EoW September 2011

Transat lant ic Cable

In the heat treatment of steel, 900° Celcius over several hours is fairly typical. Mr Cola’s method calls for major adjustments in temperature and timing. The steel is rolled through a unit in which it is heated to 1,100°C (very hot: carbon steel melts at around 1,400°C) and immediately plunged into the cooling liquid bath. From start to quench: 10 seconds. Science writer Kit Eaton of FastCompany.com has high expectations for the brainchild of the “do-it-yourself metalhead” from Detroit. A stronger steel could be made thinner and yet carry the same load as more traditional steel. Lighter-weight cars and aircraft need not sacrifice strength for important gains in fuel efficiency. The Cola process is simple, speedy, and doesn’t require exotic materials or treatments. Mr Eaton, for one, sees few impediments to its adoption by steel mills. ❈ What is the inventor of “flash processing” up to now? Ms Frost Gorder of PhysOrg.com reported: “[Mr Cola] is working with researchers at Ohio State University to better understand the science behind the new treatment.” Other steel news . . . ❈ Writing from Rio De Janeiro in MarketWatch (18 th June), Diana Kinch reported that, according to the British global investment bank Barclays Capital, by September steel producers in Brazil may have cut their prices on some flat steel grades. The mills, which had avoided announcing price increases, would be acting in response to the threat of rising imports and the excessively high inventories carried by steel distributors. Citing information from Brazil’s Steel Distributors’ Institute (INDA), Barclays noted that preliminary figures for May pointed to stocks levels equivalent to 3.7 months’ flat steel usage – higher than the 2.6 months’ level “normal” for the industry. Fibre-to-the-home is now available to one in ve households in North America According to RVA LLC, a market research firm specialising in fibre-to-the-home (FTTH or, variously, FTTP: fibre-to-the- premises), in the year through April 2011 these advanced consumer broadband services were available to 18% of North American residences – almost one in five. FTTH connectivity allows telecommunications providers to offer high-definition TV and other enhancements as well as very fast Internet speeds. Tulsa, Oklahoma-based RVA estimates that there are now over a half-million North American households receiving FTTH service

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EuroWire – September 2011 EuroWire – January 20 6