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GRAPHENEApril-May 2019
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R 2 D M A T E R I A L S
Issue #17
De-icing
GRAPHENEPRODUCTS
IN
Coatings& anti-icing
Graphene Magazine is published by Future Markets, the world’s leading publisher of market
information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.
Graphene for anti-icing, de-icing,
ice-repellant and icephobic coatings. All the latest graphene product news.
Market focus on what’s happening in 2D
materials research, energy, sensors, coatings,
medicine, electronics and production.
GRAPHENE
LATEST NEWS
PRODUCTS
New products hit the market this
month.
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GRAPHENE MAGAZINE 2019
TABLE OF
THIS MONTH
MARKET FOCUS
CONTENT
Latest graphene investments,
commercial agreements and rounds
of finance. April-May 2019. Graphene
producers report increased revenues in
2018 and 2019.
New graphene anodes to increase
the capacity of Li-Ion batteries.
White graphene for hydrogen
storage catalysts.
Gra
phen
e/si
licon
com
posi
te a
node
mat
eria
l w
hich
ca
n in
crea
se
the
capa
city
of L
i-Ion
bat
teri
es.
Latest product and production
news in graphene April-May 2019..
Graphene in de-icing and anti-icing
applications and markets.
P.04
P.12
P.19
P.16
P.13
P.14
P.06
P.12 Stronger, more flexible and lighter than
graphene, borophene is viewed as the next
2D wonder material.
Graphene energy research and
product news April-May 2019.
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GRAPHENE MAGAZINE 2019
MARKET FOCUS
FROM EDITORNOTE
Graphene inks for sensor and
biosensor applications.
Graphene to feature in major car
manufacturers product line.
Graphene product news April-May
2019.
Graphene composites for sporting goods
on the market.
P.15
P.17
P.18
P.18
Subscribe to Graphene Magazine to receive
all the latest monthly news and views on this
fast developing advanced technology market,
for only £150 for 12 issues (electronic). http://
https://www.2dmaterialsmag.com/
The field of 2D materials has grown greatly in the
past few years. It is estimated that there are more
than 100-layered materials that could potentially
be stripped down to a monolayer to form a 2D
material. Graphene faces future competition from
other 2D Materials especially for applications
such as wearable electronics, sensors, batteries
and hydrogen storage.
However, there is still some way to go before
these other 2D materials can be mass produced
and incorporated into high-value products.
Graphene is already used in numerous products
commercialized now such as composites, coatings,
batteries, conductive films, printable electronics
(based on graphene inks), photodetectors and
biosensors.
This month we profile the 2D material has been
highlighted as capable of potential usurping
graphene, borophene. Stronger, lighter and more
flexible than graphene it is viewed as the new 2D
wonder material.
P.19Borophene-the new wonder material?
Properties and applications.
P.21Nanotech government, regulation
and policy news.
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GRAPHENE MAGAZINE 2019
BusinessFinance&
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant that will accelerate ZEN’s graphene-
enhanced concrete research and development project. The grant will potentially help the Company achieve its
goal to provide innovative cement-based composite products to the Ontario market by possibly early 2020. The
grantor will reimburse 50% up to a maximum of $1,000,000 spent by ZEN on relevant expenses directly related
to graphite purification, graphene production research, concrete additive research and large-scale grapheme-
enhanced concrete testing.
ZEN is currently developing a graphene-enhanced concrete additive in collaboration with the University of
Toronto and the University of British Columbia-Okanogan campus that has the potential to increase the strength
of concrete by 40%.
Latest graphene investments, commercial agreements
and rounds of finance. April-May 2019.
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Cardea Bio Inc., a commercial manufacturer of the biology-enabled
transistor technology made from graphene-based biosensors, has
raised $7.8m Series A-1 financing. Its ultra-sensitive graphene-based
biosensors directly measure and instantly digitize binding interactions
in biological systems. Unlike silicon, graphene is stable in water and
air, so its use in electronic circuitry allows for direct contact with
biomolecules such as proteins, RNA and DNA.
Skeleton Technologies, who produce graphene-based ultracapacitors
and energy storage systems, is to invest €25 million in its plant located
in the German state of Saxony. With the investment in Saxony, Skeleton
aims to expand its research and development as well as scale its
production.
Versarien is now fully operational at its new U.S office and laboratory
facility in Houston, Texas, which is designed to act as a hub for the
Company’s activities in North America.
The establishment of this U.S hub has already enabled the Company
to accelerate its progress in North America with various new partners,
in addition to the work it has been undertaking with the
US National Graphene Association and various existing
collaboration partners in the region.
The University of Manchester’s innovation company,
UMI3 Ltd, has become the latest partner of the multi-
million-pound Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
(GEIC).
