21 Aralık 2017 Perşembe

Grafen Geleceğin Teknolojisi

Grafen ( Graphene ) Nedir? Grafen, karbon atomlarının bal peteği görünümündeki iki boyuta yakın bir düzenleniş biçiminden başka bir şey değildir. Bilindiği gibi; kömür, grafit ve elmas gibi malzemeler de karbon atomlarının farklı sıralanışı yada allatroplarıdır. ( İngilizce: Graphene )
Bu önemli keşfi, Rus Bilim Adamları Andre Geim ve Konstantin Novoselov yapmış olup, bu keşifleri onlara 2010 Nobel Fizik Ödülü’nü kazandırmıştır.

Grafenin iki boyutlu bir malzeme olması nedeniyle ona oldukça şaşırtıcı bir takım özellikler kazandırdığı düşünülmektedir. Peki iki boyutlu grafen atomlarının dizilimi üç boyutlu dünyamıza nasıl yansıyor?

Birincisi, bal peteği formatındaki dizilim sayesinde elektrik akımı çok hızlı bir şekilde akmaktadır. Grafenin elektrik iletkenliği çok yüksektir. Nano boyutlarda böylesi bir elektrik iletimi, süper küçük bilgisayarlar, elektronik devre ve transistörlere kapı aralamaktadır.  Bu maddenin kadar küçük boyutlarda sahip olduğu bir diğer üstün özellik ise güçlü ve şeffaf olmasıdır.
Bu madde kullanılarak, bilinen en ince, esnek, dayanıklı ve hafif malzemeler üretilebilecektir. Grafen o kadar sağlamdır ki, çelikten ortalama 200 kat daha dayanıklıdır.

Grafen Hangi Alanlarda Kullanılabilecek


Grafen, grafitin üç boyutlu yapısında bulunan zayıf katmanların kesilmesiyle elde edilmiştir. Daha açık ifadeyle; bildiğimiz kurşun kalemler, grafitten yapılmaktadır. Kurşun kalemdeki grafit katmanları iki boyutlu katmanlara bölündüğünde grafen oluşuyor. Gelecekte mantık ve hafiza yongalari üretimi için ultra küçük ve daha az güç harcayan transistorler mümkün olacak.
Telefonlardaki batarya sorunu sona erecek ve bataryalar çok çok hızlı şarj edilebilecek. Hatta bataryaların grafenden yapılması durumunda, telefon bataryalarının şarjı çok uzun süre yetebilecek.
Gelecekte, grafen teknolojisi ile çok ince ve katlanabilir bilgisayarlar, akıllı telefonlar, monitörler
yapılabilecektir.

Elektronik kağıt teknolojisinde kullanılabilecek

Su geçirmez giysiler, taşıtlarda ve araçlarda daha hafif ekipman yapımında bu teknoloji kullanılabilecektir.

Su filtrelemek için kullanılabilecek. Bu çok önemli bir özelliktir çünkü grafen teknolojisi ile tuzlu su filtrelenerek içilebilir su eldesi mümkün olacaktır. Hızla tükenen su kaynaklarına alternatif olarak deniz suları kolay biçimce arıtılabilecektir.

20 Aralık 2017 Çarşamba

China to remain the main game for global commodity demand: Russell


LAUNCESTON, Australia (Reuters) - China strode like a colossus over major commodity markets in 2017, as the world’s biggest buyer of natural resources made its presence felt on demand for coal, iron ore, crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

China’s influence on major commodities is likely to remain the single most important factor driving supply and demand in 2018, but that’s not to say next year will simply be a repeat of what happened this year.

Still, some trends established in 2017 will continue, or even accelerate, with LNG potentially the best example.

LNG imports surged 48 percent in the first 10 months of the year, as Beijing encouraged a switch from coal to the cleaner-burning fuel. Add in pipeline imports from central Asia, and China’s total
natural gas imports were up 26.5 percent in the first 11 months of 2017.

Despite the surge in natural gas imports, and a 9.1 percent gain in domestic output in the first 11 months, it became clear that China still doesn’t have enough of the fuel available to meet its plans to largely phase out coal boilers being used in industries and for residential heating.

If history is a guide, however, it’s likely that by next winter China will have improved its natural gas infrastructure and will be able to consume more of the fuel.

Given the constraints on domestic gas output and the capacity limitations for pipeline imports, this suggests LNG imports will once again rise strongly in 2018, even if prices remain high.
Spot LNG in Asia LNG-AS reached $10.50 per million British thermal units in the week to Dec. 15, its highest in just over three years.

