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Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Spur Another Global Chip Shortage
Ukraine is home to half of the world's neon gas, which is critical for manufacturing semiconductor chips. ON THURSDAY MORNING, explosions rocked at least seven cities in Ukraine, heralding the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. Among Putin’s first targets was Odesa,...Read more -
Chinese suppliers of noble gases, key for chipmaking, ramp up production to meet surging demands
Chinese suppliers of noble gases such as krypton, xenon and neon, key materials for chipmaking, are churning out products to handle surging orders amid rising concerns for what could be an unprecedented supply disruption after the reported cut-off of trade activities in ...Read more -
Here’s why SpaceX doesn’t use Liquid Hydrogen.
SpaceX’s new Starship rocket uses the Raptor engine. Liquid Methane and Oxygen is the fuel of this engine. The Falcon 9 and Falcon heavy use kerosene (RP-1) as fuel. Moreover, for a long time, Hydrogen has been used in various rockets. But, SpaceX chose Methane for their...Read more -
The World Is Constantly Running Out Of Helium. Here’s Why It Matters.
Helium is the second-most common element in the universe, but it's comparatively rare on Earth. It also fulfills a surprising role in everything from space exploration to quantum computing. Short Wave is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the periodic table with profil...Read more -
Ethylene: The “World’s Most Important Chemical”
Ethylene, a key building block in plastic and vital to our country’s manufacturing industry, has been thrust into the spotlight due to Hurricane Harvey’s impact on its production process. So, what exactly is ethylene and how does it impact manufacturing and our everyday ...Read more -
The outlook for electronic speciality gases in 2023
The global market for electronic specialty gases grew by almost 20% last year – from $4.4bn in 2021 to $5.2bn in 2022. This growth was driven by continued expansion in the worldwide semiconductor industry, as well as new supply chain challenges encouraging stockpiling of...Read more -
First Helium signs helium supply deal with industrial gas major
Helium development and exploration company First Helium has agreed to sell 80% of its produced helium volumes from its Worsley Property in Alberta, Canada, to a major industrial gas supplier. The long-term helium supply agreement signed by the two companies is worth up t...Read more -
A brief look at China’s rare gas market
As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on, the market for rare gasses has seen greater volatility. High purity rare gasses used in semiconductor production have seen a rapid price surge, with neon gas prices growing tenfold and krypton gas up by almost half since the conflict. ...Read more
