Baltic
Dry Index. 1581 +52
Brent Crude 72.84
Spot Gold 2641 US 2 Year Yield 4.21 unch.
It is a well known and very important fact that America's founding fathers did not like taxation without representation. It is a lesser known and equally important fact that they did not much like taxation with representation.
John Kenneth Galbraith.
In the stock casinos, Trump Tariff War complacency.
He’s bluffing or posturing, runs much of current thinking. But what if Trump tariffs actually happen?
In better news, a 60 day ceasefire in Lebanon
Asia-Pacific
markets mixed as investors assess China industrial profits, Australia inflation
data
Updated
Wed, Nov 27 2024 12:27 AM EST
Asia-Pacific
markets were mixed Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street that saw the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reach
new intraday and closing records.
China’s industrial
profits dropped by 10% in October from a year ago, data showed
Wednesday, in another sign that Beijing’s recent stimulus measures have yet to
reverse a slump in corporate earnings.
Traders
in Asia also assessed inflation
data out of Australia. Monthly consumer price index figures rose 2.1%
in October year on year, missing the 2.3% expected by economists polled by
Reuters.
The
figure was in line with the rise in the month of September, and down
significantly from the 5.6% registered in September 2023.
Hong
Kong’s Hang Seng index was
up 0.4%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 gained 0.9%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.57%
to end the day at 8,406.7.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.1%, while
the broad-based Topix dropped 1.3%.
The
South Korea’s blue-chip Kospi
index was down 0.65%, while the small-cap Kosdaq was up 0.1%.
In
the U.S. on Tuesday, the blue-chip Dow advanced 123.74 points, or 0.28%, to a
record close of 44,860.31, while the S&P 500 added 0.57% to a record
6,021.63. The Nasdaq
Composite jumped 0.63% to 19,174.30.
The
strong performance came after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump called for
a 25%
tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, as well as an additional
10% levy on Chinese goods.
Trump
has already
said he would impose a tariff of up
to 20% on all imports, and an additional duty of at least 60% on
products from China.
According
to one
market analyst that spoke to CNBC, market participants appeared to
look past Trump’s announcement as they either expect the taxes to not actually
come to fruition, or they have already been priced in by traders.
Asia-Pacific markets live updates: China industrial profits, Australia inflation
European
markets set for a shaky start amid Trump tariff threat
Updated
Wed, Nov 27 2024 12:57 AM EST
European
markets are heading for a mixed open Wednesday as investors continued to assess
the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to hike
tariffs.
The
U.K.’s FTSE 100 index
is expected to open 5 points higher at 8,267, Germany’s DAX down 21 points at
19,285, France’s CAC down
39 points at 7,160 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 173 points at
33,150, according to data from IG.
Trump
said Monday that one of his first acts in office would be to impose
an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods entering the U.S., and
threatened a 25%
tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, ending a regional free
trade agreement.
Economists
have warned of the potential
inflationary impact of Trump’s fiscal plan, which could see the U.S.
Federal Reserve cutting interest rates at a slower pace.
Overnight, Asia-Pacific
markets were mixed Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street that saw
the S&P 500 and
the Dow Jones Industrial
Average reach new intraday and closing records.
U.S.
stock futures were little changed on Wednesday morning as traders
await the release of the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge: the personal
consumption expenditures price index.
Earnings
are set to come from Easyjet and data releases include German and French
consumer confidence.
European markets live updates: stocks, news, data and earnings
Middle East latest: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold
27
November 2024
Long-displaced
residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes amid
celebrations hours after a ceasefire between Israel and
the Hezbollah militant
group took effect early Wednesday morning.
The
ceasefire has brought relief across the tiny Mediterranean nation, coming after
days of some of the most intense airstrikes and clashes since the war began,
though many wondered if the agreement to stop fighting would hold. Israel has
said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement, which was
announced Tuesday.
Hundreds
of cars made their way into southern Lebanon, defying a warning from the
Israeli military to stay away from previously evacuated areas.
At
least 42 people were killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday,
according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on
Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens in the country’s north.
The
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire marks the first major step toward ending the
regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but it
does not address the devastating war in Gaza.
Hezbollah
began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon
escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across
the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south.
In
Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in
the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas,
according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
More
Middle East latest: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold
In other news.
