Supercapacitors (or ultracapacitors as they are otherwise known) are now centre stage for designers of electronics and particularly power circuits, writes Peter Harrop. This is because they are improving faster than the batteries and electrolytic capacitors they increasingly replace.
More subtly, they reduce the need for, and danger from, lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries. For example, when placed across a rechargeable battery, they protect it from fast charging and discharging and allow more of the energy in the battery to be utilised. The result is that less battery is needed, life and safety are improved and maintenance is reduced. As a result of this - and increasing use of supercapacitors in non-battery replacement applications - the annual growth of the leading suppliers in aggregate has increased to 30 percent, representing a market that will exceed $11bn within ten years.
Of the eighty or so companies either currently making, or about to make, supercapacitors and their variants such as supercabatteries (assymetrical electrochemical double layer capacitors such as lithium capacitors), only 6 percent are in Europe. So, while it may therefore seem strange to locate the event, Supercapacitors Europe 2013 in Berlin, bear in mind that 25 percent of supercapacitor demand emanates from Europe - from companies like Bombardier using large banks of them to recapture the braking energy of trains to Riversimple using them to shunt automotive fuel cells.
And there are numerous other examples, including extensive use as backup in wind turbine blade control, bus door opening, hybrid cars, crane and elevator braking and many stand-by power supplies for electronics. The MAN hybrid bus in Germany, for example, has been a great success, with the lithium-ion battery now completely replaced by a supercapacitor.
These large and rapidly growing applications in Europe leverage the high power density and, above all, the 'fit-and-forget' benefits of supercapacitors, which last the life of the equipment in which they are installed.
With the Boeing Dreamliner grounded because of its lithium-ion battery system, it is likely that supercapacitors will partly or wholly replace such batteries in aircraft wherever possible, mimicking what has already happened on the ground. Indeed, supercapacitors can be fully discharged for transport and the majority of them will soon have no flammable toxic electrolyte, unlike the batteries they replace. Moreover, air regulations concerning the transport and onboard use of lithium-ion batteries are very likely to be tightened.
Supercapacitors Europe 2013
A premier IDTechEx technology event, Supercapacitors Europe 2013 is co-located with a number of partner events, including one concentrating on graphene, which may eventually permit supercapacitors to exceed the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Other co-located events cover printed electronics, photovoltaics, energy harvesting and storage, and wireless sensor networks.
Dr Peter Harrop
Supercapacitors Europe 2013 will showcase the huge effort in Europe to leapfrog existing supercapacitor technology and its applications. Current work offers prospects such as thin film supercapacitors overlaying a car body or on the back of flexible solar photovoltaics. Others are working on structural, load bearing supercapacitors, part of the trend to integrate components and essentially make them 'vanish'.
Staying in Europe, it emerges that the west coast Normandy region of France is becoming a supercapcitor centre of excellence. Here, companies such as Armor Group, Batscap and its parent company Bollore and the Hutchinson Group, subsidiary of the TOTAL energy group, are forming an emerging supercapacitor technology cluster in the region. Capabilities for the different key stages of the supercapacitor value chain range from key supercapacitor components manufacturing to the supercapacitor-equipped electric vehicle, BlueCar.
Last year, in the US, the focus of the IDTechEx supercapacitor event was on carbon nanotubes in supercapacitors, with presentations by academics from institutions such as Hang Yang University in Korea and the State University of New York at Binghamton. This year in Berlin, progress reports will be given by Fraunhofer IPA, which is leading the Electrograph European project focused on production of graphene through electrochemical exfoliation for supercapacitors, and Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, which will present on hierarchical graphene-based materials for high-performance supercapacitors.
On behalf of the UK, the University of Manchester, part of the British consortium focused on the 'manufacturability' of graphene, will talk about porous graphene for flexible supercapacitors, while Imperial College London will cover 'smart skin' supercapacitors. VTT Finland will discuss supercapacitor versions with aqueous electrolytes printed on paperboard, and companies such as Graphene Frontiers will speak about their chemical vapour deposition process for implementation of graphene/nanotube to electrode materials.
