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voda 16 augustus 2017 16:53

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Hadeed raises rebar and wire rod prices for second time in August

Saudi Iron and Steel Company has announced to raise rebar and wire rod prices second time this month. New rebar price for the domestic market increased by SAR 150 (USD 40) per tonne to SAR 2,000 (USD 533) per tonne CPT Riyadh.

New wire rod price is at SAR 2,000 (USD 533) per tonne CPT Riyadh, up by SAR 150 (USD 40) per tonne as compared to last announced prices.

Buyers prefer domestic mills over imports due to competitive prices. Turkish rebar import price assessment is at USD 520-530 per tonne CFR Jeddah TW as compared to 510-520 per tonne CFR Jeddah TW last week.

Chinese wire rod import offers are in the range of USD 600-610 per tonne CFR as compared to USD 550-560 per tonne early this month.

Source : MEsteel.com

voda 16 augustus 2017 16:53

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Regina’s Evraz steel mill could see some labour unrest

www.620ckrm reported that workers at Regina’s Evraz Steel mine could strike. This comes after bargaining between the two sides broke off this past week with a 14 day cooling off period now in effect. The union walked away from the bargaining table saying the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on monetary concessions the company is looking for.

Those concessions involve the pension plan which the union says Evraz wants to revamp so reduced benefits are given to retired workers and a wage structure which the company wants in place which would see new hires take three years to get to the same level of pay as current employees.

The United Steelworkers want to see a three percent wage increase while Evraz is offering a one percent increase this year and next.

The current CBA expired in July of 2016 with talks aimed at getting a new contract now going on for over a year.

Source : www.620ckrm

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voda 16 augustus 2017 16:57

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Iran 5th Largest Iron Ore Exporter to India

Financial Tribune reported that Iran Central Iron Ore Company exported 50,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate to India in July, According to Keyvan Jafari Tehrani head of international relations of Iron Ore Producers & Exporters Association of Iran, Iranian shipments made up 5% of India’s 1.11 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate imports during the period, making ICIOC the fifth largest supplier to the South Asian country.

South Africa was the biggest supplier with 550,000 tonnes, followed by Brazil with 280,000 tonnes and Australia with 230,000 tons. According to Steelmint, India’s imports in July were 20 times more than its June record. The country is following a plan to increase crude steel production capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030-31 from the present level of about 120 million tonnes.

Source : Financial Tribune

voda 16 augustus 2017 16:59

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This Week's Raw Steel Production

Sign up for the weekly Raw Steel Update newsletter.

In the week ending on August 12, 2017, domestic raw steel production was 1,780,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 76.4 percent. Production was 1,655,000 net tons in the week ending August 12, 2016 while the capability utilization then was 70.8 percent. The current week production represents a 7.6 percent increase from the same period in the previous year.

Production for the week ending August 12, 2017 is up 1.0 percent from the previous week ending August 5, 2017 when production was 1,762,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 75.6 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through August 12, 2017 was 55,650,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 74.6 percent. That is up 2.9 percent from the 54,106,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 72.2 percent.

Broken down by districts, here's production for the week ending August 12, 2017 in thousands of net tons: North East: 211; Great Lakes: 678; Midwest: 166; Southern: 650 and Western: 75 for a total of 1780.

The Raw Steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided from 50% of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI production report "AIS 7", published monthly and available by subscription, provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75% of U.S. production capacity.

Note: Capability for the Third Quarter 2017 is approximately 30.6 million tons compared to 30.7 million tons for the same period last year and 30.3 million tons for the Second Quarter of 2017.

www.steel.org/about-aisi/statistics.aspx

voda 16 augustus 2017 17:01

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US steel dumping investigation delayed - Politician

Patch Staff reported that US Representative Marcy Kaptur, OH-9, Democrat, is keeping the pressure on the Trump administration to explain why there has been a delay in the investigation into illegal dumping of steel by foreign competitors. Kaptur testified in late May on how illegal steel dumping has devastated Lorain during a speech before the US Department of Commerce.