Trump's
25 per cent tariff equals pain on both sides of border, Canadian leaders say
The
Canadian Press November 26, 2024
OTTAWA
— Business and political leaders in Canada say there will be pain if Donald
Trump follows through on his pledge to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all
Canadian goods, but they note the hurt will happen in his country as well.
The
president-elect posted to Truth Social on Monday he will sign an executive
order imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming in to the United
States from Canada and Mexico.
He
said the tariff will remain in place until both countries stop drugs, in
particular fentanyl, and people from illegally crossing the borders.
Canadian
American Business Council CEO Beth Burke said in a statement Monday night that
Trump’s proposal would harm businesses on both sides of the border and would
“erode the economic and geopolitical strength of North America.”
----Modelling
by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggests a 10 per cent across-the-board
tariff would reduce the size of the Canadian economy between 0.9 and one per
cent, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.
It
estimates the U.S. would see around US$125 billion a year in economic costs.
“For
the American businesses and for American consumers, this would mean higher
prices and increased costs for input and less competitive business environment
for America as well,” the chamber’s chief economist, Stephen Tapp, said in an
interview late Monday.
Things
would be even worse if other countries retaliated with tariff walls of their
own. In that case, Canadian incomes would fall by 1.5 per cent and productivity
by 1.6 per cent, the chamber’s report said.
Tapp
said in this case it would amount to USD $2,000 less in purchasing power for
the American consumer. The numbers are even higher with a 25 per cent tariff.
He
suspects that increased cost would not be appreciated in a U.S. that voted for
Trump’s promises of reducing inflation and the cost of living.
“Consumers
that have just gone through the pandemic and large inflation, then difficult
times for Americans and Canadians, I think they would really not be happy to
see prices go up and the sticker shock that they would feel after prices came
in.”
More
Trump's 25 per cent tariff equals pain on both sides of border, Canadian leaders say
Mexico
Hints at Retaliation to Trump’s Tariff Threats
Carolina
Millan and Rafael Gayol Tue, November 26, 2024 at 11:54 PM GMT
(Bloomberg)
-- President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Mexico could respond to Donald Trump’s
threatened tariffs with levies of its own, warning the economic consequences
would be dire.
Sheinbaum,
reading aloud Tuesday from a letter she directed at the US president-elect
after he vowed to slap 25% tariffs on all goods from Mexico and Canada, said
cooperation would be a better way to curb the flow of migrants and illegal
drugs.
“One
tariff will be followed by another in response, and so on until we put common
companies at risk,” Sheinbaum said at her daily press conference in Mexico
City. “The main exporters from Mexico to the US are General Motors, Stellantis,
and Ford Motor Company, which arrived 80 years ago. Why put in place a tariff
that puts them at risk?”
Sheinbaum’s
calls for collaboration instead of hostility reflect the delicate balance she
has sought to maintain since Trump’s victory put her nation on the front line
of a potential US trade war with China. She has largely avoided taking sides
between Washington and Beijing, all while signaling to Trump that she would
choose the US — Mexico’s top trading partner — if forced.
Sheinbaum’s
letter included a similar nod, calling for joint discussions on the migration
and fentanyl Trump cited in his tariff threat. She also pointed to Asian
nations — rather than her own — as the original source of fentanyl entering the
US, and said she hoped her team and his would be able to meet soon.
“It
is publicly known that the chemical precursors used to manufacture fentanyl and
other synthetic drugs illegally enter Canada, the United States and Mexico come
from Asian countries,” Sheinbaum said. “International cooperation is urgent.”
----Mexico’s
peso sank to its weakest level in more than two years earlier in the day,
exposing the country’s deep vulnerabilities to the trade conflicts he has
promised to wage. In all, the currency fell 1.7% Tuesday, closing at 20.65 per
dollar.
Mexico’s
auto sector is particularly exposed to a conflict with the incoming
administration in Washington, along with factories that export electronics,
plastics and other manufactured goods to US consumers. The Latin American
nation became the largest US trading partner as China’s import share declined
in recent years, with the Mexican government estimating there’s now $800
billion annually in total trade between the neighboring countries.
“It’s
not through threats or tariffs that the migratory phenomenon or drug
consumption in the United States will be tended to,” she added. “Cooperation
and mutual understanding are required to deal with these major challenges.”
