February 2023

Zhejiang Textile New Material Technology, located in Zhuji, Zhejiang, China, is currently testing its new graphene-enhanced antibacterial socks. The Company explained that the socks are first manufactured in a traditional way, then treated with a graphene antibacterial multifunctional finishing agent.

The Company stated that rigorous tests are currently being performed to see if the required effects are achieved. The team explained that generally, most countries require that the antibacterial effect should reach more than 70%. Zhejiang Textile New Material Technology’s socks reportedly reach more than 90%.

SoundCell, a spin-off of TU Delft, has secured funding of €350,000 from proof-of-concept fund UNIIQ, together with Delft Enterprises. The funds will go towards facilitating the development of its graphene technology for single cell resolution antibiotic sensitivity testing.

SoundCell develops innovative technology that can measure the vibrations produced by living bacteria. This technology makes use of graphene membranes and could have significant implications for the detection and prevention of antibiotic resistance, as it would enable patients to receive effective medication against bacterial infections faster than today’s standard.

Graphenest and Hubron recently announced they have entered a strategic partnership to explore the development and commercialization of graphene-based polymer masterbatch and compounds with unprecedented electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance for electronic enclosures manufacturing. 

The companies explained that this new product line will start with a graphene-based thermoplastic suitable to be implemented as a remarkable EMI shielding solution in medium-high and high frequencies (for 5G and beyond).

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced the receipt of regulatory and local council approvals for the commercial scale manufacturing of batteries at its existing Richlands site in Brisbane, Australia. To date GMG has been adhering to a research and development regulatory approval to make battery cell prototypes. In addition, this site already has council approvals that allow GMG to manufacture its graphene.

These regulatory approvals are seen an important step in GMG’s consideration at an appropriate future time to build and operate a battery manufacturing plant at the GMG Headquarters at Richlands.

Researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have shown that when tungsten diselenide is added to graphene, graphene's electrical properties can be enhanced.

When two or more graphene sheets are stacked on top of each other, the resulting material can exhibit vastly different electronic properties depending on the alignment of those sheets in relation to one another. For instance, when the second sheet of graphene is "twisted" by just 1.05 degrees (a value known as the "magic angle") in relation to the sheet it is laid on top of, the resulting stack can be either a superconductor that conducts electricity with absolutely no resistance whatsoever or an insulator that completely blocks the passage of electricity. Research conducted in 2022 shows that even untwisted graphene bilayers can exhibit superconductivity. Untwisted bilayers of graphene are easier to fabricate in bulk than their twisted counterparts, but the superconductive state in these untwisted bilayers is more delicate, harder to tune, and only occurs at temperatures that are about a hundred times lower than in twisted structures (such temperatures typically can only be achieved through the use of liquid helium). The recent research shows a way to significantly improve upon this fragile superconductivity with tungsten diselenide.

This is a sponsored post by the Chinese Graphene Industry Association

In recent years, China has been working towards changing its IP protection system in order to encourage innovation and foreign collaboration. In the past, China has realized technology transfer mainly through acquisitions and establishing a large market for new technologies. Now the country is moving ahead with legislation to protect IP rights and eliminate unnecessary concerns in that field.

China has been putting a special emphasis on protecting IP by foreign-funded companies, creating a good environment for foreign capital investment and new businesses.

In November 2022, Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) announced that it aimed to raise money to fund its operations, but was unable to do so. AGM Later said it received non-binding indicative proposals for its sale, and now the company has announced that Universal Matter has agreed to acquire the company's assets for $1.3 million.

AGM says that that the funds from the disposal of its business and main operating subsidiary will be mostly used to repay creditors, the company's staff and operating costs until the company can be wound down.

Talga Group has announced the completion of an institutional placement of A$40 million (around USD$27,316,000) from the issue of 25.8 million new fully paid ordinary Talga shares. The oversubscribed Placement, managed by Euroz Hartleys Limited, was reportedly supported by a range of new and existing sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. 

The proceeds will be used to fund Vittangi Anode Project early works, including earthworks and site infrastructure at the Luleå anode refinery site, commencement of procurement of anode equipment and detailed engineering, scaled up EVA production, silicon anode scale-up including securing commercial site, and general working capital (including costs of the Placement).

Paragraf has announced a second manufacturing site in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK.    

The new site will allow Paragraf to massively increase the size of its clean room facilities and other manufacturing areas while providing additional office space. The Company plans for its staff to begin to move in during the first quarter of 2023 and production is expected to ramp up in the second half of the year. The initial expansion of staff into the Huntingdon facility will enable accelerated development of the research, development and production areas on the current Somersham site to cope with increasing customer demand as fit out of operations at the new site progresses.  

German chemicals company, Evonik, has invested an undisclosed sum in China-based battery specialist SuperC.

The Chinese company produces graphene materials for, among other applications, lithium-ion batteries. The materials are said to have the potential to solve key limitations of electric vehicles and accelerate the shift to climate-friendly mobility.