There's a global dimension too, with best-in-class speakers from CAP-XX (Australia), Graphene Frontiers (USA), Shanghai Shi Long High-Tech (China), and Elbit Systems (Israel). For full details of the main and co-located events, click here.
Dr Peter Harrop is currently chairman of IDTechEx. He was previously director of technology at Plessey Capacitors Scotland and chief executive of Mars Electronics, a start-up he grew organically to $260m gross sales value.
SOURCE http://www.dpaonthenet.net
RELEASED ON 28/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Dow Chemical Co. (DOW), the biggest U.S. chemical maker by sales, said the spread of weeds resistant to the glyphosate herbicide made by Monsanto Co. (MON) is accelerating, creating opportunites for products it plans to begin introducing this year.
About 65 million acres of U.S. cropland harbored weeds last year that aren’t killed by glyphosate, the world’s best-selling herbicide, Antonio Galindez, president of Dow AgroSciences, said today in a webcast from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Agriculture Conference in Miami. Infested land rose 25 percent in 2011 and 51 percent last year, he said.
Glyophosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, Monsanto’s brand for the weed killer.
Dow expects to earn $1.5 billion selling a its 2,4-D herbicide and crops engineered to tolerate it, Galindez said, repeating earlier forecasts.
Dow should receive U.S. approval to sell a reformulated version of 2,4-D in months, he said. Corn that tolerates 2,4-D should be approved later this year, with soy approval expected in 2015 and cotton in 2016, he said.
SOURCE Bloomberg
Shaanxi Ronghe Group is in plans to start up a butanediol plant.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is likely to start commercial operations in August 2013.
The plant will be located in Shaanxi province, China and will have a production capacity of 120,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
RELEASED ON 28/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
THE agriculture industry is on the path to finding solutions for one of the biggest threats to global cereals production and food security.
Herbicide resistance in weed species is one of the road blocks to increased cereal yields and farming productivity.
However, a team of researchers from The University of Western Australia's Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) and Bayer CropScience has made a major breakthrough.
Until now, it has been a mystery how resistant weeds can break down several different herbicides. Using new technology, the team has identified for the first time six different genes that are expressed at a high level in ryegrass populations resistant to Group A and some Group B herbicides.
Weeds resistant to these two herbicide groups account for the majority of the in-crop weed control challenge. The discovery could now lead to practical new solutions in the future.
"By knowing more about it, we can look at coming up with solutions,'' Dr Todd Gaines, Post-Doctoral Research Associate with BayerCrop Science, told delegates at the Global Herbicide Resistance Challenge international conference in Fremantle.
"The long-term goal is if we understand how weeds are breaking down herbicides, we can develop new options or maybe add ingredients to old chemicals to protect them.''
Dr Gaines, who is part of Bayer CropScience's weed resistance research team led by Dr Roland Beffa, said identifying the specific genes had been too difficult until recently.
"This research breakthrough has been made possible by using next generation sequencing technology to get a foothold and then to analyse and identify the genes involved. The technology takes all the DNA and sequences it all at once.''
"Compared to the old sequencing method, this costs a lot less and is significantly quicker. "We obtained sequences for thousands of genes that are expressed in ryegrass seedlings and then compared resistant and susceptible populations.
"We firstly identified 350 genes that were expressed at either a higher or lower level in ryegrass populations resistant to Group A and some Group B herbicides. Then we further identified six genes that have a high association with resistance.
"We have sequenced a lot of genes for ryegrass using the new technology at low cost and in just a few months - we couldn't do that before.'' Dr Gaines said the discovery also would assist improved diagnostic testing.
"In future, growers could send resistant weed samples to a laboratory to quickly check whether they have non-target site metabolism resistance,'' he said.
Dr Beffa said, hopefully, simple tests could be developed for use in the field and from that information, agronomists and advisers could make better recommendations. He said the research team planned to publish the data and the sequences of the six identified genes soon.
SOURCE Queensland Country Life
Tianjin Dagu Chemical is in plans to shut a styrene monomer (SM) plant for a maintenance turnaround.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is likely to be shut for a maintenance turnaround in late March- early April 2013. The plant is likely to remain off-stream for around two weeks.
