Graphene for Automotive

Lyten has announced the official launch of two products at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show: Lyten 3D Graphene™ enhanced 3D printing filament and a structural epoxy adhesive purpose built for high temperature applications in motorsports, defense and aerospace.

Lyten announced PA1205, a Lyten 3D Graphene - infused PA12-based 3D printing filament, alongside the 6120HT high-temperature structural epoxy adhesive. Both products are built on the company’s 3D Graphene platform, designed to increase stiffness, strength, and thermal tolerance of polymers and composites while reducing weight relative to metal or conventional reinforced systems.

Perpetuus Advanced Materials has introduced an amine functionalized graphene material as a potential replacement for 6PPD (6-para-phenylene-diamine) antioxidants in tires. Using plasma-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), Perpetuus claims the masterbatches can entirely replace 6PPD in rubber formulations, thereby preventing the formation of harmful 6PPDQ by-products.

The masterbatch covers over 90% of the dry-mix ingredients used in tire production, replacing several process oils and additives, improving workplace air quality while keeping mixing simple, said the UK company.

NanoXplore has announced it has entered into an exclusive, long-term supply agreement with Club Car, a leading name in the recreational products industry.

This partnership will support the production of graphene-enhanced, high-performance solutions. The addition of Club Car to NanoXplore's customer portfolio marks a milestone in the Company’s diversification strategy, the Company stated, expanding its reach and revenue opportunities beyond its traditional focus in the transportation sector.

It was reported that Ireland-based Senergy recently released a range of products including on-roof solar thermal, integrated solar thermal and automotive technologies making use of First Graphene’s PureGRAPH materials. According to a recent statement by First Graphene, Senergy’s polymer heat exchange materials incorporate PureGRAPH.

First Graphene CEO Michael Bell said Senergy’s commercialization of several new material technologies represented “another demonstration of how our product can be used to improve performance across a range of applications. While the Senergy’s orderbook for PureGRAPH is not yet significant, their aspiration to rollout solar thermal technology to 250,000 homes means demand is set to lift.”

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has announced it is preparing to move its silicon-graphene composite anode material for lithium-ion batteries into mass production, a step that could extend the range of electric vehicles and improve battery performance in consumer electronics.

Silicon has long been regarded as a promising alternative to graphite, the standard anode material in lithium-ion batteries, because it can store roughly 10 times more energy. But its tendency to swell and crack during charging cycles, coupled with low electrical conductivity, has limited its use. Researchers at the government-funded institute said they had overcome those hurdles by combining silicon with graphene. In the composite, graphene forms a mesh-like coating around silicon particles, reducing structural degradation and improving stability.

Astra Polymers, a plastics masterbatch manufacturer from the Middle East, has joined forces with British climate tech startup Levidian to explore the development of graphene-enhanced products for the automotive industry and other growing sectors.  

The agreement aims to advance the market adoption of graphene in the region, bringing together Levidian's graphene production capability with Astra Polymers’ growing portfolio to develop the next generation of more sustainable, higher performing plastic products.  

It was reported that Lyten launched Lyten Motorsports, a new venture designed to bring its material science innovations to motorsports parts. Lyten Motorsports is launching in partnership with INDYCAR Experience, bringing its 25-year experience as a supplier to motorsports circuits around the world.

Lyten’s 3D Graphene is a carbon-based material that can be tuned to meet the specific needs of high-performance applications, impacting material properties like strength, weight, conductivity, and permeability. Lyten is already utilizing its 3D Graphene platform to develop lithium-sulfur batteries. Lyten is using the strength, weight, and conductivity of its materials to design and build parts that further push the limit of strength to weight ratio in motorsports.

Researchers at UCLA and University of California have designed a graphene-nanopocket-protected, pore-confined and electrochemically accessible Pt nanocatalyst supported on Ketjenblack carbon that could dramatically extend the lifespan of fuel cells, making them a more viable clean energy source that can help bring sustainable, long-haul trucking closer to reality.

Schematic illustration of the graphene-protected nanocatalyst structure with a scanning transmission microscope showing the platinum nanoparticle embedded in a pocket of graphene. Image credit: UCLA

Led by Yu Huang, a professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA, the research team's new catalyst design is capable of pushing the projected fuel cell catalyst lifespans to 200,000 hours, which is nearly seven times the U.S. Department of Energy’s target for 2050. The research could mark a significant step toward the widespread adoption of fuel cell technology in heavy-duty vehicles, such as long-haul tractor trailers.

HydroGraph Clean Power, a manufacturer of high-purity graphene, and NEI Corporation, a leader in battery materials and testing services, announced the launch of NANOMYTE® FGA-1AD and NANOMYTE® FGA-1ND, a new line of advanced graphene dispersions. 

These innovative dispersions, a result of the companies’ strategic collaboration, integrate seamlessly into existing electrode slurries, replacing or supplementing traditional conductive carbons to enhance electrode performance. The outcome is improved electrical conductivity, enabling the development of better electrodes and expanding possibilities for high-performance energy storage solutions.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced the results of the multi-year performance testing of G® Lubricant, a graphene liquid concentrate additive designed to enhance the performance of diesel and gasoline (petrol) engines. This product, according to GMG, has the potential to reshape the future of the global liquid fuels industry and offers an innovative solution that optimizes efficiency and power for stationary or mobile engines.

Lubricant 500 ml pack (which can be used to dose 50 liters of engine oil). Image credit: GMG

GMG is in the process of preparing packaging and marketing materials for G® Lubricant, and expects to begin a direct marketing campaign, targeting fleet owners and initially commencing in Australia and then expanding into other markets from April 2025 onwards.