During her testimony in May, Kaptur urged the administration to speed up its investigation into steel dumping practices. She was told by Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross the investigation would be completed by the end of June. No report has been produced.

On Friday, Kaptur released a letter she has sent to Ross inquiring about the delay of the investigation and its findings. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Avon-Avon Lake newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.) She writes that "As I emphasized in my testimony at the public hearing we cannot slow walk a national response that cedes our domestic steel’s future, to a rigged predatory set of practices by other nations that win market share by violating the rules.”

Kaptur goes on to urge Ross to take specific action, as detailed below.

Yet, we are now nearly six weeks after a deadline you set yourself, for which thousands of steelworkers across the country who heard your promise for speedy action continue to wait. It is they who truly deserve an immediate response and plan for action from this Administration. Action to:

1. Stop foreign dumping of steel on our market, beginning with tubular piping;

2. Preserve modernized capacity so our nation can maintain our strategic industrial and defense bases;

3. Develop bridge financing using the full Executive power of the Administration to secure modernized US steel production capacity, economic development and trade adjustment assistance to communities and workers harmed by dumping, and to neutralize the negative impact of the VAT tax;

4. Prescribe immediate retaliatory means to halt circumvention by China, South Korea, Russia, India, Vietnam and any state-directed economy that continues to harm the US.

She concludes her letter by again inviting Ross to visit Lorain and spend time with steelworkers and their families. A copy of her letter can be viewed here.

On March 11, 2017, a portion of the US Steel's Lorain tubular operations plant was permanently shut down. Many workers at the plant were left in a murky grey area with their jobs. Kaptur and other Ohio politicians asked several federal politicians to intervene, including President Donald Trump. Nothing came of their pleas.

While Camaco LLC's April announcement that it would add some 200 jobs to its Lorain firm, helps offset some losses, Lorain has still lost more than 1,000 steel-related jobs since 2015. Nationwide, there were 14,000 steelworkers laid off between Jan. 2015 and Dec. 2016. Kaptur notes that Lorain once employed 12,000 steel workers. The largest employer in Lorain is now Mercy Regional Medical Health Center, with 1,520 employees. US Steel has about 523 employees in Lorain, and Republic Steel has about 400 employees in the city, according to the Lorain County Auditor.

Source : Patch.com

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:40

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Steel demand increasing in India- Tata Steel MD Mr TV Narendran

PTI reported that Tata Steel Managing Director (India and South East Asia) Mr TV Narendran said that demand for steel is increasing in the country and the situation is right to make future investment. He told “Stability is being witnessed in the steel sector globally though it had faced some problem two years ago. There was an improvement in the economy in China and that country was not exporting much steel now which has in turn resulted in an improvement in the steel sector in India.”

He told “Overall, the situation is now right for future investment and Tata Steel was also considering future investment. We will discuss the issue in the next two to three months about what and where to do and how much investment to be made.”

Mr Narendran said Tata Sons chairman had also recently said that its focus would be India, particularly Jamshedpur and Kalinganagar (Odisha) plant.

Source : PTI

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voda 17 augustus 2017 16:44

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IMF urges China to be bolder on steel, coal capacity cuts

Reuters reported that International Monetary Fund urged China to set more ambitious targets for its coal and steel industries to cut excess production capacity and bring more efficient plant on line as Beijing bids to steps up economic reforms. The IMF said in a statement that “The reduction targets are appropriately front-loaded but could be more ambitious. Under the current cut targets, crude steel capacity would still be close to 2013 levels and account for nearly half of global capacity by 2018-20 due to previously planned investment.”

The comments came after China released output data on Monday showing producers churned out a record 74.02 million tonnes of cured steel last month even though July is seen as a low season month as high summer temperatures slow down the construction sector and its demand for steel goods.

