Baltic
Dry Index. 1282 +08 Brent Crude 65.06
Spot Gold 3231 US 2 Year Yield 3.84 -0.12
US Federal Debt. 36.726 trillion!!!
I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The
Trump tariff retreat on iPhones, computers and semi conductor chips sparked a
stock casino relief rally as anticipated, but already there are signs it’s unlikely
to build into more than a relief rally in a new developing bear market.
As
for driving manufacturing back to the USA, good luck with that. Few
manufacturers see any profits in that.
Asia-Pacific
markets mostly rise after tech rally pushes Wall Street higher
Updated
Tue, Apr 15 2025 12:17 AM EDT
Asia-Pacific
markets mostly rose Tuesday after all three key Wall Street benchmarks advanced
overnight on a tech rally.
Japan’s
benchmark Nikkei 225 increased
1.08% while the broader Topix index advanced 1.29%.
In
South Korea, the Kospi index
added 0.93% while the small-cap Kosdaq moved up 0.29%.
Hong
Kong’s Hang Seng Index moved
up 0.16% in choppy trade while Mainland China’s CSI 300 was flat.
Meanwhile,
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 moved
up 0.41%.
India’s
benchmark Nifty 50 surged
2.10% at the open while the broader BSE
Sensex gained 2.26%.
The
country is expected to release its inflation figures for March later in the
day. Economists polled by Reuters expect India’s consumer price index reading
to come in at 3.60%, compared to 3.61% in the month before.
A
separate poll indicates that India’s wholesale price index is forecast to come
in at 2.5% in March, from 2.38% in February.
U.S. futures
slipped as investors awaited first-quarter earnings reports and
weighed U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.
Notices
by the U.S. Commerce Department indicated that it would be investigating the impact of “imports of semiconductors
and semiconductor manufacturing equipment” as well as “pharmaceuticals and
pharmaceutical ingredients, including finished drug products,” on national security in the U.S.
Overnight
stateside, stocks
rose in a choppy session, thanks to a rally in tech names spurred by a
surprise tariff exemption from Trump.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added
312.08 points, or 0.78%, to close at 40,524.79. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.64%
to end at 16,831.48, while the S&P
500 added 0.79% and settled at 5,405.97.
Asia
markets live: Stocks mostly rise
U.S.
stock futures slide after S&P 500 posts back-to-back gains: Live updates
Updated
Tue, Apr 15 2025 8:11 PM EDT
U.S.
stock futures slipped Monday night after the S&P 500 posted
back-to-back winning sessions. Investors also awaited a fresh set of
first-quarter earnings reports.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell
81 points, or 0.2%. S&P
500 futures and Nasdaq
100 futures dipped 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.
The
moves came after the major stock indexes ended Monday’s session higher, buoyed
by the tech sector. Stocks received a tailwind after guidance on Friday from U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed exemptions
from “reciprocal” tariffs for electronic products such as smartphones,
computers and semiconductors. Still, comments from President Donald Trump and
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday suggested these exemptions
might only be temporary.
During
Monday’s regular session, the Dow gained
312.08 points, or 0.78%. The S&P 500 climbed 0.79% and the Nasdaq Composite added
0.64%.
This
is a big week for the first-quarter earnings season, with names such as Bank of America, Citigroup, Johnson & Johnson and PNC Financial set to report
before Tuesday’s opening bell. However, this earnings season may not yet
provide investors with the clarity they seek on how companies will be affected
by Trump’s new tariff policies, according to Brenda Vingiello, chief investment
officer of Sand Hill Global Advisors.
“I
think when it comes to earnings season, we’re just going to hear a lot of
uncertainty with regard to some companies,” she said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime”
on Monday afternoon. “I don’t think we’re going to have a lot of answers after
this earning season other than that Q1 was probably pretty good.”
On
Tuesday, investors will also watch out for the latest readings on March’s
import and export price indexes. The New York Federal Reserve’s Empire State
Manufacturing Survey will also be out.
Stock
market today: Live updates
Trump
tariffs won’t lead supply chains back to U.S., companies will go low-tariff
globe-hopping: CNBC survey
Published
Mon, Apr 14 2025 12:51 PM EDT
If
China is going to lose some manufacturing as a result of President
Donald Trump’s tariffs, the U.S. manufacturing sector won’t be the main
beneficiary, according to a new CNBC Supply Chain Survey.
