Special Issue
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre GEIC Opening Event Volume 2 - Issue 12, 2018
Produced by Nixene Publishing Limited
ISBN 978-1-9993003-1-9 Copyright Š 2018 Nixene Publishing Limited All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherise, without prior permission of Nixene Publishing Limited.
Contents Summary
5
The GEIC and graphene tipping point: The James Baker Interview
6
The Standard Format for the Report
10
About this Journal
11
The Navigation
11
Technology Developments
13
China’s Z-10 assault chopper gets graphene armour
14
Structural, electronic, vibrational, and elastic properties of graphene/MoS2 bilayer heterostructures
15
Highly sensitive and stretchable graphene-silicone rubber composites for strain sensing
16
Fast and controllable reduction of graphene oxide by low-cost CO2 laser for supercapacitor application
17
Graphene oxide turns fly ash into a cement replacement
18
Ultraviolet-light-driven photoresponse of chemical vapour deposition grown molybdenum disulphide/graphene heterostructured FET
19
Chemical synthesis of single-layer graphene by using ball milling compared with NaBH4 and hydroquinone reductants
20
Laser-scribed disordered graphene significantly improves sodium-ion battery capacity
21
A human enzyme can biodegrade graphene
22
Graphene skinned plane unveiled at Farnborough Air Show
23
Investigation of the size effect of graphene nano-platelets (GnPs) on the anti-corrosion performance of polyurethane/GnP composites
24
Graphene microelectrode neuropeptide detector
25
Graphene Skin Patch Measures Blood Sugar Without a Needle
26
MIT Process can make graphene coated membranes up to 10m long
27
Laser-Induced Graphene: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper, and Food
28
Making medical grade monolayer graphene with honey
29
3
Company / Market Developments
31
A view of the emerging graphene industry from Versarien
32
First Graphene makes stronger concrete
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Haydale licenses its graphene anti-counterfeiting ink technology to high security Thai printing company
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Key players in graphene meet at the NGA conference in Austin, Texas
35
Directa Plus Scores Major Graphene-based Textile Order
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Graphene products for the Huawei Mate 20 X to be supplied by The Sixth Element Materials in large quantities
37
Huawei launches the first graphene cooled phone: the Mate 20 X
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Ford Will Use Graphene-Reinforced Parts in Production Cars
39
Versarien acquires 62% of Spain’s Gnanomat for £2.6m
40
Haydale Launch of Taiwan operations
41
Perpetuus concludes successful trials of graphene-enhanced tyres - with an average increase of 40% in wear resistance
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Cheltenham company to develop wonder material in new collaboration
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REACH Registration of Graphene and Graphene Oxide
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Versarien announce £145k funding for its Cambridge Graphene subsidiary
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Haydale Partnership with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
46
Grolltex Opens Manufacturing Facility for ‘Graphene Accelerator’ Material hexagonal Boron Nitride
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Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre announces first partners
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Versarien seals deal with PhoneDevil to launch products with its nanene graphene nano platelets
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First Graphene (ASX:FGR) improving a wide range of applications
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Directa Plus completes successful Grafysorber® field test with OMV Petrom
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Roll-to-Roll Printing with Graphene Ink for Biomedical Applications
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First Graphene FireStopTM fire retardant in development
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Two men held for $67m swindle
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GF1 - a new smart health watch with a CVD graphene touch screen
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Appendix 1
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About
58
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Summary This special issue of the journal has been created to mark the opening of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) in Manchester, UK. This edition contains a selection of technical and business developments during 2018. The pace of advancement is astonishing, this document could easily have been twice the size and we would still not be able to fit in everything. James Baker talks about the emerging industry in terms of the graphene tipping point. This is a change in the dynamic from a technology push to a market pull. Graphene is beginning to move out of the laboratory and into real world applications. This is a view shared by many of the leaders in this field and we illustrate this with our sample of the activity from this year in this report. Graphene is starting to appear in commercial applications. The biggest deal of the year is probably the supply of graphene for the latest Huawei phone. Graphene is also being sold in volume into textiles for clothing. Early 2019 models of some Ford cars will start to roll off the production lines with graphene components. The significant industrial companies have become visible this year. The National Graphene Association’s conference brought the key global players together for the first time in Texas. Three of the top graphene companies in the world are Tier One partners at the GEIC. They are working on graphene projects that will prevent fires, make concrete stronger and reduce CO2 emissions, make counterfeiting harder, make batteries better and improve the efficiency of aircraft design and manufacture. Graphene is one of a family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, known collectively as ‘graphenes’. Hexagonal Boron Nitride is one of these and now available in nanoplate and sheet form. Layered structures of these graphenes are just starting to be explored in the research laboratories. Early indications are these materials will help transform the electronics and energy storage devices of the future. The GEIC is a key world-class facility opening at just the right time, in the right place with the right partners. It will help accelerate graphene on its journey from research to return on investment. In doing this graphene will change our world for the better. Adrian Nixon December 2018
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The GEIC and graphene tipping point: The James Baker Interview James Baker is the CEO of Graphene@Manchester, the organisation that includes the National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC – pronounced like ‘geek’) both are based at The University of Manchester in the UK.
James Baker, CEO Graphene@Manchester Image courtesy of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre James and I are meeting at the new GEIC. It is habitable, but not officially opened yet and still being fitted out with world class laboratory and production facilities for making and testing graphene products. There is a sense of excitement and purpose around this development and it feels energising. I’m here to find out more about the GEIC and how it fits with the world of graphene, so we start talking…
Can you tell us where you see graphene right now? Much of the basic science has been done, we know a lot about the properties of graphene and what it can do. Most of the activity over recent years can be seen as graphene as a technology push. You can think of this as graphene solutions looking for a problem. This approach has had some market impact but there is much more to do. We are starting to see an underlying change where graphene is being embedded in real products solving customer problems and creating saleable benefits. This changes the dynamic to a market pull. I believe we are in a transition phase moving from the technology push to a market pull and we will look back on the next few years as a tipping point where the promise of graphene started to be realised in improved commercial products.
6
Can you give me an example of graphene creating marketable benefits? A few weeks ago a company called inov-8 launched the world’s first ever graphene sports shoes.
Image courtesy of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre The high performance shoes have a rubber outsole made from a graphene composite. This makes them 50% stronger, 50% more elastic and 50% harder wearing than the standard high performance sports shoe. You would think that making shoes last longer would mean customers would buy less often and the market would shrink. However the reverse is happening as more customers realise the improved performance the market actually increases. This is just one example, there are many more.
How does the GEIC fit in to all this? The GEIC is one component of the Graphene City vision from the University of Manchester that aims to create a thriving knowledge economy based around graphene and other 2D materials. It is part of a scientific and technological ecosystem together with the NGI and the new Henry Royce Institute, a national institute for advanced materials also based in Manchester. There is nowhere else in the world with such a concentration of graphene expertise combined with hundreds of millions of pounds of investment.
