Advanced Materials

Ionic Technologies is a rare-earth element processor spun-out from Queen's University Belfast and founded in 2016. Ionic Technologies produces rare-earth oxides from primary (mining) and secondary (recycling) material sources, which are sold to partners for applications in magnets, phosphors, and batteries. IDTechEx spoke with Eoghain O'Hara, Chemist at Ionic Technologies, at the Materials Research Exchange conference in London, UK.

Vacuum Engineering Services (VES) designs and manufactures leak testing solutions for production environments of several industries.

FLEXOO is a spin-off of InnovationLab GmbH, which specialises in the development and manufacture of printed electronics solutions. FLEXOO designs and manufactures printed pressure and temperature sensors for battery health monitoring solutions, in addition to providing accompanying readout electronics. IDTechEx caught up with Head of Business Development, Florian Ullrich, at LOPEC 2024 in Munich, Germany.

Over the past decade, the capacity of data center Ethernet switches has surged from 0.64 Tbps to 25.6 Tbps, driven by the adoption of 64x400 Gbps or 32x800 Gbps pluggable optical transceiver modules. However, these high-speed modules, within their current form factors, pose significant challenges. Issues include the required densities of electrical and optical connectors, as well as escalating power consumption.

Fraunhofer IKTS has developed its CFY stack technology, which can be operated reversibly in solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEC) or fuel cell (SOFC) mode. The institute has formed a partnership with thyssenkrupp nucera, a large electrolyzer OEM, to commercialize and mass produce the technology.

The advanced recycling market predominantly focuses on technologies like pyrolysis and depolymerization (thermal, chemical, and enzymatic). To a lesser extent, methods such as gasification and hydrothermal liquefaction are also being explored. However, these technologies face increasing scrutiny and restrictions in some regions due to their environmental impact.

Boréas Technologies is a fabless Canadian semiconductor company supplying low-power drivers for piezoelectric actuation and sensing. Haptics are the primary commercial use-case to date, with micro-pumps for applications including mobile device cooling expected to be important in the near-future.

Materials informatics is transforming how materials companies approach R&D, bringing data-centric approaches, including AI and machine learning, to materials science to reduce costs and develop new products faster.

LG Chem, a subsidiary of the South Korean conglomerate LG Corporation, was founded in 1947. The company is headquartered in Seoul. LG Chem produces a range of bioplastics including PLH, PBAT, and PHA.

BlueFors is a Finland-based company that manufactures cryogenic measurement systems, cryocoolers, and other cryogenic products. Its products are targeted to quantum technology, fundamental physics research, life sciences, and clean energy.

Sulzer, a Swiss industrial engineering and manufacturing firm, was founded in 1834 by Johann Jakob Sulzer in Winterthur, Switzerland. In recent years, Sulzer has increasingly directed its attention towards sustainable technologies, with a notable emphasis on bioplastics. A significant proportion of the bioplastics production is based on technology developed by Sulzer and as such it is a key global player and stakeholder in the bioplastics market.

Huitong Biomaterials was established in 2021. The company is part of the wider Yangzhou Huitong Technology Company, which was founded in 1998. The company's manufacturing is located in the Yangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. The company produces a range of bioplastics including PLA and PCL.

SonoTek is a USA-based company, providing ultrasonic nozzles for spray coating. IDTechEx spoke to Bryan Hartz regarding the company's fuel cell activities.

IDTechEx recently attended the Sensors Converge 2024 conference and exhibition in Santa Clara, California, USA on 24th-26th June. The event focused on sensor technologies, with over 5000 attendees, around 80 conference talks, and over 200 exhibitors. This premium article discusses insights from the conference tracks and exhibitors.

Innovation map for key applications of metal-organic framework (MOF) technologies and market activity.

Arieca creates thermal materials based on a liquid metal embedded elastomer formulation with potential for specific applications including the semiconductor market.

Nanoramic Laboratories uses advanced nanocarbons for electrodes and as thermal interface materials. This profile will focus on Nanoramic's offerings for lithium-ion batteries and ultracapacitors with its Neocarbonix electrode technology.

Henan Techuang Biotechnology, founded in 2020, is a player in the bioplastics sector, headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Initially, Henan Techuang focused on the production of bio-based chemicals and enzymes for various industrial applications. Over the years, the company expanded its product portfolio to include bioplastics such as PBAT and PLA and other bioplastic materials.

Future mobility will be electric, autonomous, and increasingly interconnected. As a result, many new enabling technologies are now clambering to enter the automotive value chain. In recent years, there has been a surge of support for quantum technologies to enter the race.

Jacobi Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of coconut shell-based activated carbon. Additionally, Jacobi supplies other activated carbon types (coal, lignite, and wood-based grades). As well as Jacobi Carbons' core business, it also has two other business units in the group offering ion exchange resins and filter services with a fleet of mobile filter units and support sites across Europe, North America, and Asia. Jacobi provides treatment solutions for a variety of applications, such as water, air and gas, food and beverage, and mining.