The
Trump administration says a reshoring boom is coming, but most companies that
responded to the survey tell CNBC that bringing back supply chains could as
much as double their costs and that instead a search for low-tariff regimes
around the world will commence.
Over
half of those surveyed (57%) said cost was the top reason for saying they would
not be reshoring production; 21% said their top reason was the challenge of
finding skilled labor. The Trump administration has promised tax
cuts for companies that bring back manufacturing, but the survey found
taxes (14%) lower in companies’ ranking of factors that impact manufacturing
site decision-making.
Despite
some recent high-profile
announcements from the tech sector, including Nvidia’s
plans for a supercomputer plant in the U.S. and Apple’s
commitment to invest $500 billion in the country, most companies cite
costs as prohibitive. The Trump administration gave the tech sector a reprieve
Friday from new tariffs on China and other global manufacturing nations, but
the White House is moving ahead with a national security investigation that
targets critical technology for future tariffs.
Taken
together, the majority of respondents estimated that the price tag
of building a new domestic supply chain would at least be double current
costs (18%), or would likely be more than double (47%). Instead of moving
supply chains back to the United States, 61% said, it would be more
cost-effective to relocate supply chains to lower-tariffed countries.
In
addition to the tariffs, consumer demand and raw material prices, as well as
the “current administration’s inability to provide a consistent strategy,” were
cited as key supply chain concerns.
A
majority of respondents (61%) who responded to a question about whether they
feel like the Trump administration “is bullying corporate America” answered
“Yes.”
A
total of 380 respondents from companies in the supply chain and business
organizations were included in the survey, conducted from April 14-18, with 120
respondents answering every question. The survey was sent to members of the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National
Retail Federation, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Footwear
Distributors and Retailers of America, the Council of Supply Chain Management
Professionals, OL USA, SEKO Logistics, and ITS Logistics.
Among
respondents indicating interest in reestablishing a U.S. supply chain, 41% said
it would take at least three to five years, and 33% said it would take longer
than five years.
More
Tariffs
won't bring manufacturing back to US: Supply chain survey
In
other news. Hmm. With heavily integrated international global financial centres,
crashing the US Treasury markets crashes all.
Trump’s
chaos has shattered confidence in America
The
US president is unwittingly hastening the end of the dollar as the world’s only
significant reserve currency
13
April 2025 3:00pm BST
There
have been few, if any, more
turbulent weeks in the markets during the whole of my professional
life than the last one. Heaven knows what is going to happen next. But what are
the likely economic effects of the situation that we are in now?
Donald
Trump may have introduced
a 90-day pause on
his reciprocal tariffs imposed on all countries except China, but this does not
mean the tariff issue is now dead and buried.
To
start, the tariff rate on China has now risen to 145pc. Moreover, the 10pc base
tariff still applies to all other countries and the 25pc tariff on particular
goods, including cars, is still in place.
What’s
more, although most people are assuming that there will be no return to the
enormous tariff rates for most countries apart from China, this is by no means
certain. And with China
retaliating on Friday,
there might yet be another round of American measures against Beijing, and so
on and so forth.
Accordingly,
there is still going to be quite an impact from tariffs on the American economy
and a series of effects elsewhere in the world.
One
of the big surprises of last week was the behaviour of the dollar. Having
weakened on the imposition of tariffs, contrary to almost all expectations, the
dollar then weakened a bit more after the announcement that for most countries,
reciprocal tariffs were being put on hold. That is a reflection of the
uncertainty created by President Trump and the damage he has done to America’s
standing.
Supposedly,
a strengthening dollar was set to mitigate the effects
of tariffs on US inflation. In practice, despite lower energy prices, it now
looks as though inflation will rise to 4pc by the end of the year. This will
ring alarm bells at the Federal Reserve, which I believe is likely to sit on
its hands for the rest of this year.
It
seems that while the Trump was prepared to accept extreme drops in stock
prices, he was less bold when it came to plunging
bond prices and rising yields.
He
was right to be worried. The American government has a huge debt to service,
proportionately greater even than our own, and high yields have a depressing
effect on aggregate demand.
More
importantly, when you have such wild swings in equity and bond prices as we
have just experienced, there is a good chance that some major institutions will
have registered significant losses. We simply don’t know what is lurking in the
undergrowth. This should have been one of the lessons from the Global Financial
Crisis of 2007-2010.
