October 2020 MiMfg Magazine 29
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Hemlock Semiconductor to Vertically Integrate Polysilicon Production
Hemlock Semiconductor Operations ( HSC ) acquired DuPont ’ s Trichlorosilane Operations , “ a major milestone ” for HSC which will enable the company ’ s manufacturing to become fully integrated with the direct availability of its main raw material . Polysilicon is used to make solar photovoltaic ( PV ) cells and the integrated circuits for electronics which are the building blocks for everything from smartphones to autonomous vehicles .
The Midland-based trichlorosilane plant is about 20 miles north of HSC ’ s campus just west of Saginaw . HSC ’ s new lower cost position , coupled with its ability to produce polysilicon sustainably , will enable HSC to boost its competitiveness as solar energy purchasers increasingly look for ways to decarbonize their supply chains .
“ This acquisition will strengthen our already strong semiconductor position ,” said Mark Bassett , HSC Chairman & CEO . “ It will help accelerate our growth in the solar sector since we ’ ll be able to offer ultra-pure polysilicon of exceptional quality that reduces the carbon footprint of producing solar panels at a substantially lower cost .”
ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat Expand Partnership
MMA Member ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat expanded their joint development agreement following a year of technical evaluation to determine the feasibility and potential scalability of Global Thermostat ’ s technology that captures carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) directly from the air .
“ ExxonMobil ’ s scientists continue to research technology options aimed at reducing emissions at scale , which are key to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement ,” said Vijay Swarup , vice president of research and development for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company . “ Our work with Global Thermostat has shown promising signs in the development of direct air capture technologies that could be brought to scale . We look forward to seeing how new materials might accelerate this potential , while also continuing our research that captures CO2 from power generation facilities .”
https :// youtu . be / yz0-YAa3sdU
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has said that CO2 capture , use and storage “ is a key technology for the decarbonization of the energy sector in the long term .” In addition , the International Energy Agency recognizes that CO2 removal is expected to play a “ key role ” in the energy transition .
Global Thermostat ’ s CO2 capture uses proprietary aminebased adsorbents to remove CO2 from the air . These compounds act together like a filter to efficiently capture CO2 , which can then be stored safely underground , used to make chemicals , consumer products or construction materials .
ExxonMobil has a strong network of research partnerships across universities and national labs . As a part of the joint development agreement with Global Thermostat , ExxonMobil will leverage this network and engage the expertise of university partners that have strong expertise in material science and the U . S . Department of Energy ’ s National Labs that offer expertise in CO2 capture and utilization . 6
Watch to learn more about ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat ’ s expanded partnership .
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