China, the world's top steel and coal producer, has vowed to launch a campaign to cut excess capacity in various industrial sectors, including coal-fuelled power and the construction materials industry, in an effort to cut inefficiencies and tackle pollution. A total of 140 million tonnes of steel production capacity and 800 million tonnes of coal capacity numbers roughly equal to about a tenth of the world's total output in 2016 are due to be eliminated over the coming three to five years under existing Beijing plans.

Source : Reuters

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:46

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Hebei Province to meet capacity cutting targets by end of September

Reuters reported that China's top steel making Hebei Province has pledged to fulfill capacity cutting targets for this year in steel, cement, coal and glass by the end of September, under efforts to tackle air pollution ahead of winter. Yin Guangping, a spokesman for the province's Environmental Protection Bureau, told a press conference, that “Hebei has eliminated 12.26 million tonnes of iron making capacity and 10.53 million tonnes of steelmaking capacity in the first seven months of the year.”

The province aims to cut steel capacity by 31.86 million tonnes in 2017, accounting for nearly two thirds of China's total steel capacity reduction target for the year.

A statement published by Hebei in early August said 50 percent of its steel capacity will be shut during the winter in key regions, including the city of Tangshan which produced 88.3 million tonnes of steel last year.

China's air pollution is typically most severe in winter as domestic heating systems churn out toxic pollutants. Controlling the problem has become a political priority and Hebei has vowed to hold officials accountable if the region fails to meet pollution targets. Hebei has pledged to reduce concentrations of hazardous pollutants, known as PM2.5, by more than 15 percent during the coming autumn and winter compared with a year before.

Source : Reuters

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voda 17 augustus 2017 16:47

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No timeline on Tata Steel JV deal - ThyssenKrupp

Reuters reported that ThyssenKrupp has no timeline to make a final decision on a potential merger of its European steel operations with those of peer Tata Steel. A spokesman for the group was commenting on a report in German daily Boersen-Zeitung, which cited sources at Thyssenkrupp as saying no decision would be made until at least Sept. 8 following a deal regarding Tata Steel's UK pension liabilities. This is when a 28-day deadline for objections against the agreement ends.

He said "ThyssenKrupp has, in the past, pointed out that any agreement in this context has to be thoroughly examined before an assessment. We will take the necessary time for this examination."

ThyssenKrupp said last week it would not be rushed into any deal with Tata, pouring cold water on investor hopes for a quick agreement.

Tata received regulatory approval last week for a deal to cut its UK pension scheme liabilities, which was seen paving the way for a possible merger between its British and European steel businesses and those of ThyssenKrupp.

Source : Reuters

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:47

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Metalloinvest signs long-term contract with Severstal to supply iron ore concentrate

Metalloinvest and Severstal have signed a new long-term contract for the supply of 1.8 mn tonnes of iron ore concentrate, valid until 30 June 2018. Deliveries will be made from Lebedinsky GOK (part of Metalloinvest). The contract also covers the supply of dry iron ore concentrate in the winter.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:48

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Ukraine steel exports fall 20% in January-July 2017

Reuters reported that Ukraine, a major global steel producer and exporter, reduced steel exports by around 20% in the first seven months of this year to 8.5 million tonnes. Uaprom said that steel imports rose by 17 percent to 685,000 tonnes. It gave no reasons for the changes.

Ukrainian steel production fell by 18 percent to 11.9 million tonnes in January-July 2017, according to government figures. In 2016, steel production rose 5.5 percent to 24.2 million tonnes.

Ukrainian steel exports were almost unchanged in 2016 at 21.4 million tonnes, Uaprom said.

Source : Reuters

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:52

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ArcelorMittal SA to cut staff as steel sector outlook dims

Business Day reported that ArcelorMittal South Africa is to retrench more than 50 workers as the poor economy and continuing cheaper Chinese steel imports gave it no option but to review staffing levels. ," CEO Wim de Klerk said “Eskom and Transnet pricing had made it uncompetitive. Along with the rest of the South African steel industry, we continue to face serious challenges that are negatively impacting our profitability.”

