Hello everyone,
I begin this post by drawing reference to a recent Bloomberg Businessweek column that stated “world markets are frothing like shaken champagne.” Amongst other things, it adds that price increases, (notably commodities) being witnessed are unsupported by economic fundamentals. The columnist opines that current bubbles need to be deflated before they get dangerously large. Late last week, BBC News quoted the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that soaring food and fuel prices are threatening to derail growth in Asian economies with a possible reduction in economic growth in the region by up to 1.5% this year.
Following the meeting of finance ministers in Washington on April 15, a G20 communique in The Telegraph sounded optimistic, stating that the global recovery was broadening and becoming more sustained with increasingly robust private demand growth. In the same breath, it stated that downside risks remain and that staying vigilant was the watchword.
In a nutshell; the bottom line for the world at large, is cautious optimism.
TIDBITS: COPPER, PLATINUM, GLASS FIBER, ACMA
Copper is now being dubbed the new gold. It is being considered more lucrative and is forecast to hover around record prices for the next few years – for the simple reason that there isn’t enough supply in the world to feed Asia’s demand. As far as platinum is concerned, a recent Bloomberg Businessweek forecast predicts the precious metal breaching the $2000 mark by December 31, 2011. Overall, demand is expanding 9% – almost twice the increase in supply. Companies are reportedly digging even deeper to maintain production.
It is hoped that rising platinum and copper costs do not deter glass fiber producers who have ambitious plans to ramp up production globally, either through expansion or new ventures.
In its April meeting, the FRP Rebar Manufacturers Council of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) discussed the need to establish a strategic new direction for the FRP concrete market with focus on end-user education, legislation and industry certification. The newly constituted Thermoset Molders Committee, part of the Composites Growth Initiative (CGI) of ACMA, plans to grow their markets by focusing on marketing, codes, standards and political advocacy. One of the reasons the American Composites industry remains in the forefront on technological aspects is the continued focus on industry standards and bold practical initiatives.
CARBON IS TRENDY
Whilst the use of glass and aramid fibers in automotive tires have been tested and proven, the latest successful development is the use of Teijin‘s aramid fiber in ultra high performance tire for the super sports car segment. Test trials report that the tire remains at its most ideal shape even at extreme high speeds, preserving stability and displaying resistance to high temperature. With carbon fibers already being used extensively in the sports car segment, use of tires with aramid fiber would be the ultimate dream machine for all racing enthusiasts.
What makes this most interesting is the importance attached to safety… carbon fibers for the body and aramid for tires. Exciting times ahead for sure.
While this post is not a carbon fiber “special”, I do like to cite reference to a column in the Gamers Hub that speculates possibility of future iPads, iPhones and Macbooks being encased in CFRP, displacing the current aluminum and stainless steel casings.
When it comes to novelty and innovation, Apple has few peers. No two opinions on this one!
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Global demand for polyolefins (PE, PP) will continue to increase 5% per annum 2011-2014, but the world’s balance will increasingly shift from North America and Europe to Asia and the Middle East [Plastics News]. DOW‘s recent announcement that it plans to expand polyethylene feedstock plants in the U.S. using natural gas feedstock is a pointer towards America’s growing tendency to move away from fossil fuel (oil) and lean more on domestic (natural gas) natural resources. Per CNBC and the New York Times, Washington is increasingly giving natural gas a warm embrace, in spite of the fact that the heated debate rages on the environmental effects of shale derived natural gas. When gasoline costs exceed that of bottled water (as of now), the killer combo of high gas and food prices is at a key tipping point.
There is logic to the U.S. approach of veering away from excessive dependence on oil imports… in much the same manner as the Middle East is finding alternate ways (other than oil exports) of propping up it’s economy.
Plan B is always a necessity in all spheres of life – none can debate that it is a must!
In a bid to make its operations carbon neutral by 2012, work has commenced on the installation of two wind turbines (expected to save 300Tonnes of carbon emissions each year) at East Midlands airport in the U.K. When completed, they will generate 5% of the site’s electricity.
Commitment to its intentions on carbon footprint reduction? You bet!
After the Fukushima disaster, there has been endless debate on nuclear vs. renewables. In an interesting feature in CleanTechnica, it has been pointed out that in the U.S., even though nuclear and wind technologies produced considerable amounts of energy in their first 15 years (2.6 billion KWh for nuclear vs. 1.9 billion KWh for wind), the subsidy to nuclear outweighed that to wind by a factor of 40 ($ 39.4 billion vs. $900 million). The tailpiece comment was “imagine if wind was subsidized as much as nuclear”!
The fact remains that nuclear is needed to provide baseload power for renewables. Yet……
AUTOMOTIVES AS A PARTING NOTE
While we all recognize that the driving force on composites popularity in automotive applications (for decades) has been “parts consolidation” (compared to metals), the crowning glory is the recent award by the U.S. Patents Office for a composite automotive floor pan to the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) that replaces up to 17 steel parts and sheds up to 25 lbs for a typical passenger car. USCAR is a collaborative automotive technology organization of GM, Chrysler and Ford Motors.
A watershed in composites innovation for automotive applications? It just might be so.
I could not resist mention of a screaming headline in Yahoo Finance on April 26… IMF‘s prediction that the age of America will end in 2016 with China all set to eclipse the U.S. For Americans, the psychological ramifications are one too many. Will the takeover at the helm be so swift? Recall the earlier prediction was for this to happen around 2025 !
Let’s wait and see. Life should move on as we live for the present, which itself is fraught with uncertainty and surprises at every turn.
Till the next post… keep smiling and hoping for the best.
Cheers,
S. Sundaram
Email: SS@essjaycomposites.com
Twitter: @essjaycomposite
Website : www.essjaycomposites.com
Sundaram
ESSJAY Composites 
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