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The Masdar building in Manchester, UK that houses the new GEIC Image courtesy of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre The GEIC is housed in the Masdar building; a purpose built multi-million pound development that will open in December. It contains the latest state of the art equipment and will be a unique facility to lead the commercialisation of graphene and other 2D materials. The leadership is different too. Where most facilities are academic-led, the GEIC is industry-led and designed to accelerate bringing graphene technologies to market. The GEIC is industry focussed.
What capabilities do you have at the GEIC? We have laboratories with five functional capabilities: •
Membranes and Coatings: Specialises in areas such as desalination, fuel cells and packaging applications
•
Energy: For batteries, supercapacitors and energy storage
•
Inks & Formulations: Printed electronics and smart structures for wearables and sensor applications
•
Composites: Capabilities to create rubber, plastics, metals and concrete graphene composites
•
Materials characterisation: Developing and functionalising graphene nanoplates, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene films, and other 2D materials.
The capability of the GEIC, complemented by the NGI and Manchester’s expert knowledge base will allow commercial partners to rapidly prototype and develop products.
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So what can the GEIC do? Put yourself in the place of an industry partner who is working with us to solve a problem or improve a product. We can assemble world-class experts to help you think through the issues and devise solutions in a morning workshop. The laboratories can be harnessed to rapidly develop a response so that by the afternoon you could have a prototype in your hands that you can touch, feel and test. There are not many places that will help you go from problem to prototype in a day. We are not claiming we’ll be able to solve your problems in one go. What we can do is help you innovate through a fail-fast-learn-improve approach. This accelerates the many small improvements that ultimately create the optimised product on which successful businesses are based.
This seems to be just what industry needs, has there been much interest? Yes, we have a lot of interest in us. The GEIC is not open yet and we have already announced our first three industrial partners. First Graphene Ltd, Haydale Graphene Industries, and Versarien PLC have each agreed to partner with us to develop and commercialise graphene products and applications. There are at least another eight potential partners waiting. In fact I must talk to one of them in a few minutes‌ James has to dash to his next meeting and as I’m leaving the building I reflect on the fact that both of us were swept up with the energy and enthusiasm of this place. I depart with a feeling that this will be another success for Manchester.
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The Standard Format for the Report The report is in date order, the most recent work first.
The articles are in date order, the most recent work first.
The headline identifies the content, with the coloured graphic representing which section you are in.
25th June 2018
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre announces first partners
www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/graphene-engineering-innovation-centreannounces-first-partners/
MARKET Multiple Markets
The navigation labels each article with segmentation information about: •
The Market
•
The Application
•
The Product Type
APPLICATION Coatings
MARKET
Content Summary
Manufacturing
First Graphene Ltd, Haydale Graphene Industries, and Versarien PLC have been announced as Tier One partners with the GEIC. The GEIC will focus on industry-led application development in partnership with academics. It will fill a critical gap in the graphene and 2D materials ecosystem by providing facilities which focus on pilot production, characterisation, together with application development in composites, energy, solution formulations and coatings, electronics and membranes.
APPLICATION Composites - Polymer
Composites Electronics
PRODUCT TYPE
Energy Management Membranes
Graphene Nanoplate
PRODUCT TYPE
Back to Contents
Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Appendix 1 contains the master list. This is updated monthly. Each company is excited to be partnering with the GEIC. They all view the collaboration opportunities in a very positive way.
Relevance: From speaking with each company they all enthusiastic about being at the GEIC and have an aligned view of the benefits of the partnership: •
The GEIC provides access to world class academic expertise
•
There is access to the technical capability of the GEIC itself
•
The GEIC provides a forum to work with downstream companies
In short, the GEIC will help boost product, process and market development.
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The Relevance box addresses the So What? question. This is our view of the reasons why this is important. For this issue a general audience is assumed. This box is tailored for private versions fo the journal.
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About this Journal This journal is for academics and the business community. It aims to reach across disciplines and generate regular, relevant insight derived from research and market developments. It is less about news as this already reported by free sites to a certain extent. We would rather pick up on developments at a monthly frequency and interpret the work in plain English with straightforward graphics. We may have special issues focussing on particular topics, these will be driven by the needs of the readership so please give us your feedback. Graphene business people and investors should find this a reliable and informative regular source of insight.
The Navigator This is intended to be a fast guide for busy people. A navigator table will appear with each article highlighting the content in terms of market segments and technology application. Relevant content will be arranged in alphabetic order and highlighted in colour. Less relevant content greyed out. The content is constantly developing with time as the graphene and related 2D materials field is constantly developing. Examples of navigator highlighting:
Technology Developments MARKET
Company / Market Information MARKET
Pure Research
Pure Research
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Composites
Composites
PRODUCT TYPE
PRODUCT TYPE
Graphene Nanoplate
Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Back to Contents
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Technology Developments
30th October 2018
Technology Developments China’s Z-10 assault chopper gets graphene armour
www.atimes.com/article/plas-z-10-assault-chopper-gets-graphene-semimetal-armor/
MARKET Aerospace Armour
APPLICATION
Content Summary Asia Times reports that China Central Television aired footage showing a Z-10 with an extra armour module near its tandem cockpit landing at an unspecified airstrip. •
Graphene enhanced armour claimed to be on the bottom and sides of the Z-10 cockpit protecting the engine, cockpit and fuel tank.
•
The interest for graphene in China is strong. It appears regularly in news items and on science shows.
•
China has a track record of trying out graphene innovations on real world objects such as windmills and bridges.
•
So it is likely these reports have some basis in facts.
•
Not clear if this is just one helicopter or the entire fleet.
Composites - Polymer Lightweighting
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: •
The graphene here is part of a composite.
•
The nanoplate form cannot make full use of the 200 times stronger than steel claim.
•
Work done in the UK can produce composites 30% stronger with higher impact resistance.
•
So this is probably part of a Lightweighting prototype project (making parts lighter at the same strength).
14
10th October 2018
Structural, electronic, vibrational, and elastic properties of graphene/MoS2 bilayer heterostructures https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.98.155309
MARKET Research & Development
APPLICATION
Content Summary •
This is work done at west Virginia university in the USA.
•
Van der Waal heterostructures are the new front in research .
•
This is computer modelling showing what the material looks like when graphene and molybdenum disulphide are layered together.
•
The team found that the layered material has better properties than either material by itself.
Batteries - Heat
PRODUCT TYPE CVD Graphene Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) Van der Waals Heterostructures
Back to Contents
The graphene/MoS2 bilayer heterostructures possess large heat capacity and exhibit much better elastic and mechanical properties compared to that of the isolated constituent monolayers. Elastic stiffness constants, elastic moduli, intrinsic strength, bending modulus, and buckling phenomenon for isolated graphene.
Relevance: This shows why heterostructures are going to be the next ‘big thing’ in materials science. The University of Manchester refers to all of these as ‘the graphenes’ it is a helpful term. This research will guide the development of the material in the lab because it can store a lot more heat than graphene and also be stronger and more flexible. This could be very useful in heat batteries, for example in future grid storage systems.
