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Low-energy electron microscopy images of the nickel-aluminum surface before and after oxidation. The faint lines before oxidation indicate the atom-high steps that separate flat terrace sections of the crystal surface. As oxidation begins at a point on one terrace, the oxide spreads in elongated stripes along that terrace, pushing steps out of the way and bunching them closer and closer together. Eventually the bunching of steps stops the growth of the oxide stripe and another begins to form, often at right angles, to produce a grid-like pattern. Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Rust never sleeps. Whether a reference to the 1979 Neil Young album or a product designed to protect metal surfaces, the phrase invokes the idea that corrosion from oxidation—the more general chemical name for rust and other reactions of metal with oxygen—is an inevitable, persistent process. But a new study performed at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory reveals that certain features of metal surfaces can stop the process of oxidation in its tracks.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-12-microscopy-reveals-atom-high-impede-oxidation.html#jCp

Initial assessments from last week’s nickel spill at New Caledonia’s Koniambo plant put the damage at more than three million US dollars.

The incident on the day after Christmas prompted the evacuation of all staff from the seven-billion US dollar plant in the territory’s north and led to a temporary stop to production.

There are no reports of any injuries.

About 500 tonnes of liquid nickel was spilled from one of the furnaces for reasons yet to be determined.

Read more at: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/262733/millions-of-damage-after-new-caledonia-nickel-spill

POSCO Co., South Korea’s largest steelmaker, said Monday that it has completed the construction of a lithium plant in Argentina that will mass produce the material needed to make batteries for electronic devices.

The plant located in Jujuy, in the northern part of Argentina, can produce up to 200 tons of lithium every year by directly extracting the material from water from a nearby lake through chemical reactions, a technique that requires less time than traditional means of production.

Read more at: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141222000422

Jakarta (ANTARA News) – A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has praised the countrys macroeconomic management after visiting several cities in Indonesia from December 3 to 17.

In order to evaluate the current development in the country with regard to short-term, medium-term, and future perspectives, the team led by David Cowen held a discussion about 2014 Article Consultation with the government and Bank Indonesia on the IMF website.

Read more at: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/96995/imf-team-praises-indonesias-macroeconomic-management

NEW DELHI: India is offering to set up an insurance pool to indemnify global nuclear suppliers against liability in the case of a nuclear accident, in a bid to unblock billions of dollars in trade held up by concerns over exposure to risk.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is hoping the plan will be enough to convince major U.S. companies such as General Electric to enter the Indian market ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit at the end of next month.

The National Academy of Inventors has elected Amit Goyal as a fellow. Goyal is a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The organization recognized Goyal for “having demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”

Read more at: http://oakridgetoday.com/2014/12/19/ornls-goyal-elected-fellow-national-academy-inventors/

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed an economic review mission to Burundi during which it conducted discussions with Burundi’s authorities for the sixth review of the government’s economic and financial programme supported by the IMF under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

Read more at: http://www.africanmanager.com/site_eng/detail_article.php?art_id=22884

Indonesia is ramping up financing for new President Joko Widodo’s $439 billion development program, planning an almost fivefold increase in sales of project sukuk.

The government is seeking to raise 7.14 trillion rupiah ($568 million) from notes that will fund particular construction ventures next year, compared with 1.5 trillion rupiah this year, Suminto, Islamic financing director at the debt management office, said in a Dec. 12 interview in Jakarta. That will help finance its estimated spending of about 5,519 trillion rupiah from 2015 to 2019 to build roads, railways and power plants.

Read more at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-12-17/indonesia-project-sukuk-plan-sees-fivefold-rise-islamic-finance

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed the hot-fire test of its 3D-printed MPS-120 CubeSat high-impulse adaptable modular propulsion system.

Carried out in Redmond, Washington, MPS-120 testing showed the required throughput on the engine for more than five times and several expulsions on the propellant tank, according to Aerojet.

Said to be the company’s first 3D-printed hydrazine integrated propulsion system, the MPS-120 features four miniature rocket engines, feed system components, a 3D-printed titanium piston, and propellant and pressurant tanks.

Read more at: http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newsaerojet-rocketdyne-successfully-tests-3d-printed-propulsion-system-4471565