Spreading the Word! NCC successfully demonstrates AFP manufacture of CMC parts!

"Engineers at the National Composites Centre have completed what they say is a European first by manufacturing ceramic matrix composites (CMC) using automated fiber placement (AFP) technology, paving the way for the materials’ high-temperature capabilities to be unlocked within engines."

"While conventional nickel-based superalloys have a maximum continuous temperature of approximately 800°C, oxide-based CMC can operate at 1,000°C, with the higher operating temperature potentially improving the efficiency of aerospace engines and reducing fuel consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions."

"However, the widespread use of CMC is currently limited to high-value applications, such as heat shields and turbine vanes. Being able to process a more affordable version of the material using AFP technology will reduce the final cost of making CMC parts, the NCC team believes, making them a more appealing proposition for industries that require components that can withstand high temperatures. Furthermore, using an automated process has the potential to offer optimized control over material deposition and could prove a vital innovation to improve material consistency."

"The project team adapted existing AFP technology, typically used to process organic matrix composites like carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy materials, to process 3M’s material. They also investigated how process parameters such as speed, heat and compaction force influence the material deposition and quality. According to the NCC, identifying the optimal deposition parameters reduces the material variability, removing one of the largest challenges for CMC to be used more widely. This could also lower the cost of CMC and create less waste."

Source:#managingcomposites

BMW and Toyota team up for fuel cell vehicles

The companies will be working together to produce the H2 SUVs and cars starting mid-decade.

BMW and Toyota have announced that they will be working together for the production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles beginning as early as 2025, according to a Nikkei Asia report.

According to BMW sales chief Pieter Nota in the report the two companies will start in 2025 to produce the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and sell them.

This is not the first time the companies have worked together. They have also jointly developed the iX5 Hydrogen, which was based on the X5 SUV from BMW, in addition to the 2019 Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 sports cars.

Toyota has expensive experience with H2-powered passenger cars, having first rolled out its Mirai sedan eight years ago, a car that is now in its second generation. They can be refueled in only a handful of minutes and have a respectable range. That said, they are struggling to take off in the United States as the majority of the public H2 refueling station network is focused in California.

Though BMW had stepped away from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the automaker has returned to H2.

Despite the fact that BMW has made its way back into the electric vehicle market with its i4 four-door coupe and its iX SUV, the automaker has also been indicating its interest in moving back into H2 again for passenger vehicles. CEO Oliver Zipse spoke in a recent earnings call, saying that its Neue Klasse next-generation platform would likely involve an H2 fuel design instead of being battery electric only. Hydrogen Fuel News reported on that story when it was first announced.

That automaker also used its strategy to create two versions of one design, the platform known as CLAR, in a previous emission-reduction strategy. At that time, the platform was adapted to both a full battery electric as well as a plug-in hybrid version. This more recent Neue Klasse will have a battery electric version as well as a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

By working together, BMW and Toyota will be able to reduce the risk that they will each face in the development of zero-emission cars.

Source:Hydrogenfuelnews

Faurecia gets 213 mln euros from the EU to develop hydrogen tanks

France's Faurecia said its project to develop a new generations of hydrogen tanks was granted 213 million euros ($209 million) of support from the European Commission as part of the Hydrogen IPCEI programme.

Faurecia's "Historhy Next" project aims to develop new generations of hydrogen tanks, both gaseous and liquid, by the end of 2027, it said in a statement.

Faurecia, part of the Forvia group formed after its merger with German car parts company Hella, added that production would start in 2024 at its Allenjoie plant in France's Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, with a goal of producing more than 100,000 units per year.

Symbio, a joint-venture between Faurecia and Michelin also has a hydrogen project waiting for European Commission approval, Faurecia said in a statement.

Source:nasdaq

On and Partners Reveal First-ever Shoe Made from Carbon Emissions

This is a significant moment in On’s journey to move away from petroleum-based resources by creating a new foam material called CleanCloud™, made using carbon emissions as a raw material.

Combination of Innovative Technologies:

On is the first company in the footwear industry to explore carbon emissions as a primary raw material for a shoe’s midsole, specifically EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, that could also be used in other shoe parts and products in the future.

“Holding the first-ever shoe made of carbon emissions in my hands is a huge milestone – not only for On, but for the whole sports industry”, explains Caspar Coppetti, co-founder and executive co-chairman of On. “Five years ago, this was barely a dream. Imagine what can happen in the future as we unlock the potential of alternative carbon sources with further research and in collaboration with the best partners.”

CleanCloud™ is the result of a pioneering supply chain partnership with some of the most innovative companies in biochemicals, process and material innovation, including LanzaTech, Borealis and Technip Energies.

LanzaTech is using a combination of cutting-edge genetic engineering, state-of-the-art biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and innovations in mechanical and chemical engineering to manufacture chemicals using a process that soaks up waste carbon rather than emitting it.