15
22nd August 2018
Highly sensitive and stretchable graphene-silicone rubber composites for strain sensing www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266353818304378
MARKET Aerospace Biomedical Construction
Content Summary •
This is good work done by a team at Tsinghua University, Beijing in China.
•
Stretchy strain sensors are important in many applications but materials that stretch are rarely conductive to electricity.
•
The team found that adding graphene nanoplates to silicone rubber improves the elasticity and also the conductivity.
APPLICATION Composites - Polymer Sensors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: In this composite material adding more graphene improves the performance up to a certain point then the performance becomes worse. This pattern has been observed in many other graphene composites. 1. This work shows that the optimum graphene addition is between 2 to 3% graphene by weight 2. Sensors like this have applications in the real world a. Biomedical sensors such as stick on patches on the skin b. Strain sensors for rubber seals that are used widely in industry
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18th August 2018
Fast and controllable reduction of graphene oxide by low-cost CO2 laser for supercapacitor application www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433218322256
MARKET Energy Management
APPLICATION
Content Summary This is work done by a team at the Department of Nano mechanics, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM. It is a simple idea – using a laser to reduce graphene oxide rather than complex chemistry. Graphene conducts electricity, graphene oxide does not.
Electronics Supercapacitors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Oxide Nanoplate Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
The team described the process as a remarkably fast, single step and highly efficient reduction technique. This produces high-quality multilayer graphene using a compact and low-cost CO2 laser pyrolysis. Thanks to the intrinsically high absorptivity of graphene oxide in the near- and mid-infrared regions, the irradiation of CO2 laser generates instantaneous and strong localized heating on it and thus burst apart the oxygen functional groups from the graphene oxide layers.
Relevance: As well as supercapacitors, micro electronic circuits might be made with this technique. Graphene oxide can be spin coated on to a surface. Conductive circuits could be drawn on to the non-conductive graphene oxide with the lase.
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12th August 2018
Graphene oxide turns fly ash into a cement replacement
www.researchgate.net/publication/324731123_Influence_of_graphene_oxide_in_a_ chemically_activated_fly_ash
MARKET
Content Summary
Construction
Researchers at Washington state university in the USA have discovered that adding graphene oxide to fly ash from coal-fired power stations can create a material that is like cement.
APPLICATION Composites - Concrete & Cement
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Image source: Pixabay
Adding graphene oxide to fly ash improved the compressive strength of the composite. Values of over 40MPa (Mega Pascals) were reported after 28 days
Relevance: Fly ash from coal-fired power stations can be turned from a waste product into a valuable building material using graphene oxide. The results look promising. Washington State University say they have patented this process so a careful freedom to operate search would be appropriate for any company wishing to explore this application.
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7th August 2018
Ultraviolet-light-driven photoresponse of chemical vapour deposition grown molybdenum disulphide/graphene heterostructured FET www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433218321469
MARKET Aerospace
Content Summary This work was done by a team at Lahore University in Pakistan.
Automotive Defence Research & Development
APPLICATION Photonics
PRODUCT TYPE CVD Graphene Heterostructure Molybdenum Disulphide Transition Metal Di-chalcogenides (TMDCs)
Back to Contents
•
Field effect transistors (FET) are used extensively in electronic devices
•
Graphene does not perform as a transistor.
•
Layering graphene up with other 2d materials creates what are called heterostructures
•
This particular heterostructure makes an FET that is sensitive to UV light
This shows that a new class of materials made by layering graphene with other 2D materials can have practical real world benefits.
Relevance: These types of FET heterostructures will be useful as light sensors in many applications fro aerospace to automotive and defence. They can miniaturise light sensors that can be embedded in other devices.
19
3rd August 2018
Chemical synthesis of single-layer graphene by using ball milling compared with NaBH4 and hydroquinone reductants http://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/mnl.2018.5165
MARKET Manufacturing
Content Summary This is work done by a team at Selcuk University in Turkey. Graphene can be exfoliated from graphite by oxidation. Then it can be reduced back to graphene.
MARKET APPLICATION All
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Oxide Nanoplate Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
•
The team tested two reducing agents - Hydroquinone and Sodium borohydride.
•
They found that Hydroquinone produced the better results in terms of the amount of oxygen removed and also the amount of monolayer reduced graphene oxide nanoplates.
Relevance: Sodium borohydride is one of the more common reducing agents so this work shows that Hydroquinone is a viable technical alternative. However the team just looked at the technical performance of the experiment and did not consider the costs of each reducing agent.
20
31st July 2018
Laser-scribed disordered graphene significantly improves sodium-ion battery capacity
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-laser-scribed-disordered-graphene-significantlysodium-ion.html
MARKET Energy Management
APPLICATION
Content Summary This work done by a team in Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. They claim they to have developed a process using a simple bench-top laser to make three-dimensional hard carbon directly on copper collectors without excessive temperatures or additional coating steps.
Batteries
PRODUCT TYPE Laser Induced Graphene (LIG)
Back to Contents
Adrian, Sodium-ion batteries have potential to replace the currently used lithium-ion by using Pleasebatteries can you supply the cheaper (less than a thirtieth of the cost of lithium) and more abundant sodium with resource. this image a white This has particular potential in Saudi Arabia, where sodium is readily background, available and easily i.e. not a extracted as a by-product of water desalination, a significant transparent source of potable water one - Iincan’t see the country. the .png file in your image folder? Relevance: Graphene seems to form very easily from a variety of carbon containing materials. This looks like it was inspired by the work of James Tour in the USA where he was able to form laser induced nanoplate graphene by burning a carbon surface with a high-powered laser.
21
26th July 2018
A human enzyme can biodegrade graphene
https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/gf-ahe082318.php
MARKET Biomedical
APPLICATION
Content Summary Myeloperoxidase (an enzyme naturally found in our lungs) can biodegrade pristine graphene. This is work done by Graphene Flagship partners in CNRS, University of Strasbourg (France), Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Among other projects, the Graphene Flagship designs flexible biomedical electronic devices that will interface with the human body. Such applications require graphene to be biodegradable, so it can be expelled from the body.
Health & Safety
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Image source: Pixabay
Relevance: This is important because it plays to the health and safety aspect of graphene. Graphene does not appear to be toxic, the only area of caution noted was breathing in the dust. This work shows that the human body’s defences can deal with graphene. More work is needed to make sure that the degradation products of graphene in the body don’t cause further problems. Overall though this is a positive finding.
22
1st July 2018
Graphene skinned plane unveiled at Farnborough Air Show www.uclan.ac.uk/news/another-aerospace-world-first.php
MARKET Aerospace Manufacturing
Content Summary The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) has made the graphene composite skin for a three and a half metre wide sized drone aircraft. •
The graphene was provided by Haydale
•
Support from the University of Manchester
•
This is a collaborative effort on many levels
APPLICATION Composites - Polymer
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: This demonstrator proves the ability of UCLAN to incorporate graphene in carbon fibre composite resin and make a viable product. It is an eye-catching demonstrator and also attracted a lot of attention when displayed at the Advanced Engineering show in the UK in October.
