Metals Tech

Rare Earth Metals market research is provided on major factors such as consumer needs and changes observed in them over time, market sales in terms of value and volume, emerging opportunities, market growth trends, factors driving this market, threats associated with them and market performance of key vendors along with key regions. This research will help you out to determine how the market will evolve, to make confident decisions to capture new opportunities. The insights of market over past 5 years and a forecast until 2021 is provided. Report also contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors. Industry experts project Rare Earth Metals market to grow at a CAGR of 13.67% during the period 2017-2021.

Firstly, the Rare Earth Metals market research report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, market status and industry chain structure. The Rare Earth Metals market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions’ development status. What’s more, the Rare Earth Metals industry development trends and growth patterns are analyzed.

Rare Earth Metals Market Drivers and Trends: –

Rare Earth Metals Market Driver: – One driver in market is elevated usage in direct-drive turbines for wind energy production. Wind energy has become one of the most recognized, cost-effective, and clean solutions for generating electricity. A clean alternative to non-renewable fuels, wind energy farms provide an alternative method to generate electricity and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Wind energy generation is expected to be one of the fastest-growing markets in the future because of growing federal incentives for renewable energy production and easing regulations. Wind turbines involve the use of large gear boxes for generating electricity. Conventional gear-driven turbines are being replaced by direct-drive permanent magnet generators because of the latter’s efficiency and lesser downtime during maintenance. Some direct-drive turbines are as much as 25%-30% more efficient than gear-driven turbines. A typical large wind turbine generator requires nearly two tons of high-strength magnets that are usually alloys of boron, iron, and didymium metal. Each MW of turbine uses about half a ton of permanent magnet and in turn involves the use of 150-200 kg of didymium metal, which is a mixture of praseodymium, dysprosium, and neodymium.

Rare Earth Metals Market trend: – One trend in market is rise in production capacities and emergence of alternative suppliers. Lucrative trade and the growing demand for rare earth metals has resulted due to the intense evaluation of domestic reserves for exploitation and leveraging them for strategic uses by several countries. This is being encouraged by large rare earth metal consuming nations in order to leverage their supply risks. Technavio observes an increased investment in this sector in India, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These countries are likely to emerge as reliable alternative suppliers to China. New developments in North America (mainly Canada), Australia, and Africa are contributing to the new rare earth element resources. Japan has committed huge investments in these nations in order to reduce its import dependence on China. Most of the mines currently being developed are expected to come on-stream by 2017-2020. Therefore, Technavio expects a further drop in the supply share of China

Rare Earth Metals market potential is analysed for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, demand and present scenarios in Rare Earth Metals industry. To determine the Rare Earth Metals market size the report considers detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments Further the Rare Earth Metals market report focuses on global major leading industry players with information. Report contains vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors operating in Rare Earth Metals market space like Alkane Resource, Arafura Resources, Avalon Advanced Materials, China Minmetals Rare Earth, Lynas Corporation and many more.

Rare earth metals comprise 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, which include fifteen elements of the lanthanide series, and scandium and yttrium. Scandium and yttrium are also considered rare earth metals as they are found in the same mineral ore deposits as the other elements of the lanthanide series. Rare earth metals have unique physical and chemical properties, which make them suitable to alloy with other metals in applications that require properties such as enhanced magnetic strength and high-temperature resistance.

Market segmentation by element type:- by element type, share by application, by light rare earth elements, by heavy rare earth elements, by other element type; Market segmentation by application: -share by application, for permanent magnets, for metal alloys, for catalysts, for polishing powder, for phosphors, for glass additives, for ceramics, for other applications ; Geographic Segmentation: – China, Rest of Asia, ROW, US

The objective of this Rare Earth Metals market research report is: –

• To provide actionable intelligence alongside the market size of various segments.
• To detail major factors influencing the market (drivers, opportunities, industry specific challenges, and other critical issues).
• To determine the geographic breakdown of the market in terms of detailed analysis and impact.
• To analyze business dimensions with an eye on individual growth trends and contribution of upcoming market segments.
• To track the competitive landscape of the market.

