Vittoria released a new range of bicycle race wheels that are built from graphene-enhanced composite materials. The new wheels (called Qurano) are the best wheels offered by Vittoria, and they say these are the fastest wheels in the world - all thanks to graphene.

The company explains that adding graphene to their carbon-fiber matrix built wheel rim improved the material properties by 10-30%. The graphene reduces temperature build-up, it increases spoke-hole strength and improves the lateral stiffness. Vittoria tells us that even though the Qurano wheels outperform their previous carbon-fiber wheels, they are priced the same.

Vittoria uses graphene materials produced by Italy's Directa Plus. Directa developed their own exfoliation process (which they call G+) that can be used to produce super-expanded graphite, pristine GNPs, water-dispersed GNPs and fine nanographite powder (all of them marketed under the G+ brand). In 2014, the company inaugurated its 30-ton graphene plant in Lomazzo, Como.

Graphene 3D Labs introduced their 3D printed graphene battery prototype. The prototype battery is composed of nanoplatelets of graphene that are added to polymers, and can already produce the same amount of energy as a common AA battery. The company states that these batteries will be able to be integrated into a 3D-printed object while that object is still being built, which grants the batteries enhanced performance potential (compared to non-integrated batteries) due to precise customization.

Graphene 3D Lab is a joint-venture between Graphene Labs and Lomiko Metals. The company focuses on the development of high-performance graphene-enhanced materials for 3D Printing. Graphene 3D Lab trades in the Canadian stock exchange (TSX:GGG), and we recently posted an interview with the company's founder and COO.

Researchers from Lawrence Livermore (LLNL) developed new supercapacitor electrodes made from modified graphene aerogels. Those electrodes feature a high surface area, good electrical conductivity, chemical inertness and long-term cycling stability.

The researchers report that the graphene aerogel can improve the performance of commercial carbon-based (carbon black and binder materials) supercapacitor electrodes by more than 100%. The graphene aerogel electrodes have better density and pore size distribution, and increased conductivity. Graphene aerogel was first reported in November 2013, by a group of researchers from China's Zhejiang University. The aerogel made at Zhejiang was made from freeze-dried carbon and graphene oxide, and is reportedly the lightest material ever made.

Graphene Nanochem entered into a product development and collaboration agreement with Sync R&D - for the development of a next-gen graphene-enhanced Li-Ion battery solution for electric buses, under the Electric Bus 1 Malaysia program.

Under the agreement, Graphene NanoChem and Sync R&D will develop and integrate a graphene-enhanced Li-on Battery into a prototype electric shuttle bus in Malaysia. Sync R&D will design and develop the shuttle bus while Graphene NanoChem will design and produce the battery.

Earlier in October, Graphene Nanochem announced that it received the first two commercial orders for its high-value graphene-enhanced PlatQuartZ oilfield material. The first order is a small one (380 drums), while the second is six times larger (2,640 drums) and valued at $5.6 million. The company also announced that it facing new delays on their graphene-enhanced PlatDrill drilling fluid - due to regulatory and testing constraints.

The Li-Ion electrode market seems ready to become a real driver for graphene materials in the near future. Companies active in this market include XG SCiences, Grafoid, SiNode (with Merck's AZEM), Angstron Materials,Perpetuus, CalBattery, Graphene Batteries - and now Graphene Nanochem as well..

Researchers from UCLA and Tohoku University developed a new self-assembly method to fabricate pristine graphene nanoribbons with zigzag edges. Those ribbons are especially suited for spintronics applications, as zigzag edged graphene is most magnetic.

The new technique use a copper substrate that was altered so that carbon molecules automatically assemble on it as zigzag ribbons. The researchers can control the ribbons length, edge configuration and location on the substrate.

Haydale reported a loss of £2.2 million for fiscal year 2013, up from a loss of £1.1 million last year, mostly due to higher administrative expenses because of its AIM listing. The company posted revenues of just £19,000. Haydale is confident that next year will be a successful year, and it is expanding its operational, sales and marketing capabilities.

Haydale also ordered two new plasma reactors from Tantec. This will allow Haydale to increase graphene production capacity and increase operational flexibility. Haydale says that several customer are interested in using their functionalization process in house - basically licensing a reactor for adding GNPs to materials. Haydale ordered a larger unit which will act as a licensing demonstrator.

In the past week, Graphene-Info published several new graphene articles which give a great introduction to several exciting graphene applications:

• Graphene 3D printing
• Graphene supercapacitors
• Graphene batteries
• Graphene solar panels
• Graphene and DNA Sequencing