23
10th May 2018
Investigation of the size effect of graphene nano-platelets (GnPs) on the anti-corrosion performance of polyurethane/ GnP composites
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/ra/c8ra02087f#!divAbstract
MARKET Construction
Content Summary This work was done at Waterloo University in Canada. The team added 1% by weight of graphene nanoplates of varying particle sizes to a polyurethane resin.
APPLICATION Anti Corrosion
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
The team found that the smaller particle size graphene dispersed more evenly in the resin and improved the corrosion resistance. The reason for this was that the smaller graphene particles dispersed more effectively in the resin and the corrosion solution had fewer, smaller paths to travel through the coating.
Relevance: This work addresses one of the questions about graphene – what is quality? In the case of these anti corrosion coatings this work shows a small particle size - less than 2 microns is better than larger sizes.
24
20th April 2018
Graphene microelectrode neuropeptide detector https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.7b07474
MARKET Biomedical
Content Summary Opioids are known to be involved in pain perception, appetite regulation, sleep, memory, and learning. However they are hard to detect so a team at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, USA has made a graphene sensor that can detect opioid molecules.
APPLICATION Sensors
PRODUCT TYPE CVD Graphene
Back to Contents
They used a sheet of Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) graphene and attached a gold electrode and a specially designed opioid receptor molecule that they fixed to the graphene sheet. When a sample containing the target molecule was placed on the sensor a faradic current was generated that could be measured. The bigger the current the more target molecule was present.
Relevance: This method uses CVD graphene rather than graphene nanoplates made from graphite because CVD is the highest quality larger area sheet graphene. This work shows that a lab-on-a-chip sensor can be made from graphene. It can also be customised to detect specific compounds by changing the receptor molecule.
25
18th April 2018
Graphene Skin Patch Measures Blood Sugar Without a Needle https://labiotech.eu/diabetes-needle-free-blood-sugar-testing/
MARKET Biomedical
Content Summary At the moment there is no available needle-free approach for diabetics to monitor glucose levels in the interstitial fluid. A team at the university of Bristol has developed a graphene sensor patch that can measure blood glucose.
APPLICATION Sensors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
A patch placed on the skin applies a small electric field to pull the interstitial fluid up along hair follicles and into the device. Within the patch, the enzyme glucose oxidase - the same used for finger-pricking glucose testing - reacts with the glucose to produce hydrogen peroxide, which is detected by a graphene sensor. The whole process yields a blood glucose measurement within 15 minutes.
Relevance: The sensor uses graphene nanoplates. For this to work properly it will need a consistent supply of high quality graphene made to strict quality standards.
26
14th April 2018
MIT Process can make graphene coated membranes up to 10m long https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.8b00846
MARKET
Content Summary
Separation Membranes Water Treatment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) first announced their work making graphene by a continuous process back in 2015. It is a measure of just how difficult this is in practise that over three years later the team is still developing the process. They are making good progress though.
APPLICATION
Now the process has been developed further. The speed has been doubled to 50mm per minute without losing quality. This seems to be due to a lot of effort dedicated to controlling the growing conditions inside the furnace.
Desalination
PRODUCT TYPE CVD Graphene
Back to Contents MIT claim they can produce strips of graphene coated foil up to ten metres in length. This is not yet single crystal graphene, the material contains defects that have to be patched.
Relevance: This is chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene rather than graphene nanoplates made from graphite. This work is interesting because it reveals the progress being made on continuous manufacturing of graphene at large scale. The team appear to be focussed on developing a continuous manufacturing process for making graphene for the filter membranes market.
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14th February 2018
Laser-Induced Graphene: Toward Electronics on Cloth, Paper, and Food https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.7b08539
MARKET Communications
Content Summary James Tour and team at Rice University in the USA have made graphene by using lasers to burn the surface of carbon containing materials. They call it laser-induced graphene (LIG).
Research & Development
APPLICATION Electronics
PRODUCT TYPE Laser Induced Graphene (LIG)
Back to Contents
This is not graphene ink. They made graphene out of the carbon already in the sample. The team think this can be used to make edible electronics on the surface of food.
Relevance: Technically this shows the relative ease with which the low energy sp2 hybridised carbon sheet (graphene) forms when given the right conditions. This could be a development that challenges the market for graphene inks on carbon containing materials in the future. Graphene ink manufacturers probably have the advantage at the moment but they will need to demonstrate a clear advantage for printing if it is possible to achieve a similar end result making conductive graphene on the surface with a laser.
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3rd January 2018
Making medical grade monolayer graphene with honey
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.7b17835?journalCode=aamick
MARKET Biomedical Manufacturing
Content Summary A team at Lanzhou University in China has Here, developed a novel high throughput method of graphene on mechanical exfoliation in natural honey medium and the yield of graphene nanoflakes can easily achieve at ~ 91%, hereinto with a 97.76 % of single-layer graphene. The mechanically exfoliated graphene (MEG) can be well dispersed in poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix. The PVA/MEG nanocomposite fibres are obtained by gel spinning and stretched 20 times.
APPLICATION Wound Management
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents Wounds treated with the nanocomposite fibres with 0.3 wt.% of MEG show the best healing after five days of surgery. It is possible that this novel surgical suture will be available to the market relying on the gentle, inexpensive method of obtaining non-oxidized graphene and the simple process for nanocomposite fibres.
Relevance: Interesting for two reasons. Firstly this work shows that graphite can be exfoliated in a roll mill with honey and produce monolayer graphene. Secondly this is a medical application of graphene. Normally graphene oxide is used for biocompatibility. In this case the graphene is not interacting with the body, it is strengthening the polymer fibres and helping wounds heal faster by maintaining the integrity of the dressing.
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Company / Market Developments
22nd November 2018
Company / Market Developments A view of the emerging graphene industry from Versarien www.versarien.com/investors/rns-announcements/
Content Summary Versarien is one of the big players in the graphene world and is a Tier One member of the GEIC. I asked the CEO, Neill Ricketts, to summarise his company’s activity this year: “This year has seen the move from theory and laboratory to collaboration and testing. We have announced about 17 partnerships with corporates to develop applications as diverse as tyres to aerospace from textiles to packaging. The move now is to scale our two primary processes to meet the demands that we are creating. “ And I also asked about his view of the graphene industry as a whole: “There has been a consistent message from both customers and trade bodies that now is the time to exploit the technology, most have tried to use the material but have been disappointed with either the quality or the application. Much has been learnt in the last few years about dispersion and the effects of physical properties. This is evidenced by the news last week that we have successfully passed the testing for the first aviation part and we are starting to supply a major airline in production. The other big thing is the global expansion and the interest from South East Asia. Currently we are working on over 30 potential partnerships and this indicates to me the level of interest and also the importance of standards. The various trade organisations are also coming of age and we are delighted to be both a Tier One member of the GEIC and also part of the National Graphene Association.”
