Graphene Composites USA (GC) has been selected to participate in a research and development program between DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick MA and UMass Lowell, to develop materials for the next generation of U.S. military footwear.
The program, SWIFT [Supporting Warfighters through Innovative Footwear Technologies], is offered by the HEROES (Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower Soldiers) initiative and will see GC extend its patented GC Composite graphene and aerogel technology to develop ultra-lightweight, durable, insulative materials for use in extreme cold weather.
Lightweight, effective, and durable thermal insulation is essential for extreme cold weather training and operations. This industry-academia collaborative program seeks to bring new innovations and next generation footwear solutions to US Warfighters with significantly enhanced performance in terms of protection, comfort, durability, and/or weight reduction that can be manufactured in the USA.
GC aims to address the significant scientific obstacle of enhancing the thermal capabilities of footwear in severe conditions, particularly in combating the challenges posed by ineffective insulative materials for extremely cold weather military footwear. Through the characterization and development of GC graphene and aerogel composite designs, the goal is to produce innovative, insulative, and durable materials, tailored to excel in extreme cold weather environments.
Overseen by Fuqiang Liu, Associate Professor, leading the Electrochemical Energy Lab in Mechanical Engineering department at UMass Lowell, the project is named ‘Characterization and Sampling of Graphene Composites Insulative Materials for Extreme Cold Weather Footwear’.
Mox Weber, VP GC USA, said: “GC Composites stand out due to their unique combination of low density, better insulative abilities, and robust durability. We will apply our nanomaterials and advanced materials engineering expertise to graphene and aerogel composites to achieve super thermal insulation and enhanced durability of the nano-porous structure".
“HEROES is excited to embark on this University-Industry-Government partnership with cutting technologies from industry partners such as Graphene Composites” says Ramaswamy Nagarajan, Ph.D. Distinguished University Professor, Co-Director of HEROES. “We are proud to contribute to DEVCOM SC's mission of developing high-performance footwear for our Warfighters and onshoring manufacturing capabilities to the US”.
In June 2024, Graphene Composites and Black Swan Graphene partnered to develop graphene-enhanced ballistic protection technology.