UMI3, the University’s technology transfer company, is
the fifth Tier One partner of the GEIC, which opened in
December 2018.
The GEIC specialises in the rapid development and scale
up of technologies using graphene and other 2D materials.
This new collaboration will see University graphene
subsidiary Graphene Enabled Systems Ltd manage a
technology development laboratory on behalf of UMI3. The facility will be available for all University graphene spin-out
companies to use.
Norway-based Graphene Oxide developer Abalonyx has reported that its graphene oxide sales have increased by
about 80 % in 2018, and this follows a 70% increase in 2017 compared to 2016. The company expects to see further
strong sales growth in 2019. Italian producer Directa Plus has also reported that it more than doubled annual revenues,
as its various commercial partnerships started to generate orders. Total income in 2018 reportedly rose to €2.5 Million
(compared to last year's €1.23 Million) with sales of €2.25 Million (compared to last year's €1 Million).
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MARKET
ICE-RESISTANTFOCUS
The market for ice-resis-tant coatings is driven by
demand from aviation, transportation, marine
and wind energy.
COATINGSIce resistant coatings, also know as anti-icing,
ice-repellant and icephobic coatings repel water
droplets, delay ice nucleation and significantly
reduce ice adhesion on surfaces. Ice-resistance is
desirable for a variety of surfaces including aircraft
(fixed and rotary wing), vehicles, ships, camera lenses,
road signs, protective eyewear, buildings, antennae,
power lines, and bridges.
The use of ice-resistant coating systems has several
advantages over existing methods for mitigating the
build-up of ice including:
• no energy required
• can be retrofitted
• enhancement of product value.
• reduction in costs and energy consumption.
• improve performance of technical goods.
• environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to
solve the issue of ice formation and accretion.
• mitigate safety concerns and issues.
Ice formation and accretion on surfaces is a major
problem in various industries from transportation to
energy generation, leading to equipment failure and
high energy loss.1 2
To deal with this problem, surface-coatings
techniques based on thermal, chemical, and
mechanical methods have been implemented to
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ICE-RESISTANTCOATINGS
attain anti-icing properties; however, most of these
rely on complicated processes that require expensive
equipment and labour-intensive procedures with
detrimental environmental consequences. This
has opened opportunities for new nanocoatings
technologies.
Superhydrophobic coatings
Superhydrophobic surfaces possess extraordinary water
repelling properties due to their low surface energy and
specific nanometer- and micrometer-scale roughness.3
A superhydrophobic surface is able to repel water
droplets completely; such surfaces exhibit water droplet
advancing contact angles (CAs) of 150o or higher and
sliding angles (SAs) < 10°. The theoretical limit for CAs is
180o. Researchers at ORNL has developed surfaces with
CAs of >179o.
Superhydrophobic coatings enhance anti-icing
properties by:
• delaying ice formation.4
• enhancing the dynamic anti-icing behaviour of water
droplets impacting the SHP surface.5
• reducing the ice adhesion strength.6
Figure 1: Superhydrophobic coatings on glass.
Image: ORNL.
However, a large number of investigations have shown
that frost can build up within the micro/nanostructured
features of superhydrophobic surfaces under sub-zero
conditions, leading to the anchoring of ice, which in
turn results in the increase of ice adhesion during icing/
deicing cycles. Frost can build up within the micro/
nanostructured features of superhydrophobic surfaces
under sub-zero conditions, leading to the anchoring of
ice, which in turn results in the increase of ice adhesion
during icing/de-icing cycle.7 8 9
Also, with regular exposure to weather such as freezing
rain, the icephobicity of the coatings decreases to a
significant extent after a few thawing freezing/thawing
cycles.10 11 12 However, other researchers have since
demonstrated that superhydrophobic nanocoatings
display high stability against periodic crystallisation of
water contacting the coatings.13 14
Omniphobic coatings
Among all the attributes of superhydrophobic coatings,
the most challenging is to achieve multi-functionality
that includes super-omniphobicity (completely repels
both water and oil), high transparency with minimal
haze, and mechanical durability. Over the past few years,
researchers have proposed oleophobic and omniphobic
surfaces that repel most organic liquids, therefore
negating the problems faced by superhydrophobic
coatings (e.g. coatings are usually fragile, surfaces can be
fouled by contaminants, and condensation can induce
intrusion).
Surfaces that are capable of supporting non-wetting
interfaces for both high and low surface tension liquid
droplets are considered to be omniphobic. Most
fabricated superhydrophobic micro/nano-structured
surfaces are not suitable to support non-wetting states
for low surface tension liquids, such as oils and alcohols.