Relevance: There is a strong alignment with James Baker’s description of a tipping point. The graphene industry is clearly emerging from the laboratory and engaging with the industrial world. As this trend continues we will see the whole graphene industry move from research to return on investment.
32
21st November 2018
First Graphene makes stronger concrete
https://firstgraphene.com.au/investor-relations/asx-announcements/fgr-makingprogress-towards-puregraph-concrete-additives/viewdocument
MARKET
Content Summary
Construction
This is a press release on the company website for their PureGRAPHTM graphene. A full manuscript has been submitted by the researchers to Cement and Concrete Composites Journal for peer review and publication. They found:
Manufacturing
APPLICATION
•
The compressive strength of concrete increased by 34%
•
The tensile strength of concrete increased by 27%
•
Graphene addition 0.02% weight graphene (by weight of concrete solids)
•
Graphene addition made to the water used in the concrete mix
Composites - Concrete & Cement
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
First Graphene did the work at the University of Adelaide so these findings will be robust. The graphene nanoplate product was added directly to the water with the other additives used to make the concrete. The company’s electrochemical exfoliation process makes a graphene product with nanoplates that have a certain amount of oxidation at the edges. This could provide sites for bonding with the hydroxides and oxides in the cement, we will find out more when the paper is published in early 2019.
Relevance: The graphene addition may seem small at 0.02%. However concrete is the second most consumed material in the world and the market is immense. Concrete manufacture accounts for up to 5% of global CO2 emissions. Making concrete stronger means less needs to be used. So a strong environmental case can be made for adding graphene to concrete.
33
19th November 2018
Haydale licenses its graphene anti-counterfeiting ink technology to high security Thai printing company www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/209433/haydale-licenses-its-anticounterfeiting-ink-to-thai-printing-company-209433.html
MARKET Security
APPLICATION Conductive Inks
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Content Summary Haydale has signed an exclusive licence agreement with TKS Siampress, one or the leading security printers in Thailand. •
This is an anti-counterfeiting system using Haydale’s graphene ink technology
•
Two layers of printed graphene ink with differing conductivities generate the capacitive response when read by a capacitive reader.
•
The types of inks, patterns, and ink thickness can be varied to create an infinite number of unique patterns. These are stored on a secure server.
•
The printed pattern can be applied to security labels on high value products.
•
The code can be read by any smartphone after downloading the Haydale PATit app
•
If the code does not match the database it is counterfeit.
Back to Contents
Relevance: This is a success story for Haydale, which reports the anti-counterfeiting market to be a US$200bn long-term opportunity. The licencing of this product / system is a validation of the consistency of the Haydale graphene products and the patent protection they have worked hard to create.
34
15th November 2018
Key players in graphene meet at the NGA conference in Austin, Texas
www.nationalgrapheneassociation.com/news/setting-the-tone-of-the-globalgraphene-expo-the-stakeholder-sessions-and-advisory-board-meeting/
MARKET All
APPLICATION
Content Summary •
An excellent summary by Liam Critchley of the stakeholder and advisory board meeting at the National Graphene Association Global expo and Conference
•
All the important global graphene organisations, commercial, academic and regulatory were present at this event.
All
PRODUCT TYPE All
Back to Contents
Image courtesy of the National Graphene Association
Six action points emerged from the the advisory board meeting: The NGA’s future mission, educating industry, measurement standards, validating graphene suppliers, market forecasts and the targeting of markets in the US. The focus around each of these topics was how could the advisory board members do more to help the NGA in these areas and how can the NGA add value to the industry across these areas.
Relevance: If you need to know who are the important organisations for the global graphene industry then the list of organisations at this event is definitive. These existing organisations have more to gain from collaboration rather than pure competition at this stage as the graphene market is in an open growth phase and the need is to educate customers about the potential of this new material.
35
25th October 2018
Directa Plus Scores Major Graphene-based Textile Order
https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/graphene-investing/directa-plusscores-major-graphene-based-textile-order/
MARKET Manufacturing Textiles
Content Summary •
Directa Plus announced that it has received a 500,000-euro contract for its graphenebased textile products from an Italian work wear manufacturer
•
The company, which is a producer and supplier of graphene-based products, said that its Planar Thermal Circuit graphene technology would be used in 10,000 work wear garments.
APPLICATION Clothing
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Giulio Cesareo CEO Directa Plus at the NGA in Texas
Relevance: Directa Plus is really mastering the art of marketing. They appear to be commercially successful. This company is one of the emerging graphene stories to watch.
36
18th October 2018
Graphene products for the Huawei Mate 20 X to be supplied by The Sixth Element Materials in large quantities www.graphene-info.com/graphene-products-huawei-mate-20-x-be-supplied-sixthelement-materials-large-quantities
MARKET Energy Management Manufacturing Telecommunications
Content Summary •
The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology announced that they have received a firm, major order from an undisclosed customer
•
The customer is a manufacturer of electrical devices
•
This order will fill their current capacity to a major extend till end of 2019
•
The Sixth Element expects that this customer will further increase its demand beyond the current order starting 2020
•
This will be covered by the new production The Sixth Element is currently commissioning
APPLICATION Mobile Devices
PRODUCT TYPE Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: The graphene is being used in the new Mate 20X Mobile phone This one order was informally reported to take up 80% of the existing 260 Tonne capacity of the plant in China. This is why 6th Element is expanding its production capability This is the biggest commercial graphene supply deal to date.
37
16th October 2018
Huawei launches the first graphene cooled phone: the Mate 20 X www.graphene-info.com/huaweis-new-mate-20-x-uses-graphene-film-coolingtechnology
MARKET Energy Management Telecommunications
Content Summary •
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has launched Mate 20 series, which includes the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 X
•
The Mate 20 X has a graphene cooling system
APPLICATION Heat Management Mobile Devices
PRODUCT TYPE Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIAmQ6BAw5c
•
Graphene works as a solid state cooling system.
•
This means that the phone can use less power cooling its processor
•
So the battery lasts longer
•
The review certainly found that the Mate 20X performed well against its rivals giving at least 6 hours normal use before needing a recharge
Relevance: The graphene used in this phone is reduced graphene oxide. This is supplied by Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology. Another real world commercial application of graphene.
38
10th October 2018
Ford Will Use Graphene-Reinforced Parts in Production Cars www.thedrive.com/tech/24126/ford-will-use-graphene-reinforced-parts-inproduction-cars
MARKET
Content Summary
Automotive
Ford announced that it would become the first automaker to use graphene parts in its vehicles, starting with the Mustang and F-150 by the end of 2018.
APPLICATION Composites - Polymer Noise Reduction
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
•
Since 2014, Ford and its partners have trialled graphene-reinforced foam covers
•
Used for noisy components such as the fuel rail, pumps, and belt-driven pulleys or chain-driven gears on the front of engines.