More
Mexico Hints at Retaliation to Trump’s Tariff Threats
Fears Rachel Reeves will break another promise on tax
26
November 2024
Rachel Reeves' pledge not to
hike taxes again has been derided by business and political opponents.
The
Chancellor made the commitment in an appearance at the CBI conference last
night, as she scrambles to quell a mounting revolt over her £40billion
'tax-bomb' Budget.
After
pushing the burden on Brits to what is believed to be the highest level ever,
Ms Reeves insisted she was 'not going to have to come back for more'.
But
furious firms said they were not 'reassured', amid warnings that the
eye-watering raid on employer national insurance will cost jobs and drive
up inflation.
Despite
Ms Reeves saying the spending 'envelope' for departments is now fixed, the
respected IFS think-tank has warned that the government's plans are
'front-loaded' and look 'implausibly tight'.
Meanwhile,
in the latest grim economic sign this morning retailer Halfords has
signalled it could raise repair garage prices after the Budget sent its wage
bill soaring by around £23million.
Ms
Reeves was received by the conference in stony silence as made her case from
the stage.
The
employers' organisation said two-thirds of its members were slashing their
recruitment plans after the Budget, with firms switching to 'crisis
containment' or 'damage limitation' mode.
CBI
chairman Rupert Soames said business had been treated as a 'cash cow' to be
'milked'.
Salman
Amin, chief executive of the firm behind McVitie's biscuits, told the
conference that the case for investment in the UK was 'becoming harder to
understand'.
Ms
Reeves appeared taken aback by the scale of the business backlash to the
Budget. She insisted she had heard 'no credible alternative' and claimed the
Budget would provide the 'stability' needed for growth.
But
the Chancellor appeared to acknowledge that the economy could not withstand
another huge tax raid.
And
she warned Cabinet ministers that they would have to 'live within their means'
as she signalled there would be no further increases in public spending during
the next four years.
John
Roberts, AO chief executive, was asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether
he was reassured on the tax front.
'I
don't think there's very much that's reassuring frankly at the minute,' he
said.
'I
don't think that it's a job creation, and I don't think that it's a growth
budget.
'The
truth will be when we see the government's plans for what they plan do with the
debt that they are saddling the country with.
'The
focus is on is the government going to spend that money wisely. I haven't seen
any indication of that from a business point of view.'
Tory
MP Neil Shastri-Hurst said: 'We have all heard this one before. At the General
Election, Labour said they would not raise taxes.
'Yet,
they raised a record £40bn through tax rises in their first Budget. Labour's
anti-growth agenda means they will always be forced to turn to the
taxpayer.'
Fears Rachel Reeves will break another promise on tax
Bitcoin
slides toward $90,000 as price moves back after postelection rally
Published
Tue, Nov 26 2024 5:57 AM EST Updated Tue, Nov 26 2024 4:41 PM EST
The
price of bitcoin retreated
further from the psychological
$100,000 milestone, as investors booked profits from the cryptocurrency’s
gains following the presidential election.
The
largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization was recently lower by more than
4%, at $90,999.30, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier, it fell as low as
$90,702.27. The CoinDesk 20,
an index measuring broader cryptocurrency performance, fell 4.78%.
Coinbase and MicroStrategy, equity market
proxies for crypto assets, fell 6% and 12%, respectively.
“Bitcoin
has been on a tear since Election Day … with very few pullbacks, but the
$100,000 mark remains a formidable psychological barrier,” Mati Greenspan,
founder and CEO of Quantum Economics, told CNBC by email. “While breaking
through now would be a major bullish signal, a brief pullback may be needed to
gather momentum before the next attempt.”
With
bitcoin regularly hitting new records this month, long-term holders have
increasingly been selling in the spot market in larger amounts. That selling
pressure has so far been absorbed by inflows into bitcoin exchange-traded
funds, which ended a five-day advance Monday and logged $438 million in
outflows, and large purchases by MicroStrategy. CryptoQuant typically defines
long-term holders as entities that have held bitcoin for 155 days or more.
----Bitcoin
has gained more than 30% since the U.S. election and is up 114% this year.
Bitcoin (BTC) price falls as postelection rally loses steam
Finally,
shocking news for the stagnating EUSSR.