To overcome this limitation, researchers have engineered
surfaces with topographic features having specialized
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reentrant geometries, such as:
• inverse trapezoidal.15
• serif-T. 16 17
• mushroom.18 19 20
• micro-hoodoo.21 22
• micro-nail structures. 23
On such surfaces, deposited droplets remain pinned at
the sharp edge of the reentrant structures, where the
meniscus generates an upward force that resists droplet
collapse into the surface cavities, even for low surface
tension liquids.
Figure 2: SLIPS technology coating.
Image: Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc.
One strategy for creating omniphobic surfaces is slippery
liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) that are “liquid-
like” developed at the University of Harvard. Inspired
by the Nepenthes pitcher plant. SLIPSs do not require
pressure-dependent metastable states but involve
dynamic liquid/liquid/vapor contact line motion.24 25 26
Advantages of this approach include functioning under
extreme high-pressure conditions, self-healing and anti-
icing properties. 27
Phase switching materials
Novel ice-phobic coatings have been developed that
employ organophosphorous phase change materials
(PCMs). PCMs exist in a passive or dormant state under
most environmental conditions, but PCMs undergo solid-
solid phase changes over a narrow temperature range
slightly below at which ice formation occurs. As ice forms
on the surface, some of the latent heat of freezing passes
to PCMs. This heat is absorbed by the PCMs and causes
local strain on the coating surface and results in removal
of the ice. Minimal force (<1psi) is required to remove ice
from test surfaces treated with PCM ice-phobic coating
technology.
Graphene de-icing and anti-icing coatings
Graphene-based de-icing composites and anti-icing
coatings are of great interest due to exceptional thermal,
electrical and mechanical properties of graphene.
Advantages of the use of graphene include:
• Delays ice formation
• Lowers the temperature of the freezing onset
• Prevents fogging
• Transparent
• Extremely lightweight
• Strong and durable
• An efficient conductor.
The use of graphene coatings can accelerate the internal
heat transfer of the composite materials, improving the
anti-icing and de-icing efficiency of aerospace and wind
turbine components.
Figure 3: Graphon Coating for use in conductive
heating coatings for de-icing.
Image: CSIRO.
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Currently, fibre reinforced polymer composites are
increasingly popular in aerospace, automobile and civil
engineering industries due to their higher strength and
lower weight. However, ice accumulation reduces the
advantages that the composite brings to the structure.
The electro-thermal system is identified as one of the most
promising de-icing systems for polymer composites, as it
does not cause delamination and damage to composite
structure. However, the application of the electro-
thermal system within composites is limited by the
poor thermal conductivity and high thermal sensitivity
of polymeric materials. Many studies have reported uses
of conductive polymers, metals, CNT and carbon black
to make conductive polymer composites; however, they
still suffer from poor thermal and electrical conductivity,
and higher energy consumption. Therefore, it is desirable
to use a conductive material that can provide excellent
electro-thermal properties as well as can achieve desired
temperature without compromising existing mechanical
and thermal properties of composites.
CSIRO has created a new form of graphitic material
that’s conductive, easy to apply and offers greater control
over performance than graphene. GraphON can also be
manufactured cheaper and easier, with more flexibility
and less hazardous waste than comparable products.
The materials can be used in applications in electrical
heating (de-icing) for aerospace applications. It can
be mixed into polymers or paints to create a surface
coating that conducts heat or electricity. GraphON can
be manufactured with flow chemistry, guaranteeing a
product that’s safe, efficient, cost-effective and consistent.
SAAB has filed a patent for the development of de-icing
coatings. The graphene additive could strengthen the
acrylics and shield against EMI interference.28 Lockheed
Martin is working with Rice University on graphene de-
icing coatings.29
Companies
Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc.
USA
https://adaptivesurface.tech/
Adaptive Surface Technologies (formerly SLIPS
Technologies) is a spin-out from Harvard University. The
company launched in October 2014 with a $3 million
Series A financing led by BASF Venture Capital. SLIPS
(Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces) changes the
surface of a solid material into a microscopically thin
and ultra-smooth (friction-free) immobilized “sea” of
lubricant.
SLIPS creates a stable and immobilized liquid lubricant
overlayer (LOL) and this "liquid surface" provides extremely
slippery (low contact angle hysteresis) and non-sticky
surfaces against a wide range of viscous contaminants,
biofouling, ice and frost.
Alchemy Nano
Canada
https://alchemynano.com/
Alchemy is a spin-out from the University of Waterloo.
The company’s Exoshield films use multi-layer nano
composites to protect a vehicle's windows and
windshields from natural and seasonal elements, such as
insulating against summer heat, preventing frost during
winters, and avoiding stone chips. It caters to autonomous
vehicles, windshield protection, and defense and security
applications.
The company's products are available through a global
network of distributors. Alchemy was formerly known as
Neverfrost, Inc.
