The Graphene-Info newsletter (December 21, 2021)

AspenX, a premium retail brand recently launched by the Aspen Skiing Company, has collaborated with Prada on a graphene-enhanced capsule collection.

The six-piece range of performance outerwear mixes Prada Linea Rosso’s Extreme-Tex waterproof layer with a graphene padding to regulate body temperature, and distinctive graphic black-and-white designs by artist Paula Crown.

UK-based graphene developer Haydale announced its financial results for its 2021 financial year. Yearly revenues reached £2.9 million (down 2% from FY2020), while net loss was reduced by 15% to £3.41 million. Cash outflow was reduced by 52% to £1.58 million.

Haydale is still cautious regarding its short-term revenue, but it is optimistic regarding the long-term potential, and Haydale reports that it ordered a larger HT1400 plasma reactor, which will significantly increase the company's capacity to allow production to move to an industrial level in 2022.

NanoXplore announced that it has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Canuck Compounders, a privately held plastic recycling compounder that provides sustainable and engineered recycled plastic compounds for use in transportation, building and construction, agriculture and packaging markets. Canuck's manufacturing facility, based in Cambridge, Ontario, has a production capacity of approximately 40 million pounds annually.

"I am very pleased with this acquisition and would like to welcome Canuck's team to the NanoXplore family," said Dr. Soroush Nazarpour, Chief Executive Officer of NanoXplore. "This acquisition is strategically aligned with our growth initiatives and significantly increases our graphene compounding capability, especially in recycled plastics and will enable us to form strategic partnerships with end customers. In addition, Canuck has a strong relationship with recycled plastic suppliers that ensures a smooth and reliable supply of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics. This transaction will enhance our technical expertise in recycled plastic compounds and bolster our top-line by approximately $20 million annually, without considering revenues derived from graphene inclusion."

Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), UOW and the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), led by Professor David Officer and Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace, have developed a new form of graphene, called Edge Functionalized Graphene (EFG), that is both highly conductive and processable.

EFG has reportedly been demonstrated to have high utility in energy storage (both for batteries and supercapacitors), as well as in composites for use as sensors, reinforcement materials or non-metallic conductors. Further applications in biomedical engineering are also under investigation.

VoltaXplore, a joint venture formed by graphene producer NanoXplore and partner Martinrea International to develop electric vehicle (EV) batteries enhanced with graphene, will take part in Canada's Project Arrow.

Image credit: Cleantechnica and Project Arrow

Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association has decided to build an electric SUV almost entirely from Canadian sources, including the battery, in the new Project Arrow.

Black Swan Graphene aims to go public, expecting to trade at the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX). the company will do so as a merger with capital pool company Dragonfly Capital Corp. As part of the deal, the company will raise $5 million CAD.

Black Swan Graphene was established in July 2021, by Mason Graphite and Thomas Swan. BSG owns patented graphene processing technologies developed at Thomas Swan, and before the deal with Dragonfly Mason Graphite held 66.67% of the company, while Thomas swan held 33.33%.

Graphene Composites (GC) has announced a research and development partnership with Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS), a leading developer of active systems for protecting armored vehicles from mine and IED blasts.

The partnership will focus on the use of GC’s nanomaterials engineering technologies – particularly GC Shield® technology – to improve blast and ballistic protection performance of its systems, with testing and FEA modelling which explores the use of graphene enhanced materials as a part of its continued development of the underbelly blast plate.