Northvolt collapse leaves EU taxpayer on the hook for €293m
25
November 2024
The
collapse of Swedish battery maker Northvolt AB has left a hole in the EU's
ambitions for electric vehicle success – but also a potential
three-hundred-million-euro hole in its budget.
The
company filed for bankruptcy protection under the US Chapter 11 procedure last
week, as it only had about $30 million (€28.81m) in cash remaining.
Some
of its debts of $5.84 billion are owed to the EU itself, which has sought
to boost potential European champions in a sector seen as key to the green
transition.
“We
backed several loans of the European Investment Bank to Northvolt battery
factory,” European Commission spokesperson Veerle Nuyts told reporters on
Monday, adding that the EU’s exposure – the unrepaid value of the loan —
“currently amounts to $313m, under the guarantee of the European fund for
strategic investments.”
That
fund, set up in 2015 as a flagship policy of then-Commission president
Jean-Claude Juncker, offered €21 bn in funding for infrastructure, innovation
and small business.
In
2017, the Commission also set up the European Battery Alliance, in a bid
to gain European leadership against tough competition from China.
“The
work we have done on batteries, including with the battery alliance, has been a
success,” EU spokesperson Johanna Bernsel told reporters on Monday, saying that
a total manufacturing capacity of 167 Gigawatt hours was installed in
2023.
But
Northvolt was, until last week, the most credible player in the European market
– and its collapse leaves creditors fighting for scraps from the estate.
“The
European Investment Bank is closely monitoring the situation,” a spokesperson
for the Luxembourg-based public lender told Euronews in a statement.
“We
are determined to reach a constructive resolution that will safeguard the EIB's
and the EU's interests” and “will continue to support strategic industries
driving the transition to a net zero economy,” the EIB spokesperson added.
Any
shortfall could now have to be borne by the EU budget, which is mainly funded
by contributions from national finance ministries.
A
draft of the EU budget for next year, formally
agreed by
member states on Monday, sets total commitments at just over €192.8 billion,
with €800m set aside as headroom to meet unforeseeable needs.
Northvolt collapse leaves EU taxpayer on the hook for €293m
Global Inflation/Stagflation/Recession Watch.
Given
our Magic Money Tree central banksters and our spendthrift politicians,
inflation now needs an entire section of its own.
Recession
2025: What to Watch and How to Prepare
November
25, 2024
The
U.S. economy is on relatively solid footing heading into 2025. But while
inflation has cooled, progress has been choppy and inconsistent at times. Labor
markets have softened, and the Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates
from multi-decade highs.
Many
economists, including Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members, anticipate
a soft landing for the U.S. economy in 2025 that includes slowing gross
domestic product growth but no recession. However, a single misstep in Fed
policy could have major negative implications for the economy, making the next
several months a critical period for the central bank. If the Fed cuts rates
too quickly, it could trigger a disastrous rebound in inflation. If it cuts
rates too slowly, it could drag the economy down into a recession.
Economic
recessions are no reason for panic and have been a regular occurrence for
centuries. However, investors can make the most of a difficult situation by
knowing which risk factors to watch and how to position their portfolios to
optimize their performance if a recession is looming in 2025.
2025
Recession Risk Factors
Many
factors can trigger or contribute to a recession, but two specific factors are
likely the biggest risks to economic stability in 2025.
Inflation
Any
investor who hasn't been living under a rock for the past two years is already
aware that the primary economic risk factor in 2025 is inflation. After
reaching a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022, year-over-year consumer price
index inflation has fallen to just 2.6% as of October 2024.
The
Federal Reserve can celebrate the progress it made in 2024, but the latest core
personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index reading in late October
suggests it's too early to declare victory over inflation just yet. Core PCE,
which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is the Fed's preferred
inflation measure, was up 2.7% year over year in September, above the FOMC's 2%
target.
Tariffs
The
second economic risk factor in 2025 is tariffs. President-elect Donald Trump
has pledged to implement aggressive tariffs on goods imported from China and
other U.S. trade partners around the world, making tariffs a central part of
his economic plan. Supporters of this tariff strategy say it will help U.S.
businesses compete with lower-cost international businesses and encourage
American companies to hire American workers. However, critics of the tariff
strategy argue the tariffs will force U.S. companies to pay higher prices for
imported goods and components, and many of these companies will simply pass on
those higher costs to consumers by raising prices. Widespread price hikes could
be a nightmare scenario for an economy that is already dealing with elevated
inflation.