AF220 Anti-frost nanocoating is designed to prevent
formation of overnight frost on any desired substrate such
as glass or polycarbonate for automotive applications.
The coatings enable multi-climate reliability for AVs by
providing impact/scratch resistance, frost prevention,
de-icing to combat snow/freezing rain, and water/dirt
shedding. It is an easily applicable, transparent, infrared-
reflective and anti-frost film.
Agiltron, Inc.
USA
www.agiltron.com
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Agiltron has developed robust and affordable anti-
icing and ice-phobic surfaces that are also transparent
(>%80) in visible spectrum for superstructures of surface
ships in Arctic and cold region operation. Leveraging
Agiltron"s previous experiences in mechanically durable
superhydrophibic nanocomposite coatings and optically
transparent fluoropolymer resins, in collaboration with
the Ice Research Laboratory at Dartmouth College,
they have produced nanotextured superhydrophobic
nanocomposite coatings of hard nanoparticles
embedded into a fluorinated polyurethane resin matrix,
both are optically transparent in the visible spectrum.
This nanocomposite coating is highly transparent, easy
to apply via spray coating over large areas and containing
no volatile organic compounds.
Battelle Memorial Institute, Inc.
USA
www.battelle.org
The company produces the HeatCoatTM ice protection
technology that utilizes a carbon nanotube coating that
can be sprayed onto an aircraft.
Figure 4: Carbon nanotube de-icing coating.
Image: Battelle Memorial Institute, Inc.
Helicity Technologies, Inc.
USA
www.helicitytech.com
IceShield coating formulations are UV weathering
and corrosion resistant, environmentally friendly, and
feature extremely low ice adhesion strength (shear stress
averaging less than 0.04 MPa at -20° C). They can be easily
applied across very large or irregular surface areas using
conventional spray coating and painting methods.
For applications that require optical clarity, Helicity
offers a transparent formulation that can be sprayed
onto virtually any surface, requires no curing, and lasts
over 30 icing/de-icing cycles. For industrial applications
requiring rain-erosion resistance and durability, Helicity
offers an opaque, two-component coating with anti-
icing properties that can last for approximately one year.
Any ice, snow, or frost that accumulates on treated
surfaces can be easily wiped away, thus reducing
or eliminating the need for thermal, mechanical, or
chemical de-icing methods.
Phazebreak Coatings LLC
USA
http://phazebreak.com
Phazebreak Coatings has developed a Patented
Icephobic Transparent Coating, NEINICE, that minimizes
ice accumulation and provides protection. The coating
contains novel silicone-based phase change materials
(PCMs).
SurfEllent, Inc.
USA
https://surfellent.com/
SurfEllent produces anti-icing coatings from various
polymers with extremely low ice adhesion and good
durability under severe environmental conditions. The
product is either applied via paint or spray.
Synavax
USA
www.synavax.com
Energy Protect™ and Hydrophobic coatings are utilized
for ice prevention. Energy Protect™ coating applied to
bridge soffits and tunnel structures provides resistance to
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icicle formation, thus reducing the cost for icicle removal
and increasing rail safety
X-Therma Inc.
USA
http://x-therma.com/our-science/future-applications/
X-Therma Inc. is a biomimetic nanotech company with
the mission to develop safe & effective antifreeze solutions
to enable long term bio-banking of Regenerative
Medicine and enhance mechanical performance at
extreme temperatures for greener industrial applications.
The company has developed a bioinspired, non-toxic and
anti-ice nanomaterial via biomimetic nanoscience.
References
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1630
2. Petrie, E. M. Strategies for combating ice adhesion:
Evaluating application-specific methods that help ensure
smooth function of the world’s infrastructure Met. Finish.
2009, 107, 56– 59 DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0576(09)80033-0
3. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/
SM/b818940d#!divAbstract
4. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/
CC/C3CC40592C#!divAbstract
5. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/nn102557p
6 .ht tps : / / l ink inghub .e l sev ie r . com/ret r ieve /p i i /
S0257897209000553
7 . h t t p : / / a i p . s c i t a t i o n . o r g / d o i /
abs/10.1063/1.3524513?journalCode=apl
8 .h t tp : / / on l ine l ib ra r y .w i l ey . com/do i /10 .1002 /
admi.201500330/abstract
9 . h t t p : / / a i p . s c i t a t i o n . o r g / d o i /
abs/10.1063/1.4752436?journalCode=apl
10. S. Farhadi, M. Farzaneh and S. A. Kulinich, Appl. Surf.
Sci., 2011, 257, 6264.
11. S. A. Kulinich and M. Farzaneh, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol.,
2011, 65, 60.
12. S. A. Kulinich, S. Farhadi, K. Nose and X. W. Du,
Langmuir, 2011, 27, 25.