Commercial Metals Company (NYSE: CMC), today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain U.S. rebar steel mill and fabrication assets from Gerdau S.A. (NYSE: GGB), a producer of long and specialty steel products in the Americas for a cash purchase price of $600 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

The acquisition includes 33 rebar fabrication facilities in the United States, as well as steel mills located in Knoxville, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Florida; Sayreville, New Jersey and Rancho Cucamonga, California, with annual mill rolling capacity of 2.5 million tons.

Upon completion of the acquisition, CMC will have an expanded geographic footprint in the largest construction regions in the U.S. The acquisition will increase CMC’s annual rebar and fabrication capacity and allow for the more efficient utilization of its asset base to better serve customers. After adding the incremental 2.7 million tons of melt capacity, CMC will have approximately 7.2 million tons of global melt capacity at the close of the transaction.

“This acquisition aligns with our strategy to focus on our strength in concrete reinforcing products and leverages CMC’s core competencies in rebar production and value added fabrication services to non-residential construction customers. In addition, these assets provide us the opportunity to optimize our product mix more fully in the U.S. As a leader in rebar manufacturing technology and customer service, we are excited to take advantage of our expertise to increase throughput, lower costs and improve the customer experience in our new operations,” stated Barbara Smith, President and CEO of Commercial Metals Company.

“Over the past several years we have repositioned our portfolio to focus on our core strengths of vertically integrated steel manufacturing and fabrication services as well as strengthen our balance sheet placing us in the optimal position to take advantage of this unique growth opportunity,” continued Smith, “We plan to invest in these facilities to create efficiencies utilizing our expertise in the latest innovations for steel manufacturing and fabrication. We look forward to welcoming the approximately 2,700 employees of these facilities to CMC.”

The acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings and cash flow within the first year after the transaction closes. Once fully integrated, the combined operations are expected to generate approximately $40 million in pre-tax operational synergies annually.

The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Commercial Metals Company and Gerdau S.A.. The closing of the transaction, which is expected to close before calendar year-end 2018, is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including customary regulatory review. The transaction is supported by a fully committed $600 million long-term facility.

About Commercial Metals Company

Commercial Metals Company and its subsidiaries manufacture, recycle and market steel and metal products, related materials and services through a network including four electric arc furnace (“EAF”) mini mills, an EAF micro mill, a rerolling mill, steel fabrication and processing plants, construction-related product warehouses, metal recycling facilities and marketing and distribution offices in the United States and in strategic international markets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the proposed acquisition, the timing and financing thereof, the ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet other closing conditions for the proposed acquisition and the financial and operational benefits of the proposed acquisition. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as we, CMC or its management “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans to,” “ought,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “appears” or other similar words or phrases. These and other forward-looking statements are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results. Although we believe that our expectations are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Results may be materially affected by factors such as: risks associated with acquisitions generally, such as the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining, required approvals under applicable antitrust legislation and other regulatory and third party consents and approvals; potential volatility in the capital markets and its impact on the ability to complete the proposed financing necessary to pay the purchase price; failure to retain key management and employees; issues or delays in the successful integration of the acquired operations with those of the Company, including incurring or experiencing unanticipated costs and/or delays or difficulties; difficulties or delays in the successful transition of the acquired operations from the information technology systems of the sellers to those of the Company as well as risks associated with other integration or transition of the operations, systems and personnel of the acquired operations; future levels of revenues being lower than expected and costs being higher than expected; failure or inability to implement growth strategies in a timely manner; unfavorable reaction to the proposed acquisition by customers, competitors, suppliers and employees; conditions affecting the industry generally; local and global political and economic conditions; conditions in the securities market that are less favorable than expected; and changes in the level of capital investment, and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2017. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, new information or circumstances or otherwise.