Up until China’s surge in demand, the LNG narrative had largely been one of how the flood of supply in the next few years would overwhelm the market and drive prices lower.

That story line isn’t as compelling as it used to be, given China’s appetite for LNG and stronger-than-expected demand from other emerging consumers in Southeast Asia.

Nonetheless, 2018 is still likely to be a year where LNG supply will exceed demand, especially during periods of weaker consumption in the northern spring and autumn.

COAL HOLDING UP

China’s increasing use of natural gas should have been negative for the country’s coal imports, but this hasn’t proven to be the case so far.

Coal imports gained 8.5 percent in the first 11 months of 2017 from the same period a year earlier,
even though the rate of growth has started to moderate in recent months.

Domestic output restrictions on coal led to higher prices for local supplies and kept the landed price of thermal coal imports for power generation competitive during the year.

China has now boosted domestic production, meaning imports may find the going tougher in 2018, but there is little reason to expect either a sharp decline or increase in thermal coal imports next year.
Coking coal used in steel-making is likely to have a solid year in 2018, given expectations that China’s steel industry is set to increase production to around 832 million tonnes, up modestly from around an expected 830 million tonnes this year.

In the first 11 months of 2017, China’s crude steel output was 764.8 million tonnes, an increase of 5.7 percent.

Domestic output restrictions on coal led to higher prices for local supplies and kept the landed price of thermal coal imports for power generation competitive during the year.

China has now boosted domestic production, meaning imports may find the going tougher in 2018, but there is little reason to expect either a sharp decline or increase in thermal coal imports next year.
Coking coal used in steel-making is likely to have a solid year in 2018, given expectations that China’s steel industry is set to increase production to around 832 million tonnes, up modestly from around an expected 830 million tonnes this year.

In the first 11 months of 2017, China’s crude steel output was 764.8 million tonnes, an increase of 5.7 percent.

COPPER, CRUDE OIL DEMAND INFLUENCE

Copper is one major commodity where China’s influence appears to have been muted this year, with imports of unwrought copper down 5 percent in the first 11 months to 4.24 million tonnes.
Despite this slump, benchmark London copper prices CMCU3 have climbed 25 percent this year, suggesting supply outages and demand elsewhere have been more important than China.

Supply issues may well dominate the copper story next year, but China may also boost its consumption on stronger industrial output and the rise of copper-intensive electric vehicles.
While crude oil headlines were dominated by the ongoing efforts of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies to limit supply, the demand story was once again dominated by China.

The interplay between OPEC and the producers outside the deal, such as U.S. shale drillers, will likely once again form the major story in crude in 2018.

But it’s worth noting that China’s crude oil imports were about 8.44 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first 11 months of the year, up about 950,000 bpd on the same period last year.

This makes China the major contributor to demand growth. Thus, what happens to Chinese import demand is going to play a role in how the global supply-demand balance turns out in 2018.

This year, crude imports were driven up by China’s ongoing filling of its strategic storages, demand from smaller non-state refiners and by increased exports of refined products.

All three of these dynamics are still at play, but it would be surprising if the 12 percent gain in

China’s imports in the first 11 months of the year is repeated.
A return to single digit growth is more likely.

Indian Steel Giant Tata Steel Plans To Shift Focus


There’s been a shift in one of India’s biggest steel company’s plans.
Steel giant Tata Steel Ltd (NS:TISC) will now focus more on India, its home base, than on global markets.

Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran has said Tata Steel’s priorities will be to focus on the Indian market, achieving operational excellence, and delivering value-added and differentiated products to its customers.

He told shareholders in the company’s Annual Report for 2016-17 that steel demand in India was set to witness a “significant growth in the future,” considering the current stage of development of the country’s economy and its expected growth path in the next decade.

Protectionism and Political Uncertainty


The global steel industry continued to witness challenging times, though the performance of the industry has been better this fiscal year.
While most in this sector, including Tata Steel, are keenly aware of the slow growth in global steel pickup for the last several years, they are also too aware of the fact that only China and India, where infrastructure development is the fastest, are the two places on earth where steel will continue to be used at a faster rate than the rest of the world.

The global steel industry continues to face structural overcapacity, but we see recovery in developed economies, such as Europe, gradual improvement in demand in India and better industry conditions in China.

At the same time, risk of uncertainty was likely to remain at elevated levels due to structural issues such as geopolitical uncertainty, especially in the U.S. and U.K., and the rising trend of protectionism, Chandrasekaran said.