13. Superhydrophobic nanocoatings: from materials to
fabrications and to applications, http://pubs.rsc.org/en/
content/articlelanding/2015/nr/c4nr07554d#!divAbstract
14. Designing durable icephobic surfaces, http://advances.
sciencemag.org/content/2/3/e1501496
15. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2010/
SM/b925970h#!divAbstract
16. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23278566
17. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25430765
18. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014JMiMi..24i5020W
19. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2012/
SM/C2SM25879J#!divAbstract
20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23701230
21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18063796
22. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19001270
23. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22812454
24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21938066
25. http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpage/316
26. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7365/
full/nature10447.html
27. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.6b00194
28.http://www.innovativesurfaces.ch/vio/images/
NordinPart4.pdf
29 .http : / /news . r ice .edu/2013/12/13/graphene-
nanoribbons-an-ice-melting-coat-for-radar/
Further information
The Global Market for Ice-Resistant Coatings and
Surfaces
Published April 2019
https://www.futuremarketsinc.com/the-global-market-
for-ice-resistant-coatings-and-surfaces/
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GRAPHENENEWSENERGY
To meet the demands of
an electric future, new
battery technologies
will be essential.
One option is lithium sulphur
batteries, which offer a theoretical
energy density more than five
times that of lithium ion batteries.
Researchers at Chalmers
University of Technology,
Sweden, have unveiled a
promising breakthrough for this
type of battery, using a catholyte
with the help of a graphene
sponge.
The researchers' novel idea is a
porous, sponge-like aerogel, made
of reduced graphene oxide, that
acts as a free-standing electrode
in the battery cell and allows for
better and higher utilisation of
sulphur.
Global Graphene Group, and its
subsidiary Angstron Energy (AEC)
has developed a new graphene/
silicon composite anode material
(GCA-II-N) which can increase
the capacity of Li-Ion batteries
while reducing the battery's size
and weight. AEC current market
focus is on electronic bikes and
consumer electronics, but is also
working with Tier-1 electric cars
and trucks makers.
Researchers at the TPU Research
School of Chemistry and
Applied Biomedical Sciences
Germany, have found a new
way to functionalize a dielectric,
otherwise known as 'white
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GRAPHENE SOLAR FILMResearchers at Swinburne, the University
of Sydney and Australian National
University have collaborated to develop a
solar absorbing, ultrathin film with unique
properties that has great potential for use
in solar thermal energy harvesting.
The 90 nanometre material is 1000 times
finer than a human hair and is able to
rapidly heat up to 160°C under natural
sunlight in an open environment.
This new graphene-based material also
opens new avenues in:
- thermophotovoltaics (the direct
conversion of heat to electricity)
- solar seawater desalination
- infrared light source and heater
- optical components: modulators and
interconnects for communication devices
- photodetectors
- colourful display
It could even lead to the development of
‘invisible cloaking technology’ through
developing large-scale thin films enclosing
the objects to be ‘hidden’.
The researchers have developed a 2.5cm
x 5cm working prototype to demonstrate
the photo-thermal performance of the
graphene-based metamaterial absorber.
They have also proposed a scalable
manufacture strategy to fabricate the
proposed graphene-based absorber at low
cost.
White graphene polymer carpets
are promising for the produc-tion of environ-
mentally friend-ly hydrogen fuel.
graphene', i.e. hexagonal boron
nitride (hBN), without destroying it or
changing its properties. The research
team have synthesized a 'polymer
nano carpet' with strong covalent
bond on the samples. 'One of the
important challenges in catalysis is
forcing the starting material to reach
active centers of the catalyst. 'Polymer
carpets' form a 3D structure that
helps to increase the area of contact
of the active centers of the catalyst
with water and makes hydrogen
acquisition more efficient. It is very
promising for the production of
environmentally friendly hydrogen
fuel,' Prof Raul Rodriguez from the
TPU Research School of Chemistry
and Applied Biomedical Sciences
explained. Further information at
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/
abs/10.1002/smll.201805228
Zeta Energy are developing hybrid
anodes made from graphene
and carbon nanotubes. The
three-dimensional carbon anode
approaches the theoretical maximum
for storage of lithium metal – about 10
times the lithium storage capacity of
graphite used in lithium-ion batteries.
Further information at https://www.
zetaenergy.com/
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GRAPHENENEWS
PRODUCT
April-May 2019
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LABPRODUCTTO
Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread
application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at recent developments and breakthroughs.
Thomas Swan has established a collaboration with manufacturer
Graphene Composites (GC) to incorporate graphene in their GC
Shield Armour products.
The product is the result of a lengthy development collaboration
between the companies together with the Centre for Process
Innovation (CPI) using GNP-M grade graphene from Thomas Swan in
the final application.