Located in Tianjin, China, the plant has a production capacity of 500,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
Nagase Chemtex Corp. has developed a promising new cathode material for a lithium sulfur battery that would have more than five times the charge-storage capacity of today's lithium-ion batteries.
Sulfur on its own has more than 10 times the charge-storage capacity of the lithium-cobalt-oxide materials now used as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. But because electrons and ions move poorly through sulfur, the material is difficult to use for this purpose.
Nagase Chemtex improved the electron and ion mobility by mixing sulfur with two auxiliary materials. The Nagase & Co. (8012) group firm modified the granular sizes and structures of these materials to boost the sulfur content to 50%, yielding a cathode material that would give the battery around five times more charge-storage capacity than is possible with lithium-cobalt-oxide.
Sulfur is used in many industrial applications and is cheap to procure. If the price for the two auxiliary materials can be brought down through mass production, the overall cost of the new cathode material is estimated to come to around a third that of today's lithium-cobalt-oxide materials.
The company envisions the cathode being used in a lithium-sulfur battery along with metal lithium for the anode and a solid material for the electrolyte. It plans to continue with research and development of anode and electrolyte materials with the goal of entering the battery materials business after five years.
SOURCE NIKKEI
Scientists at USC have invented a technology to convert useless ozone-destroying greenhouse gas fluoroform into reagents for producing pharmaceuticals. Fluoroform is generated as byproduct in the manufacturing of Teflon. Due to its hazardous nature to environment, many companies such as DuPont, Arkema, are holding huge quantities of Fluoroform without disposing it off. USC's technology would be useful in utilising fluoroform for producing most of the pharmaceuticals containing fluorine molecules. Fluorine is found in many drugs including anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil, and other drugs such as Prozac, Celebrex, etc. Moreover, fluoroform can also be converted into trifluoromethanesulfonic acid.
SOURCE Chemical Engineering World
JX Nippon Oil & Energy is operating its butadiene plant at reduced capacity levels.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is currently operational at 80% of production capacity.
Located at Kawasaki in Japan, the butadiene plant has a production capacity of 70,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
RELEASED ON 26/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)
DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred agricultural seed unit said a hybrid wheat technology project has been added to its roster of crop research programs that are advancing into deeper development. DuPont currently is largely focused on genetic improvements to corn and soybeans, as well as enhanced canola and rice.
The company is looking at using biotechnology, along with other breeding tools, to create wheat that is more disease resistant and also wheat that yields more and is hardy in drought conditions, John Soper, DuPont Pioneer vice president of crop genetics/research and development, said in an interview.
Though biotech corn, soybeans, cotton and other crops have been in the market for years, no company has yet commercialized a biotech wheat.
Corn remains the key crop for DuPont Pioneer, but the company sees wheat as a good long-term bet, according to Soper.
"Corn is still our major crop, but this is one of the crops that we think is critical to build the future pipeline for DuPont," he said. "We have an opportunity now with the technology... to really take wheat to a new level and it could be an important part of our long-term future."
The wheat work is based in Pioneer's main R&D facilities in Johnston, Iowa.
DuPont has long offered conventional soft red winter wheat seeds but Soper said the wheat work they are doing would be "broadly applicable" to various classes of wheat and to many other countries in addition to North America.
The company is still at least a decade away from a commercialized new wheat, Soper said. Researchers have identified the genes they want and are now starting to make transformations and figure out which combinations work best, he said.
"The key thing is that we are looking for ways to grow our business in the long term. Wheat is one of the largest crops in the world. It's a staple food for about 35 percent of the world's population."
Soper said despite challenges to rival biotech wheat research programs, he sees acceptance growing over time.
DuPont rival Monsanto Co. nearly brought a biotech wheat to market but shelved the herbicide-resistant crop in 2004 amid broad opposition from buyers of U.S. wheat and from U.S. wheat growers who feared losing sales. The company announced it was restarting wheat research in 2009.
Researchers in Australia, Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, Syngenta, and others have said they are also researching genetic improvements for wheat.