In March 2016, Tata Steel announced plans to sell its U.K. business, as the company battled to control its “deteriorating financial performance.” In February, the company inked a pact to sell its Specialty Steel business, which employs 1,700 people, to Liberty House Group for £100 million.

Tata Launches Graphene-Coated Stirrups Products

What’s more interesting is the fact that Tata Steel was working on the commercialization of superconductor graphene, an advanced material. The company has launched ready-made graphene-coated stirrups called  Tiscon Superlinks+.
Explaining this, Peeyush Gupta, vice president of steel marketing and sales at Tata Steel, said when four columns are built, the support link was normally made of steel. However, the link normally starts rusting after a while. Tata Steel has changed that by coating it with graphene.

Tata has said Superlinks+ comes with enhanced corrosion resistance and better bonding strength than other stirrups in the market. Incidentally, Tata Steel has filed seven patent applications in this area of work. The company is said to be contemplating other areas where graphene can be used. For this, a graphene development cell has been set up at Jamshedpur to identify applications and establish new businesses. In addition, two advanced material research centers of excellence have been established.
According to other media reports, Tata planned to start manufacturing graphene, which can be used in filtration systems, batteries and smartphones. The company is also working on drones and hydrogen fuel cells.

Graphene is ultra-light, 200 times stronger than steel and yet highly flexible. It is a superb conductor and is also transparent. Graphene research is focused on applications in energy, membranes, composites and coatings, biomedical, sensors, and electronics.

Tata was working on using graphene in highly targeted wearable technology products, including a smartwatch meant for yoga enthusiasts.

By Metalminer, www.investing.com August 8th, 2017

Tata Steel to invest £30m in South Wales


Tata Steel has announced investments of around £30 million to help secure the future of steelmaking in South Wales.

The announcement is part of a series of planned investments Tata Steel is making in its UK business to strengthen reliability and allow the development and production of high-performing steels demanded by customers. This will help meet the emerging need for next-generation steels for hybrid and electric cars, as well as for energy-efficient homes and buildings and innovative food packaging.

Earlier this year, Tata Steel unveiled the UK’s most advanced robotic steel welding line which supplies material for car makers from its site in Wednesfield.

Now a Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) vessel – weighing 500 tonnes – is to be replaced at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot site. At the same time, the company is replacing the massive cranes in the steelplant, and installing enhanced dust extraction hoods and energy-efficient drives to minimise emissions.

Tata Steel UK CEO, Bimlendra Jha, said: “These investments will help us to increase our reliability and demonstrate our commitment to the longer-term future of steelmaking in the UK.

“We are also investing in our capability to produce new higher-strength steels in the UK and I was delighted to welcome almost 100 new apprentices and graduates into our business recently, with their training supported by government.

“The UK steel industry is still facing challenges, including on energy costs and business rates, so it’s vital we continue to work with government to find ways of levelling the competitive playing field with our European competitors.”

The 11-metre high BOS vessel is a steel cauldron used to convert iron into steel before it is further processed and delivered to customers making products like cars, innovative packaging and energy-efficient buildings.

Port Talbot produces high-quality steel which is further processed at Tata Steel’s steel mills around the UK for manufacturers in Britain, mainland Europe and other countries around the world.

Once installed, the new steelmaking vessel will be able to convert 330 tonnes of iron into steel in each cycle. This is done by pumping oxygen through liquid iron at twice the speed of sound, removing unwanted carbon and allowing Tata Steel’s highly-skilled employees to produce the critical grades of steel required by customers.
Explaining why the new steelmaking vessel was needed, Dave Murray, Project Manager, said: “We have two steelmaking vessels and they run 24/7 at temperatures of up to 1,700C, apart from short planned maintenance periods. Despite this they last for around 20 years each and replacing them is an important part of ensuring reliable operations.”

13 Ocak 2017 Cuma

2016 Yılı Emtia Sektörünün Kârlılığa Dönüşünü Gördü

Saxo Bank’ın Emtia Strateji Müdürü Ole Hansen, 2016’nın Emtia sektörünün kârlılığa dönüşünü gördüğünü belirterek, “Endekse bağlı Emtia yatırımları yıllık ‘yeniden dengelemeyi’ gördü. Yeniden dengeleme işlemleri piyasayı harekete geçirebilir “ dedi.

