I don’t know about you, but November 9 can’t come quickly enough for me. I don’t recall an election less focused on issues and policies and more focused on the personalities of the candidates. At this point, I just can’t wait for it all to be over.

According to a recent market study by Technavio, the global technical ceramics market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.37% from 2016-2020. As of 2015, Asia-Pacific held the largest market, at around 37.7%, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 7% during 2016-2020.

The cost of solar power is beginning to reach price parity with cheaper fossil fuel-based electricity in many parts of the world, yet the clean energy source still accounts for just slightly more than 1% of the world’s electricity mix. Solar, or photovoltaic (PV), cells, which convert sunlight into electrical energy, have a large role to play in boosting solar power generation globally, but researchers still face limitations to scaling up this technology.

High-volume product designers traditionally considered ceramics a last substrate option due to high cost and lack of format availability. In the past, available thin ceramics were certainly not strong, robust, self-supporting or flexible. Volume markets today require a new set of high-performance, high-temperature-capable ceramic materials that are available in an ultrathin flexible roll format.

While graphene is a promising new material, researchers across the globe are still looking for a way to produce defect-free graphene at low costs. Chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have succeeded in producing defect-free graphene directly from graphite for the first time. They recently published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

This weekly roundup highlights the ceramic, glass, refractories, brick and related news stories that garnered the most attention during the previous week.

This weekly roundup highlights the ceramic, glass, refractories, brick and related news stories that garnered the most attention during the previous week.

The 2016 CI Top 12 is our fourth annual exclusive ranking of the leading worldwide manufacturers of advanced ceramics, glasses and refractories. This is my favorite feature every year because it highlights the amazing scope of the advanced ceramic and related industries.

From 2008 to 2012, the percentage of examiner interviews conducted for U.S. patent applications nearly doubled from about 15 to 30%. In 2012, 90% of applications in which examiner interviews were conducted were allowed, compared to a 61% allowance rate for patents in which no interviews were conducted. These trends have continued.