Australian graphene producer First Graphene Limited has raised $3.5
million in equity investment. Funds raised will be used for general
working capital purposes and to advance the Company’s facility at
the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre at the University of
Manchester. Additionally, there will be an increasing effort to expand
the sales and marketing functions of the Company.
2D fab, a Sweden-based producer of graphene, has secured SEK
$650k in capital investment. The money funding was provided by a
range of of Swedish investors, including E14 Invest and ALMI Invest
Mitt. The capital will be used to expand the production facility in
order to enable large delivery volumes at a competitive price. 2D
Fab, founded in 2013 as a spin-off from Mid Sweden University in
Sundsvall, produces graphene flakes using graphite from the Swedish
Woxna Graphite.
Archer Exploration Ltd. has successfully printed and patterned ink
formulations of human antibodies on graphene-based biosensor
components derived from the company’s Campoona graphite.
Ink formulations comprised primarily
of human antibody immunoglobulin
G (IgG) as the active constituent were
successfully prepared and printed using
proprietary methods. The IgG inks were
printed on resin-coated paper and a
number of graphene-based electrodes
and were able to withstand the chemical
and physical processes in the formulation,
printing, and post-printing steps.
Grolltex has shipped the first version of
its patented graphene sensor to a large
European sensor maker partner. “Our
strain sensor is very versatile because it is
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GRAPHENE BIKESInefficient charging and a limited battery life has been the main problems which have restricted the development
of e-bikes as well as other e-vehicles. Jiangsu NESC Science and Technology Company has found a solution.
The Graphene-Polymer battery is able to handle
fast charging in less than 15 minutes (800 seconds).
Company president, Yao Xiaoqing stated “They improved
all of the five performance parameters. These include
energy density, power density, temperature, cycle
life and safety. Our 6Ah battery based on Grapheme-
Polymer technology, highlights a breakthrough in
electric capacity, performance and life cycle. The ability
to fully charge electric vehicles at regular speed in 10-
15 minutes and to do so over 1,500 times will help solve
fundamental problems for new energy vehicles.”
The company is currently testing the Graphene battery
and has already installed some 100,000 battery cells in
electric delivery bicycles.
small, flexible, robust and with a gauge factor of up to 1300, it is
incredibly sensitive. This means it can be used in a wide variety of
applications,” said Jeff Draa, Grolltex CEO. “For example, it can be
layered into the skins of airplanes to sense micro stress in the fuselage
or be used as a wearable blood pressure monitor in a skin patch
configuration. The prototype we delivered to our European partner
was designed to measure any environmental pressure or strain that
a silicon microchip might experience while sitting in its packaging.
This can be important information for many defense or autonomous
vehicle related device designs.”
Wearable electronic components incorporated directly into fabrics
have been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
The Cambridge researchers, working in collaboration with colleagues
at Jiangnan University in China, have shown how graphene and
other related materials can be directly incorporated into fabrics to
produce charge storage elements such as capacitors, paving the
way to textile-based power supplies which are washable, flexible
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and comfortable to wear.
The research demonstrates
that graphene inks can
be used in textiles able
to store electrical charge
and release it when
required. The new textile
(90%) and to subsequently form thermoplastic/
FL-GNPs composites with improved electrical
and mechanical properties. Queen’s University is
currently seeking industrial partners interested in
commercializing the technology.
Directa Plus and clothing group Alfredo Grassi
will extend their exclusive relationship to develop
graphene-enhanced clothing for up to a further
three years. The two companies will focus on the
use of graphene to enhance military outerwear
as well as work-wear for organizations like the
Italian police and fire services.
Advanced Material Development (AMD) has
received funding via the UK Defense and Security
Accelerator (DASA) of £83,000. The programme
will be an early stage nine month R&D project
using AMD's proprietary nanomaterial liquid
processing technology for signature management
applications in both civilian and military fields.
Another UK-based company, ZEN Graphene
Solutions, has announced that it has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The
University of Manchester.
The MOU will explore opportunities of
collaboration in the areas of development and
commercialization of graphene and other 2D
materials and accelerate the adoption of these
materials into commercially viable markets.
Mitsubishi has developed graphene-based
MWIR sensors with extraordinarily high sensitivity.
Thanks to an internal graphene FET gain, the
responsivity is said to be 10 times higher than
that of quantum-type IR sensors with no internal
amplification. Mitsubishi uses graphene FET and
leverages its high electron mobility.
ECD Lacrosse, a manufacturer of lacrosse
equipment, has teamed up with Global
Graphene Group (G3) to develop ECD's Rebel
+Graphene heads, which were released in a
electronic devices are based on low-cost, sustainable
and scalable dyeing of polyester fabric. The inks are
produced by standard solution processing techniques.