He said the company appreciated the steps taken by the government to protect the industry, such as import duties and the localisation of steel for infrastructure projects, but these would assist only in the medium to long-term.

He said "We do not believe that the outlook is likely to change in the foreseeable future, especially with regards to the lack of investment in infrastructure development.”

Meanwhile, the group's export sales were being hampered by weak international prices, rand volatility and rising input costs. To tackle this, De Klerk said, the group was looking to further cut costs. This included selling non-core assets and assessing its footprint. He said "It is for this reason that we have taken the difficult decision to begin a consultation process with employees.”

Source : Business Day

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:52

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Hoa Phat Group posts robust growth in steel production

Biz Hub reported that Hoa Phat Group manufactured some 209,000 tonnes of steel in July, up 24.7% from last month and nearly 50% from the same period last year. The company has retained top spot in terms of domestic steel market share. The group sold 33,000 tonnes of wire rod in the month, surging 54% from June, while some 21,800 tonnes of steel was shipped abroad, increasing total steel exports to 111,800 tonnes in the first seven months of the year. From the outset of this year, the group produced more than 1.24 million tonnes, a year on year increase of 32.3%.

According to the Viet Nam Steel Association, domestic steel production plants can meet domestic demand for steel products for construction. Steel production in Viet Nam expanded 12.8% year-on-year to nearly 11.3 million tonnes in the seven-month period ending in July.

Source : Biz Hub

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:53

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NZ Watchdog decides against steel test certificate prosecution

Radio NZ reported that a steel supplier that gave customers wrong information on its test certificates will not be prosecuted by the Commerce Commission. The commission faulted Steelforce Australia in three ways over test certificates for hollow structural steel. The commission said Steelforce put international logos and numbers on some certificates when it shouldn't have, and claimed a particular set of tests had the backing of a big global accreditor when they did not.

Some certificates also referred to a wrong welding standard.

The commission said it considered that some of the representations "may have been misleading, giving rise to a possible breach" of the Fair Trading Act.

But after a nine-month inquiry the regulator decided to give the company advice on how to comply with the law, rather than pursue it through the courts.

RNZ obtained the ruling under the Official Information Act after first reporting in May that the regulator was investigating.

Source : Radio NZ

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:54

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India steel continues to raise – Mr Banerjee

Mr Sushim Banerjee DG of Institute of Steel Growth and Development in his personal capacity wrote for Financial Express that steel industry in India, steel sector performance, core industries, core industries in India, GST implementation, GST implementation in steel industry The IIP data just released also points to a quarterly growth to 2% only.

The production growth of the eight core industries in the first quarter of the current fiscal at 2.4%, though dismal, conceals the fact that the highest growth has been observed in steel sector that had clocked a 6.2% growth during the period. This exceeds other critical sectors (crude oil, petroleum refinery products, fertiliser and cement, growing between 0.2-2.9% and natural gas, coal, electricity expanding in the range of 4.3-4.9%. The IIP data just released also points to a quarterly growth to 2% only. Primarily, it is the manufacturing sector with a weightage of nearly 78% in IIP that is witnessing a slow growth of 1.8% in the quarter with a negative growth of 0.4% in June 2017. Some of the major steel-intensive components in manufacturing that witnessed a fall in output are electrical equipment dropping by as high as nearly 17% in the first quarter. The manufacturing of motor vehicles and carriers has clocked a negative growth of 0.7% in the quarter.

However, the production of machinery, furniture and other transport equipment has witnessed a reasonably moderate performance in the quarter. Hopefully the uncertainties associated with GST implementation from July 1, which had slowed down the fresh purchases of manufactured items including disposal of inventories would be over in the coming months. This along with a marginal drop in interest rate (market expecting a little more) would drive demand for consumer durables, real estate in the festive seasons ahead.

