October 2014

Lomiko and MegaHertz to co-develop graphene-based power converter systems

Lomiko Metals signed an agreement with MegaHertz Power Systems to license its power converter system designs. Lomiko will have rights to manufacture and sell three different system designs, and also acquired a pending supply contract with a Canadian LED system integrator.

In the longer-term, Lomiko will team up with MegaHertz to co-develop new power converter designs that use graphite and graphene-based devices. Graphene is expected to dramatically raise operating efficiencies and help reduce the energy waste for the Electronic equipment, Energy Storage and Automotive Industries.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 28,2014

Graphene 3D Lab presents a prototype 3D printed battery

Graphene 3D Lab recently introduced their 3D printed graphene battery prototype in the Inside 3D Printing Conference in Santa Clara, California. 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.

Since the battery is still in prototype phase, last month Graphene 3D Labs announced a partnership with Stony Brook University in Long Island, NY, for a round of quality control testing to get it to the next step.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 28,2014

Korea leads in number of graphene-related patents filings

According to the Korean IP Office, in 2013 4,255 graphene related patents were applied for in Korea - up from only 57 in 2008. Korea is the leading country in terms of graphene patents, followed by the US (3,559) and Japan (1,583).

In the US there were 1,262 graphene patents filed by non-US research organizations, and 47% of those (603 patents) were filed by Korean organizations.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 27,2014

3D Graphtech is looking into two potential 3D printing graphene opportunities

Back in August, 3D Graphtech Industries (established in Australia by Kibaran Resources and the 3D Group) signed an initial agreement with Australia's CSIRO organization to investigate research opportunities in 3D printing using graphite and graphene inks.

3D Graphtech now announced that it is assessing two potential opportunities. The first is the development of a scalable manufacturing technique to produce a high-volume of high quality graphene at low cost, while the 2nd is the development of a piece of equipment to produce graphene composite polymer thermoplastic filament for extrusion 3D printers that contain graphene.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 27,2014

Researchers say graphene flakes can be used as catalysts for chemical reactions

Researchers from The University of Western Australia report that graphene flakes can be used as catalysts for chemical reactions. The researchers made their discovery using computer simulations.

This is still an early research. The team now wants to extend the scope of their calculations and find out whether more chemical reactions can benefit from graphene. In addition they want to check larger graphene sheets and not just flakes.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 27,2014

Angstron starts offering graphene-enhanced polymers

Angstron Materials began to offer masterbatches of graphene-enhanced polymers. Those materials offer superior mechanical, electrical and thermal properties - above the base polymer. Angstron can provide the materials in a pellet form or as a strand for use in FDM 3D Printing.

Angstron has a team of composite scientists and engineers that can use the in-house compounding equipment and then masterbatch material to order in a timely manner. Through their industrial partners, also rapidly scale-up nanocomposite compounding to meet industrial demand.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 27,2014

Researchers awarded $1.6 million to develop graphene-based dementia diagnostic technique

The UK's EPSRC council awarded £1 million ($1.6 million) to researchers from Plymouth University to develop graphene-based real-time diagnostic technique for dementia. The researchers will create sensors that will detect biomarkers (found in the blood, urine or saliva) that indicate early stage dementia.

The graphene bio-sensors will provide real-time data unlike existing sensors, and conclusive results will be given within minutes of the sample being taken. The researchers will develop several graphene-based sensors, so combining them will increase the test accuracy.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 27,2014

DARPA helps develop graphene-based 4-atoms thick neural electrical and optical sensors

Researchers from University of Wisconsin (with support from DARPA) developed new 4-atom thick graphene-based sensors that are so thin to be virtually transparent - which allows the sensors to perform both electrical and optical brain measurements at the same time.

The graphene-based contacts are used to measure and also stimulate neural tissue. These kinds of sensors could provide new insights into relationships between brain structure and function, and how these evolve by injury or disease.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 26,2014

New self-assembly method to produce pristine graphene nanoribbons with zigzag edges

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.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 25,2014

Will graphene enable biomimetic soft robots?

Researchers from China's Xi'an Jiaotong University suggest a new bio-inspired soft robot platform made from graphene composites. The graphene robot is driven by near-infrared (nIR) light as graphene has excellent photothermal conversion efficiency in the nIR light band.

The team suggests building a microfish made from graphene and polymers. The microfish is controlled by nIR light. This is bilayer (pure-PDMS and GNP-PDMS) platform that is easily produced by scraping coating and spin coating processing. The bilayer platform is a soft photoresponsive material that can work in both air and water.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 25,2014