Saxo Bank Emtia Strateji Müdürü Ole Hansen, Emtia sektörünün 2010’dan bu yana ilk kez 2016’da kâr ettiğini söyledi. Tahıl ve canlı hayvan sektörleri dışında, çoğu sektörde pozitif kârların görüldüğünü ifade eden ünlü analist, “Farklı yatırım yaklaşımlarının muhafaza edilmesine rağmen, dünyanın en çok izlenen Emtia endekslerinden ikisi yüzde 11,5 civarında, az çok aynı kazancı getirdi” dedi.

2016 Emtia Endeksi sektör performansları

Energy: Enerji Industrial: Endüstriyel metaller; Precious: Kıymetli metaller; Grains: Tahıllar; Softs: Dayanıksızlar; Livestock: Canlı hayvan;

Küresel Piyasalarda Altın Talebi Artacak!

Dünya Altın Konseyi, artan politik ve jeopolitik risklerin, kurlardaki değer kaybının, artan enflasyon beklentilerinin, hisse senedi piyasalarındaki aşırı değerlenmelerin, Asya piyasalarındaki büyümenin ve yeni pazar alanlarının açılmasının bu yıl Altına olan talebi destekleyeceğini açıkladı.

Dünya Altın Konseyinin "2017 Görünümü Küresel Ekonomik Trendler ve Altına Etkileri " raporu yayımlandı. Raporda, geçen yıl birçok yatırımcının Altın piyasasına geri dönüş yaptığı belirtildi. Doların bu yıl Altına olan talebi sınırlandırabileceğine dair endişelerin olduğu ifade edilen raporda ancak 6 faktörün bu yıl Altına olan talebi destekleyeceği aktarıldı.

5 Ocak 2017 Perşembe

Çin, Rusya, Orta Doğu ve Türkiye'nin 2017'de Emtia Piyasalarını Şaşırtması Olası

Barclays analistleri Cohen ve Davis, "Çin, Rusya, Orta Doğu ve Türkiye'nin 2017'de emtia piyasalarını şaşırtması olası" ifadelerini kullandı

Barclays 2017'de emtia piyasalarında beklenilmedik gelişmelerin yaşanabileceği yönünde uyarıda bulunuyor. Barclays Plc, enerjiden metallere kadar ham madde piyasalarının bozucu gelişmelerle karşı karşıya kalabileceğini düşünüyor. Banka, Venezuela, Şili'deki ayaklanmalar ve Çin ile yaşanabilecek ticaret savaşlarını görüşüne gerekçe olarak gösteriyor.

4 Ocak 2017 Çarşamba

2017'de Emtia Piyasasını Bekleyenler

Son çeyrekte Amerikan ekonomisinde sıçramanın yanında Avrupa ve Asya tarafında göreceli iyileşme ile daha olumlu bir tablo ortaya çıkıyor. Amerika’da hızlanan ekonomik büyüme ve enflasyon beklentisi Kasım ayından sonra piyasa fiyatlamalarına yansımaya başladı. Amerika tarafında, kurumsal vergi indirimleri, artan alt yapı yatırım harcamaları ve değişen mali politikalar diğer gelişmiş ülkeleri de peşinden sürükleyebilir. Asya ülkeleri ve Çin ekonomisinde de mali teşviklerin süreceği geçtiğimiz sene olduğu gibi teşviklerin 2017 yılında da kurtarıcı olacağı tahmin ediliyor. Küresel ekonomik büyüme geçen seneden iyi olacak ise artan talep ile emtia piyasasında fiyatlarda yükselişin devamı sürpriz olmamalı.

Buğday Fiyatları Arzın Yüksek Olması Nedeniyle Baskı Altında

Citygroup, gelişen ülkelerde enflasyon oranının artmasına rağmen stokların artmasının 2017 yılı içerisinde tarım ürünlerini baskılayacağı beklentilerini ifade etti.

Uluslararası finans hizmeti veren Rabobank’ın araştırmalarına göre ise tarımsal emtialar açısından önemli bir ülke olan Çin’in rezervlerinden satış yapması emtia fiyatlarının düşük kalmasına neden olacak.

Petrol Bakır ve Çinko Kazandırmaya Devam Edecek

Citygroup, 2017 yılında emtialarda arz fazlasının dengeye kavuştuğu beklentileriyle yükselişini sürdüreceğinin ön görüsünde bulunurken,

Petrol bakır ve çinkonun önümüzdeki 6-12 ay zaman zarfında kazandırmaya devam edeceğini belirtti.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch ise bu yılın ikinci çeyreğinde bakırın ton fiyatının ortalama 6 bin dolar yani libre başına 2.72 dolar olmasını bekliyor. 2017 ortalama fiyat tahmini ise 5.350 dolar olarak belirtilmekte.