According to JPC, the consumption pattern of steel indicates that the industry has crossed the negative barrier in June and entered a positive growth phase of 4.4% in the first four months of the current year. As steel consumption in the first quarter of the previous year was quite poor (0.5% growth), the current quarter indicates higher growth in percentage. Productwise, the consumption of HRC/Sheets rose by a hefty 28%. It was possible by an increase in domestic availability of the product by 1.2 MT in the face of a drop in imports of around 0.2 MT. An export growth of 0.17 MT helped higher capacity utilisation of the domestic mills and partially neutralised lower demand from tube sector.

As regards CRC/S, the consumption in the current quarter went down by 0.85 lakh tonne. The domestic availability was higher by 0.57 lakh tonnes, imports lower by 0.31 lakh tonne and exports were higher by 1.47 lakh tonne. The offtake by the auto sector and tardy progress in consumer durable sector (on account of uncertainties in new tax rates) were the constraining factors in pushing the demand lower by more than 8%. In the coated product category, although the domestic availability was higher by 0.14 MT, the higher imports of 0.53 lakh tonnes in spite of lower exports contributed the consumption level to grow by 18%. This is the lone area (barring Semis and Pipes) where imports have gone up compared to last year.

In case of CRNO/CRGO, the domestic availability was higher by only 0.06 lakh tonnes. Even higher imports by 0.25 lakh tonnes could not lead to higher level of consumption due to poor internal demand scenario resulting in higher exports of 0.17 MT during the period to sustain the production.
In Plate category, the domestic production was higher by 0.14 MT, imports lower by 0.7 lakh tonnes. In spite of exports rising by around 0.3 lakh tonnes, the consumption grew by more than 11% during the quarter.

The slow response from fabrication, ship building and heavy machinery segments compared to the anticipated level kept the inventory of plates higher by the end of the quarter. Large dia tubes and pipes consumption has gone down by more than 11% primarily on account of poor offtake from refinery, natural gas and water transportation segments leading to lower imports and higher exports.

The flat product consumption has fared better (more than 18%) compared to long products (lower by 1.8%) which is particularly influenced by investment in construction and infrastructure sectors. Consumption of TMT and Wire Rods dropped by 3% due to lower availability of semi finished steel by the major steel produces in view of greater thrusts on finished steel production and higher value addition. Lower production of sponge iron affected production of Pencil Ingots.

International prices of both HRC and Rebar moved up by an average $85-90 per tonne in the last four and half months. This provides an enabling scenario for higher levels of exports of steel from India.

Source : Financial Express

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:55

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This year China skips summer slowdown

Economic Calendar reported that every year this means that steel prices soar in the spring, correct in the summer, and then pick up again in the fall before a winter slowdown. However; this year this pattern was snapped as Chinese steel producers fired up their furnaces and churned out record amounts of steel to profit from high margins and brace themselves for an end-of year slowdown.

While, from sentiment, market participants acknowledged that the typical seasonal trend was not happening this year, now data is backing this up. China’s July steel production rose 10.3% year-over-year to a record 74.02 million tons, surpassing the previous record set in June of 73.23 million tons.

Now, looking forward it is expected that there will be at least three more months of increased steel production, and that could support prices. September and October are typically the peak construction months in China, and steel buying typically peaks in unison.

The problem is, this rally could pave the way for a very dismal winter. While increased margins are one reason behind the steel rally, there is another factor. China has pledged to cut back on industrial output in the winter to curb emissions. Pollution peaks in the winter in the country as coal burning increases along with the hiked demand for electricity.

Steel demand does typically slow in the winter, but these emissions cutbacks could mean an even steeper fall. And, even if emissions cutbacks are not implemented, as expected, the flurry of activity happening right now could remove demand later in the year.