SOURCE Reuters
A chemical unit of South Korea's SK Group said Tuesday that it has signed a deal with China's state oil firm Sinopec to set up a Chinese joint venture to produce butanediol, a key material used to make synthetic fiber.
SK Global Chemical and Sinopec will invest a total of some 680 billion won on the construction of the plant in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing by 2015. The venture will have an annual output capacity of 200,000 tons of butanediol, according to SK Group.
Butanediol is used to make spandex, synthetic leather and polyurathan.
The latest joint venture will be SK's third petrochemical project with Sinopec. SK is also pushing for an ethylene plant project with an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons in Wuhan, on which the Chinese government is expected to give final approval within the year.
SOURCE Yonhap English News
The international "Science Award Electrochemistry" from BASF and Volkswagen will be awarded for the second time this year. Starting now leading researchers from all over the world can apply on the website www.science-award.com. This site also provides the requirements for participation, the procedure, and the selection process. Applications can be submitted until 15 Jun 2013. The entries will be judged by a jury of experts from BASF, Volkswagen, and representatives from the world of science. The award ceremony will be held on 23 Oct 2013, in Ludwigshafen. The international "Science Award Electrochemistry" promotes outstanding scientific and engineering achievements and provides impetus for the development of high-performance energy stores. The scientific award is presented annually and aimed at scientists in the global academic research community. It is endowed with prize money of EUR 50,000.
The first international "Science Award Electrochemistry" from BASF and Volkswagen was awarded to Dr Naoaki Yabuuchi, Tokyo University of Science , Institute for Science and Technology, Japan in Oct 2012. The jury selected Yabuuchi for the outstanding results of his research on different battery technologies. Yabuuchi showed among other things how new battery materials can improve the efficiency of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries - a fundamentally new battery concept, which is currently a focus of research. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. In 2011, the Group increased the number of vehicles delivered to customers to 8.265 million (2010: 7.203 million), corresponding to a 12.3% share of the world passenger car market. The Group is made up of twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, SKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, and MAN. Each brand has its own character and operates as an independent entity on the market. The product spectrum extends from low-consumption small cars to luxury class vehicles. In the commercial vehicle sector, the product offering ranges from pick-ups to buses and heavy trucks. The Group operates 99 production plants in 18 European countries and a further nine countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. In 2011 (excluding Ducati and Porsche), each working day, 501,956 employees worldwide produce some 34,500 vehicles, are involved in vehicle-related services or work in the other fields of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. It is the goal of the Group to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which are competitive on an increasingly tough market and which set world standards in their respective classes. BASF is developing innovative materials and components such as cathode materials and electrolytes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Simultaneously, the company is researching future battery concepts such as lithium sulfur or lithium air. These will allow significantly higher energy densities and have the potential to further reduce battery weight and costs. Other BASF products such as plastics for lightweight construction and insulating materials as well as infrared reflective coatings for improved heat management will also be major elements in promoting resource-efficient electromobility.
SOURCE BASF Official Press Release
Asahi Kasei Corporation is likely to shut operations at its No. 3 styrene monomer (SM) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is likely to be shut in mid-September 2013. It is expected to remain off-stream for around one month.
Located at Mizushima in Japan, the No. 3 SM plant has a production capacity of 390,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
Jiangmen Handsome Chemical Development will be starting its new butyl acrylate (BA) plant on schedule.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant will be started in end-March 2013.
To be located in Jiangsu province, China, the plant will have a production capacity of 80,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
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Rapid Development of China’s Acrylic Ester Sector
Shanghai Secco Petrochemical is operating its acrylonitrile (ACN) plant at reduced rates.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is presently operational at 85% of production capacity.
Located at Shanghai in China, the ACN plant has a production capacity of 260,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
NS Styrene Monomer Co. Ltd, a joint venture between Nippon Steel Chemical (51%) and Showa Denko (49%), is likely to shut operations at its No.3 styrene monomer (SM) plant.
According to a Polymerupdate source in Japan, the plant will resume operations on February 22/23, 2013. It was taken offstream for a maintenance turnaround on February 3, 2013.
Located at Oita in Japan, the No. 3 SM plant has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update