Graphene Foam: Introduction and News

Vorbeck Materials has secured a $6.6 million contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to support the development and deployment of its PFAS-free, graphene-enabled firefighting foam technology. The agreement is expected to strengthen the company’s operations in North Dakota while advancing environmentally safer alternatives to conventional firefighting agents that contain harmful “forever chemicals.”

Vorbeck’s solution includes a flame-retardant formulation that can be mixed with seawater, offering significant advantages for naval applications such as shipboard fire suppression. The technology is also suited for extreme cold environments, where saltwater’s lower freezing point enhances operational reliability.

The Bio.3DGREEN project, which was launched at the end of May 2025 and will run for 42 months, brings together 14 partners from Germany, Spain, UK, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, and Switzerland to develop a new way to produce bio-based components using graphene foam. 

By mimicking sponge-like structures found in nature, known for shock absorption and vibration mitigation, Bio.3DGREEN develops and demonstrates a cost-effective, bio-based solution from vegetable oil-derived graphene. This EU-funded project combines biomimetic engineering and laser-based Additive Manufacturing (AM) to generate durable, lightweight components for applications in automotive, aerospace, and shipping sectors. Inspired by biological structures such as trabecular bone and honeycombs, the manufactured parts exhibit high performance even under extreme environmental conditions.

Researchers form Boise State University and University of Idaho have developed a technique that leverages biocompatible graphene foam to communicate with cells and help induce cartilage formation. 

In this work, the researchers aimed to develop new techniques and materials that can hopefully lead to new treatments for osteoarthritis through tissue engineering. Osteoarthritis is driven by the irreversible degradation of hyaline cartilage in the joints which eventually leads to pain and disability with complete joint replacement being the standard clinical treatment. Using custom designed and 3D printed bioreactors with electrical feedthroughs, they delivered brief daily electrical impulses to cells being cultured on 3D graphene foam.

Researchers at Penn State and Hebei University of Technology recently developed stretchable thermoelectric porous graphene foam-based materials via facile laser scribing for self-powered decoupled strain and temperature sensing. The new sensor material enables precise and separate measurement of temperature and physical strain, a vital development for biosensors, for accurately tracking various health signals.

The team’s innovation is based on laser-induced graphene (LIG), created by using a laser to convert carbon-rich materials, such as plastic or wood, into graphene by heating their surfaces. This simple and scalable process is already used in a variety of applications, including gas sensors and electrochemical detectors. However, the scientists believe they have uncovered a new, critical property of LIG that makes it ideal for multi-signal sensing.

Scientists at the University of Bath, working in collaboration with Integrated Graphene, have created a new type of chemosensor (demonstrated for lactic acid sensing) which functions with electricity but without the need for reference electrodes or battery power. The new design potentially offers lower cost, better shelf-life, and ease of miniaturization compared to enzyme-based sensors. This could open up the possibility for an easy-to-use sensor to be used in remote locations, such as an athletics track, without the need for electricity-powered sensing equipment.

The sensor was able to detect lactic acid, a by-product generated by the body when it metabolizes carbohydrates or glucose for fuel, for example, during exercise. High levels of lactic acid are linked with higher risks of falling unconscious or into a coma and major organ failure.

The GIANCE research project officially commenced on October 1st, marking a step toward addressing environmental challenges with innovative solutions.

GIANCE is an ambitious initiative that seeks to establish a holistic, integrated and industry-driven platform with a clear focus on improving sustainable materials and their real-world applications. This project is dedicated to designing, developing and scaling up the next generation of cost-effective, sustainable, lightweight and recyclable graphene and related materials (GRM)-based multifunctional composites, coatings, foams and membranes (GRM-bM).

Graphite One, a mining company planning a complete domestic U.S. supply chain for advanced graphite materials, has announced that it has received a US$4.7 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency ("DLA") to develop a graphite and graphene-based foam fire suppressant as an alternative to incumbent PFAS fire-suppressant materials, as required by U.S. law.

"Graphite One is pleased to begin work on this Defense Logistics Agency project, which responds to the legally-mandated requirement to develop a new alternative to long-standing foam fire suppressants which are known to have toxic impacts on human health and the environment," said Anthony Huston, President and CEO of Graphite One. "This DLA contract underscores the importance of graphite for innovative technology applications beyond the renewable energy markets – an important part of Graphite One's advanced graphite materials strategy."

Researchers from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), in collaboration with Integrated Graphene, have examined the potential of three-dimensional graphene (3DG) foam (Gii) as an active layer in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and as an energy harvesting power source for autonomous sensors.

The research showed that the force of a human footprint on a pressure-sensitive mat equipped with Gii-TENG sensors can produce enough energy to anonymously keep track of people entering or leaving a room.

Researchers from Purdue University have developed patent-pending, solid-state, continuously tunable thermal devices based on compressible graphene foam composites. The devices can dissipate heat, insulate against cold and function across a wide range of temperatures. 

The devices have the potential to improve battery safety and performance in electronic devices and systems like battery thermal management, space conditioning, vehicle thermal comfort and thermal energy storage.

Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a new graphene-enhanced foam material that could significantly reduce health care-related infections caused by implanted medical devices, as well as drastically improve cleanup efforts following environmental disasters, such as oil spills.

The 3D foam is water repellent and exhibits antimicrobial and oil-water separation properties. Its versatility and relatively inexpensive production costs could make it a valuable resource for clinicians and those specializing in environmental remediation.