More
Donald Trump’s
chaos has shattered confidence in America
China
exports skyrocket over 12% in March as trade war drives businesses to frontload
shipments
Published
Sun, Apr 13 2025 11:07 PM EDT
China’s
exports jumped more than expected in March as businesses frontloaded outbound
shipments to avoid prohibitive U.S. tariffs, while imports extended declines as
sluggish domestic demand persisted.
Exports
jumped 12.4% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, according to
data released by customs authority on Monday, significantly outpacing Reuters’
poll estimates of a 4.4% growth and marking the biggest jump since October last
year.
Imports
fell 4.3% in March from a year earlier, compared with economists’ expectations
of a 2% decline.
In
the first two months of the year, China’s exports had slowed more than
expected,
growing just 2.3% year on year, marking the slowest rise since April 2024.
Imports clocked a steeper-than-expected decline of 8.4% from a year ago, their
sharpest fall since mid-2023.
“Exports
will likely weaken in coming months as the U.S. tariffs [have] skyrocketed,”
said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management,
adding that “in the short term, I expect chaos in supply chains and potential
shortage in the U.S. that may drive up inflation.”
Trade
policies remained highly uncertain, compounding challenges for businesses
looking to adjust supply chains and capital spending plans, Zhang said.
“Even if firms decide to relocate their supply chains, it takes time to build
factories.”
The
Chinese leadership has set an ambitious annual growth target of “around 5%”
this year, a goal seen harder to achieve given the prospects of an escalating
trade war and persistently lackluster domestic consumption.
Since
U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, he has imposed a cumulative 145%
tariffs on
all imports from China, including a 20% duty allegedly related to Beijing’s
role in fentanyl trade.
China
has struck back with tit-for-tat tariff increases, including levies of up to
15% targeting select American goods and across-the-board tariffs of 125% in the latest
retaliation last
Friday.
Lingjun
Wang, the vice head of customs administration, said at a press conference
Monday that the U.S. government’s “abusive use of tariffs” has created
headwinds for global trades, according to a CNBC translation, while repeating
Beijing’s call for a negotiation with Washington.
China
will “implement all countermeasures announced against the U.S. strictly in
accordance with the law,” while continuing to open up its economy for
mutually-beneficial trade and investment cooperation with countries around the
world, Wang said.
More
China exports
skyrocket over 12% in March as trade war drives businesses to frontload
shipments
China
Halts Critical Exports as Trade War Intensifies
Beijing
has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are
crucial for the world’s car, semiconductor and aerospace industries.
April
13, 2025
China
has suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets,
threatening to choke off supplies of components central to automakers,
aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors
around the world.
Shipments
of the magnets, essential for assembling everything from cars and drones to
robots and missiles, have been halted at many Chinese ports while the Chinese
government drafts a new regulatory system. Once in place, the new system could
permanently prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including
American military contractors.
The
official crackdown is part of China’s retaliation for President Trump’s sharp
increase in tariffs that started on April 2.
On
April 4, the Chinese government ordered restrictions on the export of six heavy
rare earth metals, which are refined entirely in China, as well as rare earth
magnets, 90 percent of which are produced in China. The metals, and special
magnets made with them, can now be shipped out of China only with special
export licenses.
But
China has barely started setting up a system for issuing the licenses. That has
caused consternation among industry executives that the process could drag on
and that current supplies of minerals and products outside of China could run
low.
If
factories in Detroit and elsewhere run out of powerful rare earth magnets, that
could prevent them from assembling cars and other products with electric motors
that require these magnets. Companies vary widely in the size of their
emergency stockpiles for such contingencies, so the timing of production
disruptions is hard to predict.
More
China Halts
Critical Rare Earth Exports as Trade War Intensifies - The New York Times
China
and Japan Dump US Treasuries Forcing Fed Toward Emergency Bond Buying
April
11, 2025
A Strategic
Shakeout: Foreign Treasury Sell-Off Pushes Fed Toward QE Crossroads
In
a turbulent week marked by escalating geopolitical tension and a dramatic
exodus from U.S. Treasuries by two of its largest foreign creditors, global
markets are now confronting the unthinkable: the Federal Reserve may be forced
back into quantitative easing. Not by choice, but by necessity.
