Graphene-Info newsletter

SiNode receives $4 million to make improved batteries for electric cars

SiNode Systems, based at Illinois Institute of Technology’s University Technology Park, develops materials that make batteries last longer and charge faster using graphene. The company has been granted a funding of $4 million from Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, along with the U.S. Department of Energy, to develop such improved batteries for the electric vehicle market.

Its technology, which commercializes a patented process developed at Northwestern University, can be used in any lithium-ion battery, such as those in cell phones or laptops. “Our early focus is smaller markets,” the company's CEO said. “The electric vehicle market is our long-term focus, and it’s the reason we started this company.”

Graphene for display and lighting: new research results

Graphene is a very interesting material for displays and lighting, and in the past few weeks several new research results involving graphene were published. First was researchers from Turkey that demonstrated a display prototype that is printed on paper - using graphene inks. To create this display, the researchers used electro-modulation of the optical properties of the multilayer graphene via blocking the interband electronic transitions

Researchers from Korea's ETRI Institute developed the world's first transparent OLED prototype that uses a graphene transparent electrode. A prototype display was demonstrated at SID 2016 last month. The prototype display was 26x26 mm in size, with a resolution of 155x60. In a different research from Exeter University, GraphExeter (a material derived from graphene) was found to be an excellent electrode material for electroluminescent devices - brighter than pure graphene by almost 50%.

Researchers at the Korean KAIST institute developed a rollable OLED device that uses graphene-based electrodes. The researchers say that the new OLED is much more durable when bent compared to current devices made with ITO electrodes.The electrodes were made from a stack of materials - titanium oxdies, graphene and conductive polymers.

Researchers in Taiwan have shown that graphene could be used as an efficient heat sink between p-n junctions in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). When glued to a polyamide via a titane coupling agent (TCA), reduced graphene improved the thermal conductivity of an interfacial nanocomposite by 53%, compared to a control that contained only the polymer. The benefits of this graphene-polymer composite also include mechanical flexibility to any shape junction, lighter weight and lower cost. While creating the nanocomposite was more costly than manufacturing the polyamide composite, the discovery is actually expected to decrease the cost of LEDs by improving their overall useful life and minimizing the expense of replacements.

Graphene to make chips a million times faster

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that graphene sheets could be used to make chips up to a million times faster. The researchers found that slowing the speed of light to the extent that it moves slower than flowing electrons can create an "optical boom", the optical equivalent of a sonic boom.

The discovery could allow chip components to be made from graphene to enable the creation of light-based circuits. These circuits could be the next step in the evolution of chip and computing technology, as the transfer of data through light is far faster than using electrons in today's chips, even the fast pixel-pushing ones. The team explains that “there’s a lot of excitement about graphene because it could be easily integrated with other electronics,” and the researchers are also confident that MIT can turn this theoretical experiment into a working system “within one to two years.”

New Versarien projects

Versarien recently announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Spain-based CT Engineering to develop graphene-enhanced composite components for the aerospace industry.

Versarien also announced that it has entered into a MoU with Absolute Engineering, a company credited with producing the world's first carbon fibre woven inking system, to develop technologies for the printing industry, including graphene-enhanced composites. The companies stated that their collaboration will allow them to develop a whole new generation of equipment with market leading material properties and performance levels.

Talga to raise $8 million USD in a private placement

Talga Resources has announced its intention to raise around $8 million USD from private investors, including the Smedvig Family Office, a Norwegian family office that has considerable experience in investing in the natural resources sector globally. Investors have also received options to raise a further $670,000 USD.

Talga's Managing Director stated that “...The predominantly Scandinavian based investment group shares our vision to make Talga a world-class graphene technology and production house, and brings new strength to our investor base. In addition, these investors provide commitment to long term financial support as we grow and allows Talga to accelerate its business plans. Importantly, the investment comes after a lengthy and detailed due diligence exercise. Talga looks forward to leveraging from the new European connections that will come from this transaction, particularly in Scandinavia."

A new Graphene-Info market report: Graphene for Supercapacitors

Graphene-Info is proud to announce a new market report, Graphene for Supercapacitors. This report is a comprehensive guide to graphene technologies for the supercapacitor market.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• The advantages of using graphene in supercapacitors
• Various types of graphene materials
• Market insights and forecasts
• What's on the market today

Other topics include:

• A list of all graphene companies involved with supercapacitors
• Prominent research activity in this field
• Free updates for a year

New Graphene-Info article: introduction to graphene coatings

One exciting application of graphene is in the coating industry. Graphene's high resistivity can make for durable coatings that do not crack and are resistant to water and oil, while a strong barrier effect can contribute to extraordinary anti-oxidant, scratch-resistant and anti-UVA coatings. Don't miss our new article that introduces Graphene Coatings.

A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego, is developing a chip that has a graphene field effect transistor which contains a DNA probe. The double-stranded probe offers great selectivity and is able to scan longer segments of DNA for mutations.

Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) have designed a technique that could double the performance of 3D printed graphene-based supercapacitors by sandwiching lithium ion and perchlorate ion between layers of graphene in aerogel electrodes.

Imagine IM has opened a commercial pilot plant for graphene production in Geelong, Australia. The plant is expected to produce about 10 tonnes of graphene per year.

Zenyatta Ventures announced receiving grant funding from the Canada‐Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (CIIRDF) for the “Production of Nano‐Graphite‐Reinforced Cement Admixture” under the Ontario‐Israel Collaboration Program (OICP).

Scientists at The University of Manchester, along with a team at Shandong University, have designed a graphene-based electrical nano-device that could substantially increase the energy efficiency of fossil fuel-powered cars.

LWP Technologies has raised $1.185 USD million ($1.8 AUD) to ramp up investment in graphene synthesis and aluminium-graphene battery technology.

Researchers at Cornell University describe the ability to use graphene as a mediator between vibrational modes, allowing for direct energy transfer from one frequency to another. The team designed graphene “drums” that may pave the way for the application of graphene mechanical resonators in telecommunication applications – for instance, as frequency mixers.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) recently signed a collaborative partnership with Haydale to accelerate the commercialization of applications.

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