Further information at https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/
articlelanding/2019/NR/C9NR00463G#!divAbstract
Ford Motor Company is using graphene under the hoods
of passenger vehicles like the Ford F-150 pickup and Ford
Mustang pony car. In collaboration with Eagle Industries
and XG Sciences, the company is developing underhood
components, including fuel rail covers, pump covers, and
front engine covers. “A small amount of graphene goes a
long way,” said Eagle Industries President John Bull. “In
this case, it has a significant effect on sound absorption
qualities.” Tests have demonstrated a 17-percent reduction
in noise, a 20-percent improvement in mechanical
properties, and a 30-percent improvement in heat-
endurance properties for Ford’s graphene-containing
foam, vs. the same foam material without any graphene
content.
“The breakthrough here is not in the material, but in how
we are using it,” said Ford Senior Technical Leader of
Sustainability and Emerging Materials Debbie Mielewski.
“We are able to use a very small amount, less than a half
percent, to help us achieve significant enhancements
in durability, sound resistance and weight reduction –
applications that others have not focused on.”
Researchers at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada
have developed a simple yet effective exfoliation process
for producing few-layer graphene nanoplatelets (FL-GNPs).
Utilizing this one-step, chemical and solvent-free process
the researchers were able to convert graphite flakes
(+100 mesh, purity >97%) into FL-GNPs at a high yield
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faster than silicon chips; and in chemical and electrical sensors, where graphene could increase sensitivity by a factor
of more than 30. The company’s first device will reportedly be available in the next few months. Professor Sir Colin
Humphreys from the Centre for Gallium Nitride in Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy,
along with his former postdoctoral researchers Dr Simon Thomas and Dr Ivor Guiney, developed a new way to make
large-area graphene in 2015.
Using their method, the researchers were able form high-quality graphene wafers up to eight inches in diameter,
beating not only other university research groups worldwide, but also companies like IBM, Intel and Samsung.
RFID-product and IoT-solutions provider Smartrac has unveiled plans to add environmentally friendly tag options to
its offerings, based on graphene inks. Smartrac stated that each of its products that receives a Green Tag will include
a published Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), according to ISO 14040/44.
Saint Jean Carbon Inc. will start building the first prototype graphene gel salt water batteries. Batteries based on
this technology should charge faster, run longer and theoretically may last indefinitely. The project’s long term goal is
to have a series of three full production batteries ready for launch in spring 2020. Salt water battery technology has
been in research for about 5 years. Continued advancement slowed due to limited voltage capacity in comparison
with Lithium batteries. Now with the use of graphene in a highly concentrated salt water gel, graphene can now be
used without worry of the graphene restacking, which would reduce the intercalation rate. Salt water batteries are
much safer, won’t burn and have significantly less raw material cost.
The Company plans on building out a “flex” production line that will allow a number of companies to share in the
facility on a fee for use basis. The Company’s first production will concentrate on three specific battery types:1) small
for portable devices, 2) large stationary storage, and 3) high energy density automotive/motorcycle.
limited edition. The composite of G3’s graphene with ECD’s polymer
benefits from graphene's properties, including its light weight and
impact resistance.
US-based Carbon Research and Development Company (CRDC),
a producer of graphene materials derived from bio-mass, has
received a loan of $1.5 million that the Virginia Coalfield Economic
Development Authority towards its carbon research and development
project in Wise, Virginia, USA. The new center will research graphene
production technologies, in addition to new graphene applications.
CRDC's process converts coal and wood chips into graphene.
University of Cambridge spin-out Paragraf has started producing
graphene at up to eight inches (20cm) in diameter, large enough for
commercial electronic devices.
Paragraf is producing graphene ‘wafers’ and graphene-based
electronic devices, which could be used in transistors, where
graphene-based chips could deliver speeds more than ten times
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The use of carbon nano-based
ultracapacitors in lithium-ion
batteries can create a dual
energy source for high volume
electric vehicles.
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BOROPHENEStronger, more flexible and lighter than graphene, borophene is viewed as the next 2D wonder material. Research
and efforts towards production could have a huge impact in electronics, battery and hydrogen storage.
Graphene faces competition from other
2D Materials. The field materials has
grown greatly in the past few years,
and it is estimated that there are more
than 100-layered materials that could potentially be
stripped down to a monolayer to form a 2D material.
Borophene, a 2D allotrope of boron, has attracted
research attention since it was first synthesized
in 2015 on Ag(111) substrates via atomic layer
deposition and molecular beam epitaxy under
ultrahigh vacuum conditions. 1 2 3 Borophene is
a single layer of boron atoms that form various
crystalline structures, and possesses unique chemical
and physical properties including:
• stronger than graphene.