Combining commonly used painkillers with a metal belonging to the platinum group may prove effective in the treatment of cancer, a new study by Indian scientists has indicated.

Researchers have combined ruthenium, a metal which is part of the platinum group, with commonly used painkillers (categorized as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to develop four new drug complexes. These have been found effective in the treatment of cancer. The two groups of drugs used in the study work against cancer cells in different ways, thus creating a more effective and holistic way of treating the disease, researchers have claimed.

The use of metals such as platinum in anti-cancer drugs is not new but such drugs result in side effects which also need to be treated. Drug combinations using ruthenium are believed to be more effective and are better tolerated by patients. Drugs like ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin are non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used for their pain-relieving effects.

These drugs also have a role to play in cancer treatment by blocking the enzymes responsible for pain, swelling and causing changes to normal cells in the body.

In the new study, anti-cancer activities of four new combination drugs with ruthenium — complex 1 (with naproxen), complex 2 (with diclofenac), complex 3 (with ibuprofen) and complex 4 (with aspirin) — were tested against lung, breast and cervix cancer cell lines in laboratory.

Results of the study, published in journal Dalton Transactions, have indicated that complexes 2 and 3 have shown remarkable effects in stopping the growth of cancer cells in lung, breast and cervical cancer. Though complex 1 has also shown a lesser but still effective activity fighting the increase of cancer cells in lung and breast cancer patients. It is relatively ineffectively active against cervical cancer. Complex 3 is more effective in preventing the enzyme causing pain and swelling, followed by complex 2 and complex 1.

“We find that if the action of a particular enzyme, cyclooxegenase, is prevented, cancer might be controlled. This is a significant and throws open various possibilities for developing drugs which specifically target cyclooxygenase,” pointed out Dr Suman Mukhopadhyay, a member of the research team at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore.

However, other experts have sounded a note of caution. “Though the rationale and research methodology of this study is sound and academically interesting, it may still be regarded as indicative rather than conclusive. It is still preliminary to be adjudged as mainstay treatment,” noted Dr. Siddhartha Kundu, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Delhi.

The researcher team included Poulami Mandal, Bidyut Kumar Kundu and Dr. Komal Vyas from Indian Institute of Technology, Indore; Vidya Sabu and Dr. A. Helen from University of Kerala, (Kariavattom Campus); Sandeep Singh Dhankhar and Dr. C. M. Nagaraja from Indian Institute of Technology Ropar; Debojit Bhattacherjee and Krishna Pada Bhabak from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. The study was funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Modern life depends on batteries. But today’s battery technology isn’t nearly as advanced as we need, often running down at precisely the wrong moment.

Scientists have been searching for better batteries since Thomas Edison went looking for a way to power his friend Henry Ford’s Model T. But a breakthrough finally appears close to reality, and if it lives up to expectations it could translate into days of use for smartphone addicts and driving ranges pushing 500 miles or more for electric vehicle owners.

“Solid state technology is finally taking off,” Josh Buettner-Garrett, CEO of Colorado-based Solid Power, told NBC News.

His firm, which focuses on developing solid state batteries, this week entered into an alliance with BMW, who already committed to offering some form of battery option for virtually every product it builds over the coming decade, whether conventional hybrid, plug-in or pure battery-electric vehicle, or BEV.

Today’s lithium-ion batteries are a big improvement over early lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride technologies. But the new long-range vehicles coming to market, like the 200-plus mile Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt, require over 700 pounds of batteries.

Complicating matters, it can take hours to recharge. And lithium technology isn’t cheap. Prices for automotive batteries have tumbled from around $700 a kilowatt hour in 2010 to less than $200 today, according to industry data. But that still adds up to more than $10,000 for the 60 kilowatt-hours needed to power a car for 200 miles.

Solid state technology is expected to make big leaps in three critical areas, according to experts, among other things packing in at least twice the power in a given size of battery — what experts call energy density. Eventually, that could more than double again.

