World Materials Forum
Newsletter #33

Dear all,

First we are very proud to announce our list of WMF 2021 Scale Up and Start Up nominees: again a great mix of technologies and teams and we look forward to welcoming their CEOs in Nancy between June 17th and 19th.

Then a flow of papers about critical resources that remain at the center of attention for both policy makers and economic actors: a view that the next critical resource for the US would be.... water, some modeling of the global water demand for determining water scarcity variability and impacts, a demonstration that decarbonation of steel and iron industries is well underway... but could also mean more energy consumption, an overview of EU perspective and policy on batteries, a survey on how technology and recycling could seriously and positively reduce the amount of critical materials needed to produce future electric vehicles and 2 practical examples of the idea with Schlumberger testing a new industrial Lithium extraction process in Nevada in order to reduce production time from one year to a few weeks and with a detailed analysis of matching batteries production and recycling capacities in Europe.

Further on the scientific front with an "every month more difficult to select" variety of innovations: a new generation of non inflammable ceramic electrolytes at GeorgiaTech, a newly designed and more efficient sulfonamide based electrolyte for Lithium metal batteries at MIT, a method to use Carbon Fiber and improve both mechanical and electrical properties of structural batteries at Chalmers, indium films at the atomic scale that retain their super conductivity even when a strong magnetic field is applied at NIMS, Osaka University and Hokkaido University, a study showing efficiency and cost improvement of lithium ion batteries over the past 20 years at Santa Fe Institute and MIT and, at the frontier between science and industry, the agreement signed by Hydro Quebec to industrialize a technology developed at University of South Wales (manganese hydride molecular sieve) that allows for greater H2 storage capacity at lower weight, lower tank pressure, lower manufacturing costs... and with no need for further liquefaction step (thus generating savings also on transport costs).

On the sustainability front, we picked 4 examples: Volkswagen announcing their Roadmap to cheaper and more efficient EV system, BASF partnering with Linde and SABIC to develop an electrical heated steam cracker furnace, a common standard of swappable batteries for Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha in order to speed up adoption of electric bikes in Japan ... and an interesting analysis on why it is even more important now to recycle aluminium cans.

19 (!) of our great Start Up Alumni are in the news this month with nominations (Carbios - France, Cycladex - USA, Genes'Ink - France, Polystyvert - Canada, Rein4CED - Belgium) and Spin Ion - France), fund raising (CompPair - Switzerland), sale (Cuberg - USA), new product line (Thrupore - USA), or media coverage (Aerosint - Belgium, Alliage Titane - Canada, Citrine Informatics - USA, EH Group - Switzerland, Kebotix - USA, Keey Aerogel - France, Nawa Technologies - France, Ramlab - NL, UbiQd - USA, Vaporsens - USA).

And finally let's give it to Bill Gates this month as he reminds us that we should pursue breakthroughs because the green alternatives are not cheap enough...

As always, we hope that you enjoy the reading.

Victoire de Margerie & Philippe Varin

CRITICAL RESOURCES

MDPI, February 20th:
Decarbonation of steel and iron industries is well underway... but could also mean more energy consumption

Transport & Environment, March 1st:
Technological advancements will drive down the amount of critical materials required to make an EV battery over the next decade (lithium by 50%, cobalt by 75% and nickel by 20%). And by then over 20% of the lithium and nickel and 65% of the cobalt needed for a new battery could come from recycling.

EU Website, March 15th:
An overview of EU perspective and policy on batteries

New Car Congress, March 19th:
Lithium extraction pilot plant in Nevada to test new Schlumberger industrial process that should reduce production time from one year to weeks for high purity battery grade material.

Bloomberg Green, March 20th:
The next critical resource for the US would be.... water

Nature Communications, March 26th:
Understanding global water demand is crucial for determining water scarcity impacts

Medium.com, March 27th:
An interesting analysis about matching batteries production and recycling capacities in Europe

MATERIALS SCIENCES

Nature Materials, March 8th:
New generation of non inflammable ceramic electrolytes at GeorgiaTech

Greencar Congress, March 20th:
Hydro Quebec signs an agreement to industrialize a technology developed at University of South Wales - a manganese hydride molecular sieve - that allows for greater storage capacity at lower weight, lower tank pressure, lower manufacturing costs ... and with no need for further liquefaction step thus generating savings also on transport costs

Royal Society of Chemistry, March 23rd:
A thorough review of efficiency and cost improvement of lithium ion batteries over the past 20 years at Santa Fe Institute and MIT

Science Tech Daily, March 24th:
Using Carbon Fiber to improve both mechanical and electrical properties of structural batteries at Chalmers University

Nature Energy, March 25th:
Newly designed and more efficient sulfonamide based electrolyte for Lithium metal batteries at MIT

Eurekalert, March 29th:
Making indium films at the atomic scale retain its super conductivity even when a strong magnetic field is applied to it at NIMS, Osaka University and Hokkaido University

SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

Forbes, March 20th:
Key announcements on Volkswagen Roadmap to cheaper and more efficient EV system.

BASF news, March 24th:
First electrical heated steam cracker furnace

India Times, March 27th:
It is even more important now to recycle aluminium cans

Green Car Congress, March 28th:
Common standard of swappable batteries for Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha in order to speed up adoption of electric bikes in Japan

OUR START UPS ALUMNI ARE IN THE NEWS!

Aerosint (N 2017), March 10th:
Dual material 3 D printed part

Alliage Titane Québec (N 2020), March 1st:
New step to develop titan powder from aeronautics wastes

Carbios (N 2017), March 29th:
Carbios one of the 3 WMF 2021 Scale Up nominees

Citrine Informatics (Grand Prix 2017), March 28th:
Featured in the thorough AI review by C&En

CompPair (N 2020), March 24th:
Closing of 950k CHF seed round

Cuberg (Grand Prix 2018), March 10th:
Richard Wang sells Cuberg to Northvolt

Cycladex (N 2017), March 29th:
Cycladex one of the 3 WMF 2021 Scale Up nominees

And March 31st: Roger Pettman signs technology partnership with Cyanco

EH Group (N 2020), March 15th:
Redesigning fuel cell technology according to H2 View

Genes'Ink (N 2017), March 29th:
One of the 9 National Awards winners of the yearly La Tribune Tech Challenge

Kebotix (N 2019), March 28th:
Featured in the thorough AI review by C&En

Keey Aerogel (N 2017), March 9th:
Producing insulation at half the cost by extracting silica from demolition waste

Nawa Technologies (N 2019), March 31st:
New electrode design that can radically boost performance of existing and future battery chemistries

Polystyvert (Coup de Cœur 2018), March 29th:
Polystyvert, one of the 3 WMF 2021 Scale Up nominees

Ramlab (N 2019), March 12th:
Highlighted in a French review of 3D manufacturing technologies and actors for oil, gas and maritime industries

Rein4CED (N 2018), March 2nd:
Highlighted as one of the Top Mobility Start ups by Lux Research

Spin Ion (N 2020), March 29th:
One of the 9 National Awards winners of the yearly La Tribune Tech Challenge

Thrupore (N 2018), March 12th:
Developing a catalyst effective at killing aerosolized MS2, a bacteriophage virus used as a proxy for SARS - CoV-2

UbiQd (N 2020), March 26th:
Quantum dots to improve agriculture efficiency

Vartega (N 2020), March 11th:
Presented at the Energy Venture Summit