Source : Economic Calendar

voda 17 augustus 2017 16:56

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Ajaokuta Steel staff petition FG over Sole Administrator’s refuses to quit

Vanguard NGR reported that staff of Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State has petitioned the Federal Government over alleged refusal of the Sole Administrator, Mr Joseph Isah to retire after completing his tenure. The staff, in the petition sent through Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ms Habibat Lawal, to Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, asked for Federal Government’s urgent intervention.

In the said petition, Mr Isah allegedly refused to hand over to the most senior management staff after completing his 35 years as stipulated by the Nigerian Civil Service Rules. In the petition by Mr Salifu Oguche Usman Esq, Principal Partner at Abbluent Partners, Abuja, on behalf of the Ajaokuta Steel Company staff, it was claimed that Isah should have retired on August 3, 2017, having completed the statutory 35 years of service.

He was said to have been employed on August 3, 1982, as a Process Engineer in the company.The staff accused him of re-appointing himself to remain in office beyond his tenure and asked for his immediate exit.Isah was also accused of contravening financial and administrative regulations of government as he was alleged to have diverted workers’ promotion allowances to other uses.

However, Isah told Vanguard on phone that the petitioners acted out of ignorance.“I was appointed sole administrator in November 2012. Technically, by that appointment, my civil service career ended because my appointment is a political appointment. I earn a political appointee’s salary. My appointment letter is there for anyone to see,”

The staff urged the SGF not to only direct the Sole Administrator to proceed on retirement but also investigate the allegations on financial impropriety and other infractions raised by them against the Sole Administrator.

Source : Vanguard NGR

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voda 17 augustus 2017 16:57

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Western Pennsylvania residents sue steel company for air pollution

Western Pennsylvania residents sue steel company for air pollution Residents of Clairton, Pennsylvania have filed a class-action lawsuit against US Steel claiming that the company’s Clairton Coke Works has lowered property values in the region through its air pollution byproduct.

The mill violated its air permit 6,700 times between 2012 and 2015. Although the Allegheny County Health Department reached a new consent decree with US Steel to reduce pollution last year, the Mon Valley area continues to fail federal air quality standards for sulfur dioxide and fine particulates – pollutants which can cause lung problems, among other health issues.

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The coke plant was originally viewed as an economic boon to locals of the region, offering job opportunities for all. But the mill produced air pollutants, which worried residents who lived in adjacent wealthier communities such as Mount Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. When Clairton was approached regarding this matter, residents whose livelihoods were built around the mill ignored the protests and concerns of their neighbors.

Over time, however, many Clairton locals became painfully aware of the potential health effects of the plant’s byproducts, and have since reconsidered their attitudes toward the business.

Local Richard Ford told Public Radio International said that “In my own family, my dad died of cancer of the trachea. I had a daughter that died at the age of 25 with scleroderma. My son passed away this past October from prostate cancer.” he added that “It’s an awareness now that’s just sparked in us. And we’re ready to listen now and try to do something about it because it’s so apparent to us.”

Although air quality around the area has improved since the plant opened, Clairton’s cancer rates are some of the highest in the county. Alarmingly, the mill’s emissions also blow toward nearby Braddock (a community that also has its own US Steel plant), which has cancer rates twice as high as any other region in the county.

While data suggests that there is a high correlation between the region’s mounting cancer rates and the emissions coming from US Steel’s plant, it can be difficult to prove.

Allegheny County Health Department deputy director of environmental health Jim Kelly said that there are so many reason people can get cancer, especially in low-income areas. He explained that “You have high smoking rates. You’ve got old housing stock, with lots of asbestos lung cancer right there. You have low education. You have high unemployment. You have high obesity rates. All of these things are correlated with [increased cancer rates].”

Source : Insurance Business Mag

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voda 17 augustus 2017 16:59

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Japanese researchers use wood to make cellulose nanofiber for auto parts

Japan Times reported that global push among carmakers to make ever lighter vehicles is leading some auto suppliers in Japan to turn to what seems like an unlikely substitute for steel - wood. Japanese researchers and auto component makers said that a material made from wood pulp weighs just one fifth the weight of steel, and can be five times stronger.