•
The resulting parts are 17 percent quieter, 20 percent stronger, and 30 percent more heat-resistant.
Relevance: The graphene is provided by XG Sciences. They have been working quietly with Ford testing graphene in composite formulations for the past three years. One fascinating insight was that they started by looking for strength improvements then found a 400% increase in performance of another parameter (might have been noise reduction but cannot confirm this) This could not be predicted in the lab. Ford noted that they were able to use less than a half percent graphene, to achieve significant enhancements in durability, sound resistance and weight reductionapplications that others have not focused on. The learning was to try things and keep looking out for unexpected benefits when working with the customer. Graphene is a multi-functional material. 39
30th September 2018
Versarien acquires 62% of Spain’s Gnanomat for £2.6m https://shares.telegraph.co.uk/news/article.php?id=6140922&epic=VRS
MARKET Automotive Energy Management Manufacturing
APPLICATION
Content Summary •
Versarien announced an agreement to acquire 62% of Spanish energy storage group Gnanomat for around £2.6m.
•
Gnanomat was capable of utilising Versarien’s graphene products in a production process for energy storage devices, the company said.
•
Payment would be settled with £673,000 in cash and the issue of around 1.3m Versarien shares at 150p each.
•
The cash component would be used by Gnanomat to fund the scale up of a pilot plant.
•
Versarien would additionally provide a loan of €1.3m.
Batteries
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: Versarien clearly believe there is a big market opportunity in graphene for vehicle batteries. Gnanomat must have a viable process for making graphene for this purpose that Versarien wants and is willing to invest in scaling up the pilot plant. Versarien will also have a laboratory at the GEIC, which has access to battery specific capabilities and pilot plant so more synergies here too.
40
18th September 2018
Haydale Launch of Taiwan operations
www.haydale-ir.com/content/investors/latest-results.asp
MARKET Biomedical Manufacturing
Content Summary The company has created Haydale Technologies (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., (HTW) The facility in Kaohsiung is a dedicated speciality ink manufacturing operation focussed on the Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (‘SMBG’) device market. The company is targeting the biomedical screen-printed sensors for the self-monitoring blood glucose market.
APPLICATION Conductive Inks Sensors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Ray Gibbs the President of business development said “We have started from scratch our ink production and sales facility in Taiwan. The team have produced a series of bespoke graphene inks for customers and the printers are getting outstanding C/V (coefficient of variation) on the graphene based screen-printed bio medical sensor inks. This gives high confidence of a very consistent product. The main market for the sensors is for self-diagnostic diabetes testing- a $15bn market.
Relevance: Haydale looks confident and have a strong focus on this SMBG market. This is one to watch for the coming year.
41
23rd August 2018
Perpetuus concludes successful trials of graphene-enhanced tyres - with an average increase of 40% in wear resistance
www.graphene-info.com/perpetuus-concludes-successful-trials-graphene-enhancedtires-average-increase-40-wear-resistance
MARKET Automotive
APPLICATION
Content Summary Perpetuus has been running tests with graphene-enhanced tyres on UK roads. These were fitted to high mileage, commercial light vehicles, which primarily travel on the UK’s A and B roads. The tests compared the graphene-enhanced tyres with regular tyres and monitored the performance of both tyres. Perpetuus says that the tests showed that the graphene-enhanced tires produced an average of 40% increase in wear resistance over the regular tyres.
Composites - Polymer Tyres / Tires
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Relevance: This is a potentially important development for Perpetuus. Approximately 22% of the weight of a car tyre is carbon black. Reducing the weight of car tyres makes for better fuel consumption with environmental benefits that will sell more tyres. Most of the weight is in the tread. For those less environmentally inclined tyres of the same weight will have 40% more wear resistance and last longer when some of the graphene is replaced by carbon black. Using information in the press release can calculate 2.7% by weight of Perpetuus graphene nanoplates in the rubber composite. This is a sizeable percentage of a very large market. This may be why Perpetuus have installed extra production capacity at other sites.
42
20th August 2018
Cheltenham company to develop wonder material in new collaboration
www.punchline-gloucester.com/articles/aanews/cheltenham-company-to-developwonder-material-in-new-collaboration-
MARKET Construction Manufacturing
APPLICATION
Content Summary Versarien are busy promoting their Nanene graphene nano platelets and Graphinks graphene inks and have announced a new collaboration. AXIA, which is based in South Korea, develops advanced thermoplastic composite material solutions for the automotive, sports, electronics and building sectors, and produces pre-fabricated buildings.
Composites - Polymer
MARKET Conductive Inks
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Versarien will initially work with AXIA on two projects: Smart Buildings - Versarien’s Graphinks will be used to incorporate sensors and thermal devices into composite building panels and Versarien’s Nanene will be used to develop graphene-enhanced materials, which will be used in structural composites. Electric Vehicle applications - Versarien’s Graphinks will be used to add smart systems to a composite electric vehicle battery tray.
Back to Contents
Relevance: Versarien is gaining a lot of profile through these collaborative agreements. This activity will stimulate customers to explore the capability of graphene to create novel products in their target markets, particularly in Asia where the potential is large.
43
26th July 2018
REACH Registration of Graphene and Graphene Oxide
https://netcomposites.com/news/2018/july/24/reach-registration-of-graphene-andgraphene-oxide/
MARKET Graphene Standards
Content Summary The Graphene Reach Consortium, currently consisting of Applied Graphene Materials, NanoXplore and The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials, reports that joint registration dossiers for graphene and graphene oxide have been submitted to ECHA prior to the 31 May 2018 REACH deadline.
APPLICATION REACH
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
Back to Contents
A Joint Registration Dossier for reduced graphene oxide is currently prepared for a tonnage band of up to 10 tonnes per year. Submission of the joint registration dossier is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Graphene and graphene oxide can now be used up to 10 tonnes per year without any restriction in Europe by manufacturers/importers having participated in the joint registration. Work for dossier updates to higher tonnage bands (10-100 tonnes per year) will start soon. Interested manufacturers or importers of the named substances may contact the Consortium, managed by Consortia Management, for information on joining or buying a Letter of Access (LoA).
Relevance: REACH refers to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals in Europe. It is a key regulation that covers the European market (and has influence on wider global markets). This is good news. Having REACH registration for graphene is in place makes dealing with the supply chains of large corporate customers much easier.
44
4th July 2018
Versarien announce £145k funding for its Cambridge Graphene subsidiary
www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/ VRS/13700605.html
MARKET Energy Management Mobile / Wearable Devices
Content Summary Versarien announced its subsidiary Cambridge Graphene was part of the Flexibat consortium that had recently been awarded a £1.2m of grant funding from the UK government to develop thin, flexible printed batteries for electronic wearable and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
APPLICATION Batteries
MARKET PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
The announcement stated that Cambridge Graphene would directly receive approximately £145,000 and indirectly benefit from the funding provided to the other consortium members. The Flexibat project aims to provide much thinner and more flexible batteries, with higher energy densities, than those currently available. These are expected to be straightforward to manufacture using roll-to-roll printing processes. The initial target market will be for healthcare and wellbeing wearables.