At
the heart of this storm lies a quiet but consequential shift—one that began
years ago but has suddenly accelerated. China’s Treasury holdings have plunged
to $759 billion, their lowest level since 2009. Japan, once a reliable buyer of
U.S. debt, has also backed away, leaving gaping holes in Treasury auctions and
sending the 10-year yield soaring past 4.5%, its sharpest weekly rise in over
two decades.
---- “Liquidity Is
Dying in the Shadows”: A Fragile Market Meets Foreign Retrenchment
In
recent trading sessions, the Treasury market has shown unmistakable signs of
stress. The bid-to-cover ratio—a measure of demand—for recent three-year and
ten-year note auctions has fallen to multi-year lows. Overnight funding markets
are flashing illiquidity warnings. And the timing of these disruptions, notably
clustered during Asian trading hours, leaves little doubt about the source.
The
Bid-to-Cover Ratio is a key indicator of demand in auctions, particularly for
Treasury securities. It's calculated by dividing the total value of bids
received by the total value of securities being offered for sale. A higher
ratio signals strong demand, while a lower ratio suggests weaker investor
interest.
“The
pressure isn't just speculative,” said one senior fixed-income strategist at a
global bank. “We’re seeing core, structural buyers pull back. That leaves the
market exposed—thin liquidity, forced selling, no depth on the bid.”
Underlying
this retreat are political and economic motives. China’s rapid divestment is
widely interpreted as a strategic response to intensifying U.S.-China trade
tensions, including newly announced tariffs and retaliatory rhetoric. Japan,
grappling with its own domestic challenges and wary of U.S. policy
unpredictability, has followed suit, quietly trimming its positions.
The
result: a market traditionally defined by its depth and safety now faces
dislocations more reminiscent of emerging market debt crises.
Borrowing Costs
Surge, Risking a Credit Constriction
The
rise in yields is not simply an abstract metric. It is a transmission
mechanism—and it is transmitting fast.
Corporate
bond issuance has slowed markedly, with investment-grade spreads widening by
nearly 30 basis points in a week. Mortgage rates have ticked higher, freezing
segments of the housing market. The federal government, already facing rising
deficits, now faces the reality of higher debt servicing costs in a
persistently inflationary environment.
“It’s
a trap,” one portfolio manager at a large U.S. pension fund remarked. “You’ve
got rising rates, weaker demand for Treasuries, and no sign of fiscal
consolidation. That’s not a stable equilibrium.”
Equity
markets have responded with alarm. The S&P 500 fell nearly 4% this week,
led by rate-sensitive sectors like tech and real estate. Gold and the Swiss
franc saw sharp inflows, underscoring a classic flight to safety—but one that
now seems to be avoiding U.S. government bonds.
Fed's Dilemma:
Support the Market or Defend Credibility?
Faced
with deteriorating liquidity and signs of systemic stress, the Federal Reserve
finds itself in a perilous position. Its dual mandate—to foster maximum
employment and price stability—sits uneasily alongside a third, informal
imperative: preserving financial market functioning.
But
the tools available to the Fed each carry risk.
Should
it resume large-scale Treasury purchases, the immediate effect might be
stabilizing—yields would fall, risk assets might rally, and liquidity would
return. But doing so in the current environment risks reigniting inflation,
undermining the central bank’s credibility, and appearing politically
compromised.
More
China and Japan Dump US Treasuries Forcing Fed Toward Emergency Bond Buying - CTOL Digital Solutions
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.
More
than 60% of CEOs expect a recession in the next 6 months as tariff turmoil
grows, survey says
Published
Mon, Apr 14 2025 8:02 AM EDT Updated Mon, Apr 14 2025 8:35 AM EDT
A
growing majority of America’s top executives now expects the U.S. economy to
enter a recession in the near future, according to a survey released Monday.
Of
the more than 300 CEOs polled in April, 62% said they forecasted a recession or
other economic downturn in the next six months, according to Chief Executive,
an industry group that runs the survey. That’s up from 48% who said the same in
March.
Chief
Executive’s data underscores the growing concern within corporate America
around the future of the U.S. economy. Fears about a forthcoming recession hit
a boiling point in the last two weeks, as President Donald Trump’s
on-again-off-again tariff policy ratcheted
up volatility in financial markets and stirred
panic among some consumers.
Indeed,
around three-fourths of CEOs surveyed said tariffs would hurt their businesses
in 2025. About two-thirds said they did not support Trump’s proposed levies,
many of which are currently on pause.
Economic
anxiety among executives
The
monthly survey, which has run since 2002, includes several data points that
paint a concerning picture of how America’s foremost business leaders view the
economy.
