The Graphene-Info newsletter (June 21, 2022)

The results of an international comparison of the measurement of graphene, led by NPL, have been released. The work was conducted through the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) and in collaboration with institutes from around the world.

The international interlaboratory comparison (ILC) outlined improvements that reduce measurement uncertainty, in some cases by a factor of 15, and which will be the basis for a new international standard which is currently under development within ISO/IEC for Raman spectroscopy. This will aim to become a verified source of data and ultimately provide more accurate and precise measurement standards for the global graphene industry.

Graphenea launched two new products out of its Graphene Foundry, which they call mGFET or miniGFET. This is Graphenea's highest value-chain products, which are manufactured and packaged in chip carriers, and can be used together with the freshly released Graphenea Card for seamless sensor development.

The mGFET is available from $99, and as it is a fully-package device, it is ready to be integrated into standard electronics. Order volume can range from a few devices for early prototyping, to JEDEC trays with hundreds of devices which are compatible with automated pick & place routines.

An international research team of the Graphene Flagship project, led by Empa, has conducted a study on the health risks of graphene-containing nanoparticles and found that graphene-based particles released from polymer composites after abrasion induce negligible health effects.

Graphene-related materials (GRMs) are often used to reinforce polymers. In small concentrations of up to five weight percent, GRMs can significantly enhance the strength, electrical conductivity and thermal transport of composites for a variety of applications. However, being a relatively new set of materials, graphene and GRMs need to be carefully assessed in order to identify potential adverse effects prior commercialization.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced that it has commissioned its graphene aluminium-ion batteries in pouch cell format and that the first G+Al battery pouch cells have been manufactured.

With the addition of the pouch cell equipment to the existing pilot production and testing plant, GMG has made the Battery Development Centre operational, to enable the manufacturing of this technology for a wide variety of applications.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for the establishment of a graphene research and innovation center in India.

Digital University Kerala, the country's first on-campus digital university, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technologies (C-MET) and Tata Steel are the implementation partners of the center.

Scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) have developed a graphene-metal hybrid material that can help achieve ultrafast optical modulation. The work represents the world’s first demonstration of ultrafast optical modulation at mid-infrared wavelengths using the graphene-metal hybrid material.

The group’s design could enable new or improved applications in satellite communications and ultrafast molecular spectroscopy to study chemicals and molecules and advance biomedical diagnostics, remote sensing and astronomical applications — for example, in research being conducted on-site on the moon or Mars.

2D fab has announced a relocation to bigger better premises that include an industrial-sized production plant, R&D laboratory, and office space for its expanding group of employees. 2D fab's CEO, Mikael Algvere, said: "The new plant gives us the rare ability to quickly scale up manufacturing at any given moment, which is one of our greatest assets in the long run".

In addition to the spacious production area, a laboratory has been set up as part of the company’s R&D investment. The laboratory’s primary function is to continuously develop new graphene products. Another benefit with the new premises is that it allows 2D fab to gather all its personnel under the same roof. Before, production and office were set in different buildings.

Graphenest and Delta Tecnic have announced a strategic partnership that will explore the commercialization of graphene-based polymer compounds with "unprecedented electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance".

This new product line already includes a PVC material that reportedly has extremely good electrical features that make it suitable for use as an EMI shielding solution in the cable industry.