Back to Contents
Relevance: Versarien have been busy. This £1.2M funding is probably from Innovate UK Versarien also have a connection with a Chinese Automotive battery manufacturer and it is possible there could be some involvement there too.
45
3rd July 2018
Haydale Partnership with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
www.haydale.com/2018/07/03/partnership-with-graphene-engineeringinnovation-centre/
MARKET Manufacturing Research & Development
APPLICATION
Content Summary Haydale is one of the core Tier One partners of the GEIC. They have recently installed and commissioned one of its HT60 plasma reactors into the new facility in Manchester. The HT60 functionalises and improves dispersion of graphene and other 2D materials.
Composites - Polymer Conductive Inks
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Image courtesy of Haydale
The intention is to collaborate with the GEIC to use the functionalisation technology, mixing expertise and know-how about homogeneous dispersion of graphene. This maximises the properties of graphene in, say, an epoxy resin, elastomers (rubber) or a polymer.
Relevance: This collaboration between Haydale and the GEIC will give both organisations enhanced capability to create engineering solutions for a range of applications in aerospace, automotive and industry generally looking for enhanced product performance using new advanced materials such as graphene.
46
27th June 2018
Grolltex Opens Manufacturing Facility for ‘Graphene Accelerator’ Material hexagonal Boron Nitride https://grolltex.com/grolltex-opens-manufacturing-facility-for-graphene-acceleratormaterial-hexagonal-boron-nitride/
MARKET Manufacturing
APPLICATION
Content Summary San Diego based graphene and 2D materials producer Grolltex has completed qualification, and released for production, the largest commercial manufacturing facility in North America for graphene complement material, single layer ‘hexagonal Boron Nitride’ (or hBN).
Electronics
PRODUCT TYPE Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN)
Back to Contents
Image source: Creative Magic Pixabay CC0 Creative Commons.
Relevance: Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) is also known as white graphene. It is an insulator where graphene is a conductor. It is also nearly as strong as graphene. Their manufacturing process is still a batch method capable of making polycrystalline material at scales of square centimetres. The fact that Grolltex can make this commercially is good progress.
47
25th June 2018
Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre announces first partners
www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/graphene-engineering-innovation-centreannounces-first-partners/
MARKET Multiple Markets
APPLICATION Coatings
Content Summary First Graphene Ltd, Haydale Graphene Industries, and Versarien PLC have been announced as Tier One partners with the GEIC. The GEIC will focus on industry-led application development in partnership with academics. It will fill a critical gap in the graphene and 2D materials ecosystem by providing facilities which focus on pilot production, characterisation, together with application development in composites, energy, solution formulations and coatings, electronics and membranes.
Composites Electronics Energy Management Membranes
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Each company is excited to be partnering with the GEIC. They all view the collaboration opportunities in a very positive way.
Relevance: From speaking with each company they all enthusiastic about being at the GEIC and have an aligned view of the benefits of the partnership: •
The GEIC provides access to world class academic expertise
•
There is access to the technical capability of the GEIC itself
•
The GEIC provides a forum to work with downstream companies
In short, the GEIC will help boost product, process and market development.
48
18th June 2018
Versarien seals deal with PhoneDevil to launch products with its nanene graphene nano platelets
www.stockmarketwire.com/article/6015736/Versarien-seals-deal-with-PhoneDevil-tolaunch-products-with-its-nanene-graphene-nano-platelets.html
MARKET Manufacturing
APPLICATION
Content Summary Versarien sealed a commercial agreement with PhoneDevil (MediaDevil) to launch a new range of earphones and other audio equipment and accessories which will feature Versarien’s proprietary Nanene graphene nano platelets and utilise the Nanene brand.
Composites - Polymer
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
The products, which initially comprise earphones, will be sold on MediaDevil.com, other online retail platforms such as Amazon, along with being supplied to high street retailers and MediaDevil’s distribution partners globally. The agreement will see Versarien’s Nanene brand feature on all product packaging, for which Versarien will receive a royalty on each product sold. In addition, the companies are at an advanced stage of launching a range of mobile phone and tablet device accessories utilising Nanene, which will also feature the Nanene branding.
Relevance: This demonstrates the power of creating a memorable brand. In this case, Versarien have created the Nanene brand. This is easier to say and understand than graphene nanoplates.
49
1st June 2018
First Graphene (ASX:FGR) improving a wide range of applications
www.finnewsnetwork.com.au/archives/finance_news_network169675.html
MARKET Construction Energy Management
Content Summary This is an interview with the Non-Executive Chairman, Warwick Grigor. First graphene are making a credible splash in the market. The company currently has a market capitalisation of $64million Australian dollars.
Manufacturing
APPLICATION Composites - Concrete & Cement Composites - Polymer Fire Retardant Supercapacitors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Their product is derived from high quality Sri Lankan graphite and the company is targeting high volume markets, such as the construction market with cement additives to improve strength and porosity. They are targeting fire safety with a retardant graphene product called FireStop™ paint and are currently seeking fire safety accreditation for this product. They are also working in the energy management space focusing on supercapacitors rather than batteries.
Relevance: The graphene source is a high purity graphite ore, with >97% graphite content. Of the markets mentioned the composites are probably closest to market with the concrete additives being the one to watch for longer-term impact. A company to watch. They have good PR and have invested for the longer term in their manufacturing capability.
50
11th June 2018
Directa Plus completes successful Grafysorber® field test with OMV Petrom
www.directa-plus.com/Press/Directa Plus completes successful Grafysorber® field test with OMV Petrom 09.04.2018.pdf
MARKET Oil & Gas Water Treatment
Content Summary Directa Plus announced the successful completion of industrial field-testing of Grafysorber® at an oil treatment plant of OMV Petrom, a leading Romanian integrated oil and gas company and one of the largest in Southern Europe. The tests demonstrated that the deployment of Grafysorber® improved the quality of water used for the injection process.
APPLICATION Pollution Control
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
Image courtesy of Clare Nixon: Bespokeartwork
Grafysorber® was successful in significantly reducing the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the produced water to less than 0.5ppm. Only a small amount of Grafysorber® was required to achieve the desired value. In addition, the used Grafysorber® proved to be reusable up to 4-5 times, which meant that no waste was generated during the test. This complements the eco-friendly nature of Grafysorber®, which is a 100% carbon material and does not contain any plastic.
Relevance: This demonstrates that graphene is a useful material for treating polluted water. The wastewater treatment industry is worth many billions of dollars per year so even if this type of product captures a small market share that could be worthwhile.
