HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Oil Price Drop Leads to Lower Petrochemical Prices and Market Weakness, IHS Says
The recent decline in global oil prices is causing some petrochemical supply chain destocking, but is also sowing the seeds for better economic conditions, lower petrochemical prices and improving global petrochemical demand.
Lighter Steel Could Boost Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
Materials scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea report to have developed a lightweight steel which is stronger and more pliable than titanium alloys by altering the array of material compounds in the alloy.
U.S. Air Force Awards Contract for 3D Printing
3D Systems (3DS) has been awarded two contracts with the U.S. Air Force to develop advanced manufacturing 3D printing capabilities. The $1 million contracts are funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFL) and administered by America Makes and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation.
Propylene in Demand: Roadblocks and Opportunities
The propylene supplies in North America have reached unprecedented levels of shortness and the increase in price leaves a severe impact on businesses. But in the recent weeks the price of propylene has lowered and they are several measures taken to increase the production of propylene.
Kevlar Barrier Could Lead to Safer Lithium-ion Batteries
The battery technology innovation is an advanced barrier between the electrodes in a lithium-ion battery, reports University of Michigan.
Australian Discovery Could Improve Solar Cells and Printed Electronics
A discovery by University of Melbourne researchers could lead to improved solar cell performance and printed electronics. The research, published in Nature Communications, discovered nematic liquid crystals that researchers say will be easier to manufacture and able to work in cells that are twice
2015 Chemicals Outlook: Can Demand Shrug Off Crude Price Shock?
While sharp declines in crude oil prices cloud the forecast for pricing and margins, demand for chemicals should grow solidly in 2015. That’s the assessment of IHS Chemical Week, which published its annual market outlook in a cover story on January 12.
Algal Biofuels: Closer to Sustainability?
To tackle concerns driven by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, chemical majors are using bio-process engineering technologies to convert carbon sources into new energy forms.
Carbon Fiber Faces Long Road to Adoption in Automotive, Energy Industries
One of the most common ways to improve energy efficiency in transportation is "lightweighting," or making a vehicle lighter by using less dense materials that offer the same strength as metals.
Daniel Yergin to Keynote 30th World Petrochemical Conference
Pulitzer-Prize winning author and energy historian Daniel Yergin, Ph.D., will join industry, technology and financial leaders, along with other leading experts from IHS, at the IHS Chemical 30th Annual World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) and Workshops, March 24 – 27, 2015.
Membrane Technology and Industrial Applications: A Promising Future?
Membrane technology like pervaporation (PV) and membrane filtration has been getting a lot of attention in the industry because of its energy efficiency and ability to break azeotropic systems.
Method Could Expand Biomass Waste Use for Chemical Feedstock
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison disclosed a new method to convert lignin, a biomass waste product, into simple chemicals. The innovation could held expand the use of biorenewable materials for fuel and chemicals, says Shannon Stahl, an expert in green chemistry at the University.
Mexican Hydrocarbon Reform Likely to Attract Petrochemical Investment
The recent historic changes made to Mexico’s hydrocarbon laws is opening doors for private oil and gas investment in the country, which is expected to secure more competitive feedstocks necessary for expanded petrochemicals production in Mexico.
BASF, Sinopec and Sabic Top IHS ChemicalWeek’s Ranking of Global Chemical Companies
For the eighth straight year, BASF, the German-based chemical producer, led the IHS ChemicalWeek “Billion-Dollar Club” annual sales ranking of global chemical companies by registering $81.5 billion in total sales for 2013.
Envisioning European Semiconductor Supremacy
The European Commission announced an effort last year to secure a solid share of semiconductor manufacturing for the European Union by 2020. Entitled EU 10|100|20, the initiative is being overseen by the European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council.
Flexible Conductors for Commercial Use
Modern materials that are light, flexible and highly conductive have great technological potential, whether as artificial skin or electronic paper. Making such concepts affordable enough for general use remains a challenge. But a new way of working with copper nanowires and a poly vinyl alcohol
Rare Earth Opportunities
Rare earth elements such as neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), gadolinium (Gd), dysprosium (Dy), europium (Eu), erbium (Er), yttrium (Y) and praseodymium (Pr) are important raw materials in a variety of electronics products, such as batteries, phosphors, drives, lighting, display, photovoltaic films and
Recycled Rubber Finds Use in Lithium-ion Batteries
Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by wind and solar, say researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. By modifying the microstructural characteristics of carbon
Ultra-thin Semiconductor Opens Door for Product Innovation
Scientists have developed what they believe is the thinnest-possible semiconductor, a new class of nanoscale materials made in sheets three atoms thick. The University of Washington researchers demonstrated that two of these single-layer semiconductor materials can be connected in an atomically
ASTM B831: Test Method for Shear Testing of Thin Aluminum Alloy Products
ASTM B831 is amended to include a new appendix that was created to describe a novel shear test sample geometry and incorporation of digital image correlation for shear strain measurement.