To
make matters worse, the last leg of the inflation battle may be the most
difficult period for the Fed thanks to so-called sticky inflation. Sticky
inflation is inflation in goods and services that have prices that are not very
responsive to monetary policy adjustments, such as children's clothing, auto
insurance and medical products. Even as inflation in other areas of the economy
continues to fall, sticky inflation may keep the Fed from reaching its
inflation target for longer than investors had hoped and force the central bank
to slow the pace of its rate cuts.
More
Recession 2025: What to Watch and How to Prepare
Trump's
Mass Deportation Plan Could Keep Food Off American's Plates, Farming Industry
Warns
One expert said that the deportation plans could drive consumer grocery prices higher across the nation
Published 11/25/24 AT
9:57 AM EST
Farm
groups in the United States are warning President-elect Donald Trump that
his mass deportation
plan could
upend the food supply with nearly half of farm workers lacking legal status.
The
U.S. farm sector is urging Trump to exempt agricultural workers from his mass deportation
plan,
because the industry is dependent on the labor of undocumented
immigrants, Reuters
reported.
Trump's mass deportation
plan could
slash the U.S. GDP by up to 6.8%.
Nearly
half of the nation's 2 million farm workers are undocumented migrants, and many
others in sectors like meatpacking and dairy also lack legal status according
to the Department of Labor and Agriculture.
Farmers
told Reuters that these individuals play a critical role in their industry,
essentially filling jobs that many American workers are unwilling to do.
Rep.
John Duarte, a Republican who represents the Central Valley in California, said
that small towns would "collapse" if Trump's deportation plans were
to go into effect, a stark cry from MAGA hardliners who claim immigration hurts
American workers.
He
suggested that Trump's administration should not target immigrant workers
who've been in the country longer than five years and maintained a clean
criminal record.
David
Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University,
told Reuters the deportation plans could drive consumer grocery prices higher
across the nation, hurting economic
growth.
"They're
filling critical roles that many U.S.-born workers are either unable or
unwilling to perform," Ortega said.
Government
programs to exempt immigrants costly, according to reports
While
the H-2A visa program has given certification to 378,000 seasonal workers, the
program has many barriers–mainly, many immigrants cannot afford the visa's wage
and housing requirements said Reuters.
Amidst
talks of deportation and how it can negatively affect the economy, Trump's
"border czar" Tom Homan has not announced any exemptions.
Trump
promise of mass deportation
The
farm industry has a reason for concern about Trump fulfilling his deportation
promises. In Trump's first term in 2017, his administration conducted raids at
agricultural worksites, including poultry processing plants in Mississippi and
produce facilities in Nebraska.
Last
week, U.S. military leaders expressed concern over Trump possibly using the armed forces to assist
with mass deportations.
Covid-19 Corner
This section will continue until it becomes unneeded.
Today something different but interesting.
How
aged cells in one organ can cause a cascade of organ failure
By Paul McClure November 20, 2024
For
the first time, researchers have discovered that the accumulation of aged and
failing cells, called senescent cells, in one diseased organ can spread to
multiple healthy organs, causing them to fail. The findings have opened the
door to preventing multi-organ – or even age-related – disease.
There
has been much interest recently in senescent cells and how these tired and
ineffective cells are associated with aging and can
affect our overall health. Over the years, we've covered research into the
effect senescent cells have on things like lower back pain and hair growth.
Now,
a new study led by the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
Scotland Institute has demonstrated for the first time that once a large enough
number of senescent cells have accumulated in one sick organ, the liver, they
can spread to multiple healthy organs, causing them to fail.
“Our
findings provide the first insight into why severe liver injury results in the
failure of other organs, such as the brain and kidneys, and death,” said
Professor Rajiv Jalan, a liver disease specialist at University College London
and one of the study’s co-authors. “We were able to validate these novel and
exciting observations in patients, providing a route to develop biomarkers that
can be measured in the blood to identify those at risk, and new therapies to
treat severe liver disease.”
Studies have shown
that senescence in liver cells is highly indicative of underlying disease. As
such, it’s an important area for developing targeted treatment. In the present
study in mice, the researchers found that liver senescence progressed to
failure in other organs, such as the kidneys, lungs, and brain. By
investigating the interaction between liver senescence and kidney function,
particularly, they were able to show that a “critical mass” needed to be
reached before the senescence spread to other organs.