• more flexible.
• high capacity.
• excellent electronic and ionic conductivity.
• high surface activity.
• superconductor. 4
• lower mass than graphene (lightest 2D material).
• high catalytic performance.
Figure 1; Schematic of borophene structure.
Applications include:
• Ultra-high capacity anode materials in lithium-
ion batteries.
• Anchoring materials for lithium-sulfur batteries.
• Flexible and transparent conductors in
electronics.
• Supercapacitors.
• 2D plasmonics
• Interconnects.
• Electrodes.
• Biosensors.5
• Hydrogen storage.
• Gas sensors.6 7 8
• Hydrogen storage (ultrahigh storage capacity).
Page 20
sonochemical exfoliation. "We have synthesized freestanding borophene with the energetically favorable structure
via sonochemical exfoliation of boron powder (~20 µm) in various solvents such as dimethylformamide (DMF),
acetone, isopropyl alcohol, water, and ethylene glycol," said Dr. Prashant Kumar, Department of Physics, Indian
Institute of Technology.
References
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26680195
2.https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/nr/c8nr08729f#!divAbstract
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27219700
4. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00070
5. https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=113226
6. V. Nagarajan, and R. Chandiramouli, Borophene nanosheet molecular device for detection of ethanol – A first-
principles study, Comput. Theor. Chem. 1105, 52 (2017)
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0375960116303218
8. A. Omidvar, Borophene: A novel boron sheet with a hexagonal vacancy offering high sensitivity for hydrogen
cyanide detection, Comput. Theor. Chem. 1115, 179 (2017)
9. https://news.yale.edu/2018/12/03/yale-scientists-make-borophene-breakthrough
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Despite the attractive properties of 2D
materials beyond graphene, and their
potential for integration into existing
electronics technologies, there are
numerous challenges to overcome.
Current limitations of fabrication
techniques, the instability of the
materials interface and finding suitable
applications will hinder progress towards
commercialization.9 Also, borophene’s
reactivity makes it prone to oxidation.
In May 2019, researchers has synthesized
free-standing borophene – β12, X3
and intermediate phases – for the first
time and in a scalable manner.10 The
researchers used a facile and scalable
liquid-phase synthesis method of
freestanding borophene sheets via
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The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
(BfR) announced InnoMat.Life, a joint research project
to establish criteria for an efficient assessment of the
human health and environmental risks of novel (nano)
materials. The Federal Ministry of Education and
Research is providing 2.22 million euro to fund the
project, which will be coordinated by BfR and includes
ten partners from public authorities, academia, and
industry. BfR states that until now, nanosafety research
focused mainly on first generation nanomaterials,
i.e., mainly round particles of pure substances such as
nanosilver, titanium oxide, and zinc oxide. In real life,
far more materials are used, however. Hybrid materials,
consisting of two or more substances, are often applied,
and nanoparticles can have many different shapes. Many
industrially used materials cover a broad size distribution
from nanometers to micrometers. Moreover, according
to BfR, many industrial applications are based on material
systems that alter their structure during manufacturing
or use, such as the layer-by-layer assembly of products
manufactured with 3D printers.
Government, regulation & policy news
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR NANOMATERIALS
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ECHA includes CNTs for evaluationA European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Community Rolling Action
Plan (CoRAP) has stated that carbon nanotubes are to be evaluated
by Germany in 2019, due to initial grounds of concerns as suspected
carcinogen, other hazard based concern, wide dispersive use, consumer
use, exposure of environment, cumulative exposure’
The CoRAP is updated yearly, and the latest update lists 100 substances
that are to be evaluated by Member States under 2019 to 2021. The
substance evaluation is based on Articles 44-48 of the REACH Regulation.
Further information at
https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/evaluation/
c o m m u n i t y - r o l l i n g - a c t i o n - p l a n / c o r a p - t a b l e / - / d i s l i s t /
details/0b0236e1807ee629
The International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) has published standard ISO/TR 19733:2019,
“Nanotechnologies — Matrix of properties and
measurement techniques for graphene and related two-
dimensional (2D) materials”.
ISO states that since graphene was discovered in 2004,
it has become one of the most attractive materials in
application research and device industry due to its supreme
material properties and it is expected that applications
of graphene could replace many of the current device
development technology in flexible touch panel, organic
The French government has announced a ban on titanium
dioxide in foods from 1 January 2020. The decision, from
the Ministry of Environment and from the Ministry of
Economy, will be published shortly as a ministerial decree.
E171 is used in foods e.g. mainly as whitener agent.
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and
Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) published 12
April an opinion on the ingestion of TiO2, E171, based
on an assessment of 25 additional studies not previously
assessed by ANSES, or by EFSA in their 2018 opinion.