The material known as cellulose nanofiber could become a viable alternative to steel in the decades ahead, they say, although it faces competition from carbon-based materials and remains a long way from being commercially viable.

Reducing the weight of a vehicle will be critical as manufacturers move to bring electric cars into the mainstream. Batteries are an expensive but vital component, and a reduction in car weight means fewer batteries are needed to power the vehicle and running costs can be reduced.

Masanori Matsushiro, a project manager overseeing body design at Toyota Motor Corp said that “Lightweighting is a constant issue for us. But we also have to resolve the issue of high manufacturing costs before we see an increased use of new, lighter-weight materials in mass-volume cars.”

Together with major parts suppliers such as Denso Corp. (Toyota’s biggest supplier) and Daikyo-Nishikawa Corp., researchers at Kyoto University are working on plastics with incorporated cellulose nanofibers which are made by breaking down wood pulp fibers into fragments several hundredths of a micron (one-thousandth of a millimeter) in size.

Cellulose nanofibers have been used in a variety of products, ranging from ink to transparent displays, but their potential use in cars has been enabled by the “Kyoto process,” under which chemically treated wood fibers are kneaded into plastics while they are simultaneously being broken down into the nanofibers. The method slashes the cost of production to roughly one-fifth that of other processes.

Kyoto University professor Hiroaki Yano, who is leading the research, during an interview said that “This is the lowest-cost, highest-performance application for cellulose nanofibers, and that’s why we’re focusing on its use in auto and aircraft parts.”

The university is also currently working with auto parts suppliers to develop a prototype car using cellulose nanofiber-based parts, set to be completed in 2020.

Mr Yukihiko Ishino, a spokesman at Daikyo-Nishikawa, which counts Toyota Motor Corp and Mazda Motor Corp. among its customers said that “We’ve been using plastics as a replacement for steel, and we’re hoping that cellulose nanofibers will widen the possibilities toward that goal.”

Automakers are also using other lightweight substitutes. BMW uses carbon fiber reinforced polymers for its i3 compact electric car and for its 7 series, while high-tensile steel and aluminium alloys are currently the most widely used lightweight options because they are cheaper and recyclable.

Mr Yano said he was inspired in his research by a photo of the “Spruce Goose,” a cargo plane made almost entirely of wood in 1947 by US billionaire entrepreneur Howard Hughes. At the time, it was the world’s largest aircraft.

He said that “I thought that if Howard Hughes could find a way to use wood to build a massive plane, why not use wood to make a material that was as strong as steel.”

The cost of mass producing 1 kg of cellulose nanofiber is currently around JPY 1,000.

Yano aims to halve that cost by 2030, which he says will make it an economically viable product since it will be combined with plastic. That will make it competitive against high tensile steel and aluminium alloys, which currently cost around $2 per (about ¥220) per 1 kg.

Source : Japan Times

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voda 17 augustus 2017 17:05

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Explosion kills two at Gerdau steel plant coke oven in Brazil

Reuters reported that an explosion at a Brazilian steel plant operated by Gerdau SA killed two people on Tuesday. The blast occurred at a coke oven at Gerdau's plant in the center-south state of Minas Gerais around 10 AM local time

The plant's operations were not affected, although the union is preparing a protest over the maintenance of equipment.

Gerdau confirmed the accident occurred and the number of casualties but did not immediately provide further details.

This is the second major accident in less than one year at the steel plant that employs roughly 2,000 people, according to the union. An explosion at a blast furnace killed four in November.

Source : Reuters

Vertraagd	10 feb 2025 17:39
Koers	27,200
Verschil	-0,160 (-0,58%)
Hoog	27,230
Laag	26,360
Volume	3.104.041
Volume gemiddeld	2.536.810
Volume gisteren	7.160.096

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