 18-21, 2007. The conference featured 875 attendees from 44 countries,...

Precision matters: Insaco has been active in the precision machining of ultra-hard materials for over 60 years.(SUPPLIER PROFILE)
March 1, 2008... Manufacturers in the ceramic industry are often called upon to fabricate ceramic parts that require unusually tight machining tolerances. For over 60 years, Insaco has been active in the precision machining of ultra-hard materials, including...

Insulating castable.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Thermal Ceramics The newly developed Kaolite 2000-LI castable features strength and thermal properties needed for high-performance castable and brick hot face linings. The strength-to-density ratio of the Kaolite 2000-LI product is in the...

Removable atmosphere muffle furnaces.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A full line of removable atmosphere muffle furnaces that provide versatility in heat-treating and cooling under protective atmosphere is now available. By employing a cart-mounted portable...

Research Chemicals Catalog.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Alfa Aesar The 2008-09 Catalog of Research Chemicals, Metals and Materials features over 3000 new products, many of which are novel fine organics, including hundreds of new boronic acids, silanes and silanols, chiral diamines,...

Refractory products.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Stellar Materials Inc. This company recently received a European patent for the technology used to produce its entire family of Thermbond[TM] refractory products. Rather than mixing with water like traditional refractories, Thermbond...

Continuous Attritor.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Union Process, Inc. A redesigned C-40 Continuous Attritor was recently developed for the large-scale continuous production of zinc oxide and iron oxide. The unit features a 125 HP, T.E.F.C., inverter-duty motor with a variable frequency...

High-powered microheaters.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... MHI Inc. New patented high-powered microheaters are available with 1 or 2 in. diameters. The total power delivery from a small space can exceed 1 kW of power delivery at a very high emissivity. Various configurations, including flat or...

Nanofiber cartridge filter.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Donaldson Torit[R] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ultra-Web[R] nanofiber technology line now includes a higher-efficiency cartridge filter that delivers longer filter life, cleaner air and greater energy savings. Ultra-Web SB, certified by...

Tungsten Carbide reference guide.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... General Carbide Corp. The Designer's Guide to Tungsten Carbide is a 57-page reference guide specifically targeted to help engineers, designers, fabricators and end users better utilize tungsten carbide materials. The publication covers...

Carbon Black video.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Cancarb A new video about Thermax[R] Medium Thermal Carbon Black is now available. The video highlights various areas that Thermax can be used to improve performance. "In the ceramic industry, the particle size distribution and chemical...

Custom-grown single crystals.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Goodfellow Corp. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This company offers single crystals of more than 30 metals and alloys, normally grown to order using a range of techniques (e.g., Bridgman, Czochralski). Crystals can be supplied with specific or...

PBN products.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Momentive Performance Materials Inc. A new product line of pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) crucibles, heaters and coatings for the enhancement of the production of copper indium gallium selinide (CIGS) solar cells was recently launched....

Electrodialysis Reversal solutions.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... GE Water & Process Technologies The next generation of this company's Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) solutions enhances its portfolio of advanced water and wastewater treatment solutions designed to address the world's growing water...

Metallization materials for photovoltaic silicon solar cells.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Ferro Corp. Electronic Material Systems Eight new materials are available to improve electrical output, efficiency and manufacturability, enabling solar energy to become a more cost-competitive energy generation alternative. The four...

Process development.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Spheric Technologies, Inc. This company provides fast turnaround of customer process development projects using a newly installed high-temperature microwave furnace at its Phoenix, Ariz., process development center. The computer-controlled...

Ultra-high-purity oxides.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... MV Laboratories, Inc. A new line of 99.999% metal oxides reportedly features extremely low levels of iron and other undesirable transition metals like chromium, cobalt, copper, nickel, manganese and vanadium. Developed primarily for...

Metal-coated ceramic microspheres.(WHAT'S NEW)
March 1, 2008... Accumet Materials, Co. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new line of standard and custom metal-coated ceramic microspheres is now available. These coated microspheres are hollow ceramic spheres (ranging in particle size and type of coating)...