To
see whether these findings were relevant to human disease, the researchers
examined 34 patients with severe acute liver failure. They found that elevated
levels of biomarkers of liver cell senescence – taken from a biopsy – predicted
disease outcome, the need for liver transplantation, and the failure of other
organs.
“The
implications of the findings are potentially very profound,” said Professor Tom
Bird from the University of Edinburgh’s Center for Inflammatory Research and
the CRUK Scotland Institute and the corresponding author of the study. “This
may be a means by which severe disease, even in a single organ, can snowball
into the failure of many organs in the body. But it can also teach us about
ways to prevent this happening, both in sudden disease and potentially in a
range of diseases occurring over years or even decades as we age.”
The
researchers identified a biological pathway involving transforming growth
factor beta (TGF-beta), a protein produced by white blood cells that plays a
role in the immune system. When the pathway was blocked in mice, it prevented
liver senescence from spreading to other organs.
“This
is an exciting set of findings, unlocking crucial new insights with the
potential to transform our understanding of multi-organ failure,” said Morag
Foreman, head of discovery research at the Wellcome Trust, a London-based
charitable research foundation that partly funded the study. “This opens new
avenues of research into how our cells break down that could help us treat and
prevent sudden, or even age-related disease.”
The
study was published in the journal Nature Cell
Biology.
Source: University
of Edinburgh
How aged cells in one organ can cause a cascade of organ failure
Technology
Update.
With events happening fast in the
development of solar power and graphene, among other things, I’ve added this
section. Updates as they get reported.
New battery
technology could boost electric aviation
written
by Jake Nelson | November
26, 2024
A
research team at Monash University has developed new battery technology that
could have major applications for electric aircraft.
The
engineers have developed what they say is an “ultra-fast-charging”
lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery that can power long-haul electric vehicles (EVs),
commercial drones, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft,
among other applications.
Companies
such as Dovetail Electric
Aviation, Stralis and AMSL Aero have
been looking to introduce electric aircraft into the Australian market, with
hydrogen fuel cell technology thus far being the preferred choice due to the
limitations of current lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
According
to the researchers, the new Li-S batteries could be cheaper and store more
energy than Li-ion technology, while solving the slow charge and discharge rate
(C-rate) that has so far kept Li-S from being commercially viable.
“This
represents a major breakthrough toward making Li-S a feasible option not just
for long-haul EVs but particularly in industries like aviation and maritime
that require rapid, reliable power that is crucially light-weighted,” said
Dr Petar Jovanović, co-lead author of the paper.
The
team says it has used a new catalyst inspired by the chemistry of household
antiseptic betadine to accelerate the C-rate of the batteries, which up until
now have been too chemically complex to charge and discharge quickly.
Professor
Mainak Majumder, co-lead researcher and Director of the ARC Research Hub for
Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials, said Li-S batteries have typically
struggled to balance high performance with long life.
“We’ve
leveraged sulfur’s unique chemistry to make a battery that’s both safer and
more efficient. With our new catalyst, we’ve overcome one of the last remaining
barriers to commercialisation – charging speed,” Professor Majumder said.
“Our
catalyst has significantly enhanced the C-rate performance of Li-S batteries,
demonstrated in early proof-of-concept prototype cells. With commercial scaling
and larger cell production, this technology could deliver energy densities up
to 400 Wh/kg.
“This
makes it well-suited for applications requiring dynamic performance, such as
aviation, where batteries must handle high C-rates during take-off and
efficiently switch to low C-rates during cruising.
“Li-S
batteries are also a greener alternative to the materials used in traditional
Li-ion batteries, which rely on limited and often environmentally harmful
resources like cobalt.”
A new
startup, Ghove Energy, is now seeking pre-seed funding to commercialise the
technology.
New battery
technology could boost electric aviation – Australian Aviation
Next, the
world global debt clock. Nations debts to GDP compared.
World Debt
Clocks (usdebtclock.org)
Governments
have persistently tried their best to promote, encourage, and expand the
circulation of bank and government paper, and to discourage the people's use of
gold itself.
Murray Rothbard.
No comments:
Post a Comment