Pleione Energy works with ESA on graphene-enhanced Li-ion batteries

Greece-based Pleione Energy has worked with ESA on a project to industrialize the production of Li-ion battery electrodes incorporating graphene as their main active material, producing in the tens of meters at a time.

Project COORAGE battery pack image

These negative electrodes were used for Li-ion battery cells that were produced and tested according to European Cooperation for Space Standardization, ECSS, standards, representing space-ready quality.

Read the full story Posted: Jul 11,2022

Graphmatech and Wematter partner to develop graphene-enhanced materials for SLS 3D printing

Swedish graphene-solutions provider Graphmatech has partnered with 3D printer manufacturer Wematter to enhance polymer powders with graphene, to make them electrically- and thermally conductive, improve processibility, and more.

Together, the two startups will develop an electrically conductive powder, tailored for Gravity the SLS 3D printer by Wematter. The high-performance powder will enable Telecommunications, Aerospace and Automotive manufacturers to print parts with improved or maintained mechanical properties whilst achieving electrostatic dissipative (ESD), shielding, or even lower resistivity, performance.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 30,2022

Researchers create graphene-metal hybrid device for ultrafast optical modulation

Scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) have developed a graphene-metal hybrid material that can help achieve ultrafast optical modulation. The work represents the world’s first demonstration of ultrafast optical modulation at mid-infrared wavelengths using the graphene-metal hybrid material.

The group’s design could enable new or improved applications in satellite communications and ultrafast molecular spectroscopy to study chemicals and molecules and advance biomedical diagnostics, remote sensing and astronomical applications — for example, in research being conducted on-site on the moon or Mars.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 21,2022

Nova Graphene awarded two contracts to develop graphene-enhanced coatings for helicopter rotors

Canada-based Nova Graphene has been awarded two contracts by Canada’s Department of National Defense's Innovation for Defense Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, to develop graphene-enhanced materials to protect helicopter rotors from erosion & wear due to exposure to sand, ice, and water.

The ability to fly in degraded visual environments (e.g., rain or sand storms) is operationally advantageous, but tends to result in increased damage to the aircraft, especially erosion damage to the rotary wing blades. Each rotary wing blade has an integral leading edge erosion strip, which when damaged requires the replacement of the entire blade.

Read the full story Posted: May 01,2022

Graphene devices to be tested on latest SpaceX mission

Earlier this month, SpaceX launched its Fourth Transporter mission. As a result, in about two months, experiments designed by university students from the Netherlands and Chile, and using graphene test devices manufactured by Applied Nanolayers, will probe the impact of real-space travel and direct space exposure on conductive graphene devices for the first time.

Applied Nanolayers and Technical University of Delft module specialists worked together on the specification of graphene materials and the physical devices required for space flight qualification. The resulting devices will test how graphene components withstand the vibration, radiation and temperature conditions of space, and the data generated will be used to give device developers verified graphene performance data to aid device design. Graphene’s ability to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of sensors used for navigation and astronomical observation is crucially important for future space travel.

Read the full story Posted: Apr 11,2022

Haydale secures Innovate UK grant to develop smart composite tooling

Haydale has announced that it has been awarded funding of £186,403 by Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, to develop smart composite tooling for the aerospace industry using functionalized nanomaterials.

The ESENSE project (Out-of-autoclave self-heated tooling enabling temperature homogeneity and embedded graphene sensors) aims to enhance out-of-autoclave (OOA) manufacturing processes with monitoring and through-life sensing capabilities using Haydale's patented HDPlas functionalization process to develop high temperature inks and pressure sensors. The project is due to start in April 2022 and is expected to run for 24 months.

Read the full story Posted: Apr 11,2022

Researchers use 'aerographene' to create controllable electrical explosions

An international research team, led by Germany's Kiel University (CAU) and including scientists from the University of Southern Denmark, Technische Universität Dresden, University of Trento, Sixonia Tech and Queen Mary University of London, has used aero-graphene to develop a new method for the generation of controllable electrical explosions. "Aerographene" consists of a finely-structured tubular network based on graphene with numerous cavities. This makes it extremely stable, conductive and almost as lightweight as air.

The research team has now taken a major step toward practical applications. They have succeeded in repeatedly heating and cooling aerographene and the air contained inside it to very high temperatures in an extremely short period of time. This enables extremely powerful pumps, compressed air applications or sterilizing air filters in miniature.

Read the full story Posted: Nov 16,2021

Graphene oxide could improve aircraft fuel

A team of researchers at UBC Okanagan (UBCO), studying the burning rate of nanomaterials in liquid fuels, believe they have created a recipe for clean-burning, power-boosting aircraft fuel.

A droplet of fuel mixed with nanomaterials is ignited during an experiment in UBCO’s lab imageA droplet of fuel mixed with nanomaterials is ignited during an experiment in UBCO’s Combustion for Propulsion and Power Lab. Image credit: UBCO

The team is investigating the combustion characteristics of microscopic graphene oxide inside fuel. Their experiment measures the ignition delay, burn rate and speed by which the graphene particles and fuel separate into smaller particles. Working with our industry partner, ZEN Graphene Solutions, we are assessing how the burn rate of this mixture can potentially improve its combustion properties, explains lead author and doctoral student Sepehr Mosadegh.

Read the full story Posted: Nov 02,2021

University of Manchester teams up with SOM to develop graphene-enhanced space habitat

Specialists at The University of Manchester have teamed up with global architect firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to research the design and manufacturing of space habitats for the space industry.

U of M and SOM design graphene-enhanced space habitat imageThe view from inside the viewing deck aboard the Graphene Space Habitat. Credit: SOM and U of Manchester

The international collaboration has Dr. Vivek Koncherry and his team (supported by the Manchester-based Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre) creating a scaled prototype of a graphene-enhanced space habitat with pressurized vessels designed to function in a space environment.

Read the full story Posted: Oct 05,2021

Iceni Labs enters MoU with 2DM to develop graphene-based products for the defense, automotive and aerospace markets

Iceni Labs, a spin-out from Imperial College London, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore’s 2D Materials (2DM) that will see the companies combine their respective expertise to develop and market graphene-based products for the defense, automotive and aerospace markets in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Iceni Labs, a spin-out from Imperial College London, aims to exploit the properties of graphene for devices aimed at the defense market. 2DM manufactures graphene as an additive to enhance the properties of many industrial materials. The MoU will explore the potential to use 2DM’s graphene as an industrial additive to enhance the properties of Iceni Labs-developed industrial products including microphones, weapons optics devices and coatings.

Read the full story Posted: Sep 14,2021