“Today we continue our journey to show the world that recycled carbon is a resource rather than a liability,” says Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “As we increasingly convert pollution into the products we use in our daily lives, we will reduce the need to extract more carbon from the ground! The partnership between On, Borealis,Technip and LanzaTech will change how the world thinks about sourcing carbon, enabling us to bend the carbon curve, keep our skies blue, and create a sustainable future for all.

Technip Energies is an engineering and technology company for the energy transition and in this consortium in charge of the process of dehydrating ethanol to the gas ethylene, which is a monomer and the most important building block of widely used plastics.

Borealis is a provider of advanced, circular and renewable plastic solutions and essential in creating high-performance, easy-to-process EVA foam for CleanCloud™. This collaboration clearly underlines Borealis’ commitment to a net zero future and fully aligns with its EverMinds™ ambition of accelerating circularity through partnerships.

Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis executive vice president Polyolefins, Circularity and Innovation & Technology: “Borealis is thrilled to be part of this unique value chain collaboration. With our creative partners On, LanzaTech, and Technip Energies we are proud to co-create circularity in carbon and decouple plastic from its reliance on fossil-based resources.

Source: Borealis

Alstom Coradia iLint train travels 1,175 km on one hydrogen tank

Global sustainable mobility leader, Alstom, has achieved a new milestone in its zero-emission long distance transportation as its Coradia iLint train crossed 1,175 kilometers without having to refuel its hydrogen tank.

The distance allowed the train to travel nearly the length of the United Kingdom without refueling.

The Coradia iLint was able to travel the distance on a full hydrogen tank without having to refuel. The only emission it released along the way was water, and it operated at a strikingly low noise level.

The locomotive is from the LNVG (Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen) and Lower Saxony transport authority fleet. It has been operating on the regular evb (Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH) passenger network since last August. Alstom partnered with the Linde gas and engineering project for the purposes of this project.

The single hydrogen tank brought the train from Lower Saxony to Munich.

The H2-powered Coradia iLint began its route in Bremervörde and traveled from Lower Saxony in Germany where the train was developed and built by Alstom. From there, it made its way through Hesse to Bavaria, then headed to Burghausen near the border between Germany and Austria. Finally, it made its final jaunt until reaching Munich. All this was accomplished without having to refuel the H2.

With the milestone journey complete, the train was then sent to Berlin, where several trips are expected to be made as a part of the InnoTrans 2022 premier International Trade Fair for Transport Technology. This achievement provided a clear demonstration of the range available on a single hydrogen tank, at a time in which there is considerable interest in sustainable mobility.

Source:HydrogenFuelNews

Covestro to Receive Biogenic CO₂ for MDI Production from SOL Kohlensäure

Covestro and SOL Kohlensäure GmbH & Co. KG have concluded a framework agreement for a supply partnership for biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2). With immediate effect, SOL, as one of the European suppliers of gases and gas services, will supply the liquefied gas to Covestro sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, where it will be used to produce plastics such as MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and polycarbonate.

Under the terms of the framework agreement, SOL Kohlensäure will already supply up to 1,000 metric tons of biogenic CO2 this year. From 2023, the supply volume is to be further increased substantially, enabling Covestro to save the same amount of CO2 from fossil sources at its NRW sites.

CO2 Obtained from Bioethanol & Biogas Plants:

The CO2 used is obtained by SOL Kohlensäure from various sources, such as bioethanol and biogas plants. In these plants, CO2 is produced as a by-product during the treatment of various biomasses, such as plant residues. This is separated by SOL carbon dioxide, purified and then made available to Covestro production as a raw material. In this way, the supply partnership supports the circular concept and contributes to reducing emissions.

Covestro’s Lower Rhine sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen are ISCC PLUS certified and can supply their customers with more sustainable products made from renewable raw materials.

“We have set ourselves the goal to become fully circular. To this end, we want to convert our raw material base to 100% renewable sources. We are very pleased to have found a partner in SOL Kohlensäure who will support us in this transformation with a pioneering spirit,” explains Daniel Koch, head of NRW Plants at Covestro.

“We at SOL Kohlensäure are advancing the shift to more sustainable CO2 sources. In this way, we are increasing security of supply, becoming independent of fossil raw materials, and reducing our environmental footprint at the same time,” emphasizes Falko Probst, sales manager at SOL Kohlensäure.

Goal to Become Fully Circular

Covestro has set itself the goal of becoming fully circular. This also includes using alternative raw materials. Biomass, CO2, as well as end-of-life materials and waste replace fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas. Carbon is managed in a circular way. In realizing these ambitions, both companies are relying on long-term supply partnerships.

In addition to biogenic CO2, Covestro is investigating the use of other technical gases from renewable sources. The materials manufacturer is already offering its customers its first sustainable products, such as climate-neutral MDI. With the expansion of its alternative raw material base, this portfolio is set to grow further in the coming years.

Source: Covestro