An
index of CEOs’ views on current business conditions tumbled 9% in April,
continuing its decline after plunging 20% in the prior month. The measure now
sits at its lowest level since the early months of the pandemic in 2020.
More
More
than 60% of CEOs expect a recession in the next 6 months, survey says
Finance
bosses predict sharpest hiring drop since 2020 after tariff uncertainty
Monday
14 April 2025 6:00 am | Updated: Sunday 13
April 2025 3:16 pm
Finance
bosses expect the sharpest decline in corporate hiring since the third quarter
of 2020 as geopolitical risks escalate.
A
fresh report from Deloitte has showed
signs of a waning job market with wage growth expect to slow from 3.6 per cent
to three per cent.
A
net 14 per cent of chief financial officers said they felt more pessimistic
about their business prospects than three months ago.
This
comes after business confidence took a bruising following the Autumn Budget.
Chancellor Rachel
Reeves’ flurry of tax hikes has led to firms winding down hiring or upping
prices.
The
changes to employers national insurance contributions and the minimum wage have
weighed on business’ books. A net 63 per cent of respondents expect operating
costs to increase in the next year.
Comparatively,
only 35 per cent predicted revenue increases with a majority foreseeing
declining margins.
Bosses
predict interest rates will fall to four per cent, according to the report,
with inflation expected to be 3.1 per cent for the next year.
Amidst
this, finance bosses have shown more caution on the UK economy. Only 12 per
cent believed now was a good time to take on more risk, compared to the
long-term average of 25 per cent.
Geopolitical
risks highest since early 2022
Deloitte’s
report showed geopolitical risks ranked as the business leaders’ top concerns.
This was the highest rating since early 2022 – when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Concerns
specifically around US economy volatility hit their highest levels in nearly
five years.
President
Donald Trump’s bait-and-switch on tariffs since his inauguration in January has
sent global markets into a period of turbulence.
---- Nearly half
of finance bosses have said tariffs, sanctions and market access restrictions
were a significant concern – a major increase from 15 per cent last year.
The
uncertainty had also led to executives delaying major changes to supply change
or production.
Amanda
Tickel, head of tax and trade policy at Deloitte UK, said: “Given widespread
speculation over the scale and scope of US tariff rises during the survey
period, it is unsurprising that chief financial officers reported elevated
levels of uncertainty.”
Tickel
added: “This is still a rapidly evolving environment, and businesses will need
to be proactive in mitigating the effects of tariffs, however, they will be
unlikely to actually reconfigure their global supply chains or production until
they see the results of negotiations or responses by other nations.”
To
combat the rising challenges, Deloitte’s report showed UK chief financial
officers were adopting their most defensive strategies since early 2020.
More
Finance bosses
predict sharpest hiring drop since 2020 after tariff uncertainty
Singapore
eases monetary policy for a second time; slashes GDP forecast after growth
misses estimates
Published
Sun, Apr 13 2025 8:15 PM EDT
Singapore
on Monday eased its monetary policy for the second straight time, as the
city-state posted a lower-than-expected GDP growth of 3.8% for the first
quarter, according to advance estimates.
The
Monetary Authority of Singapore had eased
its policy stance in
its January meeting too, loosening policy for the first time since 2020.
The
MAS said Monday it would reduce the rate of appreciation of its policy band
known as the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate, or S$NEER.
“MAS
will continue with the policy of a modest and gradual appreciation of the
S$NEER policy band,” it said.
The
central bank strengthens or weakens its currency against a basket of its main
trading partners, thus effectively setting the S$NEER. The exact exchange rate
is not set, rather, the S$NEER can move within the set policy band, the precise
levels of which are not disclosed.
Singapore’s year-on-year quarterly GDP growth missed expectations of 4.3% from
economists polled by Reuters, and was lower than the 5% expansion seen in the
last quarter of 2024.
The country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry downgraded its GDP forecast to
0%-2% for 2025, down from its previous outlook of 1%-3% — MAS also projected
GDP growth of 0%-2% for 2025.
In
a release, MTI
said the growth slowdown was due to declines in manufacturing, as well as some
services sectors such as finance and insurance.
The ministry said that due to the sweeping tariffs imposed by the U.S., as well
as the U.S.-China trade war, the growth outlook for both the U.S. and China
will deteriorate.
