2010 — a look back, a look ahead

The New York Times has an AP article today that looks back at the last ten years and makes a few projections for the next ten covering nine sectors: banking, real estate, retail, health, manufacturing, automobiles, energy, airlines and media/technology.

From the link, here’s what the article predicts for energy:

THE DECADE AHEAD: By 2019, many cars may get 50 miles per gallon or better. Improved gas mileage, rising prices for gasoline and more energy-efficient homes are seen keeping demand for oil and natural gas at moderate levels in the U.S.

Even so, nearly half of the nation’s electricity still will come from coal even with more wind and solar energy sources.

Pour-in ceramic nanotech engine coating

Just call me a skeptic on this one until proven otherwise. If it does work, then I’d say it’s a pretty cool product.

The release from thirty minutes ago:

Easy-to-Use Ceramic Coating Restores Metal to Prolong Life of Collector Car Engines, Without Teardown or Replacement of Parts

Other benefits of the inexpensive nanotechnology product include reduced heat buildup, increased performance, and better fuel economy

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Classic Car Collectors and Car Restoration Buffs are discovering a new way to restore and protect the engines of their classic automobiles, without the expense of engine teardown and without using replacement parts that can jeopardize the value of the car. CerMet(TM), an inexpensive nanotechnology product that is poured into an engine, manual transmission, or differential, provides the metal restoration and protection benefit of a ceramic coating for under $200, and without any downtime or disassembly.

CerMet protects all metal-to-metal friction zones, extending life of the component significantly. It also slows down the oxidation process that occurs when a vehicle sits idle in storage.  Car enthusiasts can now get all of the benefits of a typically very-costly ceramic coating at a fraction of the cost.

Microscopic ceramic particles in CerMet are carried to an engine’s friction zones via the engine oil, where they bond to the metal surfaces to restore the metal, providing fuel economy benefits and increasing performance for approximately 60,000 miles of operation. The ceramic-metal layer also serves as a thermal barrier, reducing heat buildup problems that are typical in older cars. CerMet is guaranteed and does not harm any engine or manual transmission.

CerMet is manufactured and distributed by CerMet Lab Company (Southfield, Michigan).

The performance and protection benefits of ceramic-coated powertrain and brake components are well known to car buffs. But the cost of the custom parts is high, and replacement parts are less desirable than original parts in terms of value of the vehicle.  Treating metal surfaces in an existing engine or manual transmission is a cumbersome, labor-intensive and expensive job, since it necessitates disassembly, reassembly and retuning.

Ed Albertson, a classic car and motorcycle collector in southeastern Michigan, treats many of his engines with CerMet, old and new.  The oldest is his 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible, equipped with a 283 V8 4BBL. “My Bel Air and my 1967 Corvette Stingray are not driven regularly, and I see CerMet(TM) as a very cost-effective investment in slowing down the oxidation process to increase longevity,” Ed explained. “CerMet has made my three Harley bikes run cooler, and my riding lawn mower quieter. I also treated my everyday vehicle, a 2003 Escalade, and I’m getting about 12% better fuel economy.  I even used CerMet to revitalize the engine in my 14-year-old standby generator.”

Dean Rose, CEO of CerMet Lab, said: “The film formation created by CerMet has a restorative effect and reduces surface friction significantly. We’ve confirmed this with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) investigations, micro-hardness measurements and by X-ray fluorescent analysis.”  Visit www.cermetlab.com.

Source: CerMet Lab Company
   Web site:  http://www.cermetlab.com/