51
12th April 2018
Roll-to-Roll Printing with Graphene Ink for Biomedical Applications
www.news-medical.net/whitepaper/20180412/Roll-to-Roll-Printing-with-GrapheneInk-for-Biomedical-Applications.aspx
MARKET Biomedical
APPLICATION
Content Summary Haydale has developed an innovative graphene-containing ink for gravure printing and investigated its suitability, conductivity, cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility. It was discovered that the ink successfully satisfied the demands pertaining to printability and application in a cell-based sensor. This innovative ink can be used to develop printed structures with a surface resistance of 10 Ί/sq based on a layer thickness of 25 Οm.
Sensors
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents To make the sensors, a compact roll-to-roll printing system with standard printing parameters for two-colour printing has been assembled.
Relevance: Haydale have access to high quality graphene with a very fine particle size that when functionalised with its patented plasma system enables production of ink used. to make printed circuits with such fine detail.
52
15th January 2018
First Graphene FireStopTM fire retardant in development www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6EVObFVFKQ&t=10s
MARKET Construction
Content Summary First graphene has been working with the University of Adelaide to develop a graphene based fire retardant called FireStopTM The company released a video comparing a model house made of wood with the same model coated with their fire retardant. The results are impressive.
APPLICATION Fire Retardant
PRODUCT TYPE Graphene Nanoplate
Back to Contents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6EVObFVFKQ&t=10s
The graphene fire retardant paint works by sealing the surface and expands when heated acting as an intumescent. This means the coating seals pores that keep out oxygen and prevent flammable vapour being released from the construction material, in this case wood. The graphene coating will also help conduct away the heat from the fire.
Relevance: The fire retardant coating clearly works. The company is actively seeking regulatory approvals. First Graphene believe their graphene-based product is cheaper than alternative products on the market and also non-toxic.
53
15th January 2018
Two men held for $67m swindle
www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=191375&sid=4
MARKET Mobile / Wearable Devices
APPLICATION
Content Summary In Hong Kong two men were arrested for cheating 120 people out of HK$67 million, which they claimed would be invested into high-tech phone chargers made of graphene. The suspected mastermind, a 46-year-old man and his top aide, 35, were arrested yesterday for conspiracy to defraud. The mastermind set up a company two years ago, which he claimed focused on developing high-tech chargers for mobile devices. They organised fund raising events in Hong Kong, Macau and on the mainland, and lured people to “invest” in the company’s new project, which was to produce graphene phone chargers.
Energy Management
PRODUCT TYPE Not Valid
Back to Contents
To become part of the fundraising, investors had to put in at least US$10,000 (HK$78,000) to US$15,000. The rate of return for their investment would be about three to five percent a year, the scammers claimed.
Relevance: Graphene is emerging from its hype phase. Scams like this are rare now, however this emphasises the need for thorough due diligence when investing.
54
12th January 2018
GF1 - a new smart health watch with a CVD graphene touch screen
www.graphene-info.com/gf1-new-smart-health-watch-cvd-graphene-touch-screen
MARKET Manufacturing Mobile / Wearable Devices
Content Summary The GF-1 watch has been announced for sale in China. It has a graphene touchscreen. The watch responds well to touch commands and demonstrates that graphene can be used as a touchscreen material in place of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) The Wuxi Graphene Film Company Ltd manufactures the watch. They are a subsidiary of the Sixth Element (Changzhou) Material Technology Co, Ltd.
APPLICATION Touchscreen
PRODUCT TYPE CVD Graphene
Back to Contents
The demonstration can be viewed at this link https://youtu.be/YQzxkozK4P8
Relevance: Wuxi has been making graphene for touchscreens since 2012 this is one of the early market ready products to be sold in China. •
ITO is the current material of choice for touchscreens. It is cheaper than graphene but not flexible so there is a market opportunity ahead.
•
This watch has a fixed rather than flexible touchscreen.
•
Wuxi are steadily building their capability making and handling CVD graphene in a production environment.
•
There is a public awareness of graphene in the Chinese market that makes anything containing graphene a desirable consumer product.
55
Appendix 1 The Navigator Headings The content for the headings will be updated on a regular basis in response to reader feedback and the emerging content in the market.
MARKET
APPLICATION
Aerospace
3D Printing
Pollution Control
Armour
Anti Bacterial
Printing
Automotive
Anti Corrosion
Regulations
Biomedical
Anti Static
Sensors
Communications
Barrier - Vapour / Gas
Solar Cells
Construction
Batteries
Supercapacitors
Defence
Catalysis
Tether
Energy Management
Clothing
Tissue Engineering
Graphene Standards
Coatings
Touchscreen
Legal
Composites - Polymer
Tyres / Tires
Luxury Goods
Composites - Concrete & Cement
Wound Management
Manufacturing Marine Mining Mobile / Wearable Devices
Conductive Inks Conductive Membrane Desalination Desiccant
Oil & Gas
Electronics
Packaging
Fire Retardant
Research & Development
Flexible Displays
Regulations Security Separation Membranes Sports Textiles Water Treatment
Health & Safety Heat Management Lubricants Membrane - Gas Separation Noise Reduction Personal Protection Photonics
56
PRODUCT TYPE Borocarbonitrides Chemically Synthesised Graphene CVD Graphene Grain Boundary Diffusion Graphene
Single Crystal Graphene Transition Metal Di-chalcogenides (TMDCs) Tungsten Diselenide
Graphene Fibre Graphene Nanoplate Graphene Oxide Nanoplate Graphene Quantum Dot Graphite Graphyne Heterostructure Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) Homostructure Laser Induced Graphene (LIG) Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) Not Valid Other 2D Materials Phosphorene Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplate
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About The Nixene Journal is brought about through the research and analysis of Adrian Nixon, Editor in Chief. Adrian is an experienced, qualified scientist (Chartered Chemist and Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry) and has published regular content in industry journals and website blogs since 1999. Adrian is an advisory board member of the National Graphene Association in the USA. The Journal began as a private research project that was needed to create information and understanding about the emerging world of graphene and other 2D materials. This quickly became a significant regular undertaking as the amount of development activity grew. At the time of writing there are some twenty-five thousand academic papers published each year and as much again reported business and market activity. He now summarises this vast array of content through the Nixene Journal, published monthly and distributed to some of the world’s leading organisations who wish to be kept informed of the progress Graphene is making in becoming a practical reality for use in and around the world. We cover a wide range of topics from energy management, composites, separation membranes, nano medicine coatings and other emerging markets and applications. The journal has two basic sections, one focussing on identifying and explaining the emerging technology and the other analysing the business and markets activity. An option exists to tailor the content to the specific requirement of each client. In effect, we take the content and determine the ‘so what?’ for each client type, irrespective of industry segment or location. If you would like to know more about a suitable package for you, bringing the world’s intelligence to your inbox once per month, then we’d be delighted to hear from you. info@nixenepublishing.com
www.nixenepublishing.com
Adrian Nixon Editor
Rob Whieldon Operations
Neil Moon Commercial
Nigel Cliffe Marketing
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www.nixenepublishing.com info@nixenepublishing.com Nixene Publishing Limited • 5th & 6th Floors • 51 Lever Street • Manchester • M1 1FN United Kingdom