Weaker
growth outlook
MTI
said that Singapore’s external demand outlook has “weakened significantly.” It
highlighted that the manufacturing sector was likely to be negatively affected
by weaker global demand, and services such as finance and insurance could see a
slowdown.
This
is due to risk-off sentiments that will adversely affect the net fees and
commission incomes of the banking, fund management, forex and security dealing
segments.
Manufacturing,
as well as the finance and insurance sectors are some of the largest
contributors to Singapore’s economy, making up about 17% and 14% of its GDP,
respectively.
In
a statement earlier
this month on U.S. tariffs and their implications, Singapore Prime Minister
Lawrence Wong said that he had “no doubt” that Singapore’s growth will be
significantly impacted. “Singapore may or may not go into recession this year.”
More
Singapore eases
monetary policy, MAS warns of tariff impact to economy
Covid-19
Corner
This
section will continue only occasionally when something of interest occurs.
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.
Runaway
battery improves safety
Dangerous
miniature battery makes safety testing more accessible and affordable
Date: April
3, 2025
Source:
University of Tokyo
Summary:
Overheating batteries are a serious risk, in the worst cases
leading to fires and explosion. A team has now developed a simple,
cost-effective method to test the safety of lithium-ion batteries, which opens
up opportunities for research into new and safer batteries for the future. The
researchers created an intentionally unstable battery which is more sensitive
to changes that could cause overheating. The battery is one-fiftieth the size
of conventional batteries, so is less resource intensive and tests can be
carried out in a smaller lab environment.
In
your pocket, your bag or on your desk at work, there's probably a gadget with a
lithium-ion battery. Small but mighty, these rechargeable powerhouses have
become a mainstay for electronics, from pacemakers and laptops to electric
vehicles. However, as the safety checklist at the airport will tell you, they
can be a hazard. News stories abound of lithium-ion batteries overheating,
smoking or even exploding. This makes safety testing a top priority for both
manufacturers and consumers.
When
batteries are subjected to unusual conditions, such as high temperatures,
thermal shock, penetration, crushing, dropping, or vibration, chemical chain
reactions can be triggered, causing the battery to heat up at an alarming rate
(potentially up to several thousand degrees per minute). This phenomenon, known
as thermal runaway, can ultimately lead to a catastrophic fire or explosion. To
minimize the risk of thermal runaway, various testing methods have been
suggested. Among them, the accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) test provides
quantitative data, including the onset temperature of battery self-heating and
thermal runaway, and the related heat generation. However, as you might
imagine, this testing is dangerous and costly.
"Current
safety testing methods depend on large-capacity, commercial-scale batteries,
which require substantial material resources, complex manufacturing processes
and stringent explosion-proof standards," explained Professor Atsuo Yamada
from the Graduate School of Engineering. "This renders thermal runaway
testing inaccessible for most academic and research institutions, significantly
limiting the development of safer and more advanced next-generation
batteries."
To
overcome this limitation, a team from the University of Tokyo and Japan's
National Institute for Materials Science has developed an innovative method to
evaluate thermal runaway by designing a mini battery intentionally more prone
to thermal runaway (and therefore more dangerous). They also created a simple
equation, which incorporates data on battery heat accumulation and dissipation,
so they could calculate what they termed the thermal runaway factor (TRF).
---- At
just one-fiftieth the size of conventional batteries, this strategic design
significantly reduces the raw materials needed for ARC testing, while enhancing
the detection sensitivity of thermal runaway. Its compact size allows for
controlled, small-scale testing in a lab, minimizing risk even in the event of
thermal runaway.
"We
found that applying our method makes it possible to quickly and precisely
screen the effects of various factors related to battery safety, such as the
battery's constituent materials, design factors, storage conditions and degree
of deterioration," said Yamada. "This enables rapid safety screening
and early-stage feedback for battery design, and can be used by researchers and
manufacturers striving to enhance battery safety. Ultimately, we hope it will
accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral society."
Runaway battery
improves safety | ScienceDaily
Next, the
world global debt clock. Nations debts to GDP compared.
World Debt
Clocks (usdebtclock.org)
In the
large sense the primary cause of the Great Depression was the war of 1914-1918.
Without the war there would have been no depression of such dimensions. There
might have been a normal cyclical recession; but, with the usual timing, even
that readjustment probably would not have taken place at that particular
period, nor would it have been a "Great Depression.
Herbert Hoover
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