Evraz North America, Chicago, announces Board approval of its plan to expand heat treat and threading capacity at its tubular facility in Calgary, Alberta. The multimillion dollar project, which will commence next month, includes expanding heat treat capacity by over 150% and threading capacity by about 40%. Work is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Hardide Coatings Ltd., UK, has developed a TSP (thermally stable polycrystalline) diamond coating to extend the life and improve the performance of drilling tools operating in extremely abrasive environments. This is the first successful high-performance coating that can withstand the higher temperatures associated with TSP brazing, extreme loads, and aggressive media.

The Linde Group, Munich, Germany, will invest more than $ 200 million to build a large, state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU), a new gasification train, and supporting equipment and facilities in La Porte, Texas.  The ASU will be the largest operated by Linde in the U.S. and the addition of a new gasification plant will create the world’s largest natural gas based partial oxidation complex for the production of syngas products for petrochemicals.

Boeing, Chicago, and Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announce that they have formed a closed-loop program to significantly increase the recycling of internal aluminum aerospace alloys. The program calls for recycling of 2XXX and 7XXX-series aluminum alloys used in the production of wing and fuselage components of Boeing airplanes. The forms will include aluminum extrusions, sheet, and plate products. At the outset, approximately eight million pounds of aluminum is expected to be recycled annually.

Royal DSM, the Netherlands, is reducing the weight of the Peugeot 508 with the use of oil sumps injection molded in Akulon Ultraflow polyamide 6. The grade used for the application is Akulon Ultraflow K-FHG7, a 35% glass reinforced, heat stabilized polyamide 6 with good flow properties. It offers significant processing advantages compared to standard polyamide 6 products, while maintaining the required mechanical properties.

Kennametal Stellite, Goshen, Ind., offers  UltraFlex hardfacing technology for parts with complex geometries, inner diameters, and other non-line-of-sight features.  The UltraFlex treatment deposits a high-quality superalloy or tungsten carbide composite onto substrates with complex geometries without the problems common with welding. The coating easily conforms to intricate shapes and reaches remote locations.

Alcoa, Pittsburgh, and Rusnano, Russia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to  produce oil and gas aluminum drill pipe finished with a nanotechnology-based antiwear coating. The coating is expected to extend the life of the aluminum pipe by approximately 30% to 40% in aggressive and corrosive drilling environments compared to uncoated aluminum pipe.

FEI Company, Hillsboro, Ore., introduced in July 2013, two new DualBeam systems that feature innovative detection suites that provide high-quality imaging and fast analysis over the broadest range of samples. The new Scios DualBeam is specifically positioned for fast two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) characterization. The Helios NanoLab 660 DualBeam adds capabilities for specialized applications, such as the fabrication of prototypes for nanometer-scale devices.

Alloy Heat Treatment Limited, UK, which says that it is the largest subcontractor for aluminum heat treatments in the country, announces that it has received its first order from South Korea. The order is one of several export orders within the past six months, from new customers in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.