That would let an automaker halve the size of its battery pack for the same range — or deliver at least double the distance between charges. Or they could strike a balance between range and increased performance, offering a 300-mile SUV, for example, with sports car acceleration.

Solid state batteries also offer the potential for ultra-quick charging, said Buettner-Garrett. “The Holy Grail is to have…recharging your vehicle mirror the experience of refueling your gasoline vehicle.” In other words, just five to 10 minutes.

As for price, a recent study by the Boston Consulting Group estimated lithium-ion batteries will drop to $70 a kilowatt-hour within five years. But solid state, said analyst Xavier Mosquet, could be 20 percent cheaper.

The new technology is called solid state because it replaces the liquid electrolyte in today’s batteries with ceramic materials. That’s yet another plus because the liquid in lithium-ion cells is as flammable as gasoline – which is why airlines have banned them from their cargo holds. Several crashes and other incidents have been caused by defective lithium batteries.

BMW is by no means the only company developing plans to use solid state technology. Toyota has hinted it will introduce the technology in a new line of BEVs around 2021 at a new American factory it’s building in the U.S. in partnership with Mazda. Toyota this month formed an alliance with Panasonic, already among the world’s largest lithium battery suppliers, that is expected to focus on solid state technology.

Another active player is British appliance manufacturer Dyson. In October 2015 it acquired Sakti3, a tech spin-off of the University of Michigan specializing in solid state technology. Earlier this year, Dyson revealed plans to launch its own electric vehicle subsidiary using the new batteries. It’s also planning to use the technology to improve the appeal of its cordless appliances.

Solid state batteries have long been a work in progress and even proponents like Buettner-Garrett admit they’re not quite ready for prime time. Battery makers have shown the technology works in the lab. Now they must ensure they can mass produce the batteries and then show they can survive in the particularly challenging environment automotive powertrains must operate in every day. That’s why the new formulation probably won’t be in widespread use until the middle of the coming decade.

But if manufacturers can overcome the remaining obstacles, and if solid state technology lives up to its promise, it could make cordless devices large and small even more intrinsic features of daily life.

Just a few weeks back, Elon Musk unveiled the world’s biggest lithium ion battery – which was built in under 100 days. And after being switched on at the beginning of December, it’s already proving it’s a bit of a badass.

Tesla won a bid in July to built the 129-megawatt hour battery for South Australia, and Musk was extremely confident of his company’s capabilities – he even said if it wasn’t ready within the 100-day timeframe he’d promised, he’d hand it over for free.

Not only was the battery delivered on time, but it’s also smashing it already – having sorted out two massive energy outages in the past three weeks alone.

According to the International Business Times, last week the battery kicked in just 0.14 seconds after the Loy Yang facility – one of Australia’s biggest plants based in Victoria – suffered from a sudden drop in output.

The week before that, the battery responded to another failure at the same plant in as little as four seconds – with some estimates saying it may have even been less.

Local media outlets have reported that state officials have even called the response time ‘a record’.

“That’s a record and the national operators were shocked at how quickly and efficiently the battery was able to deliver this type of energy into the market,” State Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis told 5AA Radio.

He continued: “Torrens Island power station would take half an hour to an hour to energise and synchronise into the market; the battery can do it in milliseconds.”

The humongous battery is part of a massive AUD $550 million (£308m / $413m) plan to improve energy supply in the area, which came after the entire South Australia state suffered a blackout in September last year.

It offers ‘system security services’ – that’s back-up power to you and I – to around 30,000 homes, which is about the same number of homes that were affected by a long blackout.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill also seems impressed, saying the battery has “put South Australia and Jamestown on the map as a world leader in renewable energy.”

“While others are just talking, we are delivering our energy plan, making South Australia more self-sufficient, and providing back-up power and more affordable energy for South Australians this summer,” Weatherill said.

“The world’s largest lithium ion battery will be an important part of our energy mix, and it sends the clearest message that South Australia will be a leader in renewable energy with battery storage.”