Mechanical strength

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Pusan National University in South Korea recently developed a graphene-enhanced  actuator for robotics applications, that is inspired by mammalian skeletal and muscle structures. The new actuator is based on soft fibers with strong contractive actuation properties.

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The team explained that they based their work on liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators, promising soft actuator materials with unusually large reversible dimensional change (shrink/relaxation) upon actuation, which is rarely observed in other kinds of actuator materials but highly significant to ideally mimic natural skeletal muscle behavior. Many actuators developed in the past are based on LCE materials, a class of polymers that can rapidly change shape in response to environmental stimuli. Despite their shape-morphing advantages, LCE polymers are known to be associated with the relatively poor mechanical properties and weak actuation behavior. To overcome this limitation, the researchers incorporated graphene fillers within the LCE actuators. In addition to enhancing their mechanical properties, the team expected the graphene fillers to enable light-driven, rapid and remotely controllable actuation, owing to the photothermal conversion capability of graphene.

Researchers from China's Xiamen University and Hangzhou Dianzi University, working with Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, have developed graphene-based woven filter membrane with excellent strength and efficiency for water desalination. 

Their development resulted in an efficient water filtering method using these graphene-based woven filter membrane (GWFM), leading to an improvement of water permeation and mechanical properties by the optimization of GWFM membrane and providing a new way to utilize nano-woven membranes for desalination.

Building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with Viritech in September 2021, Haydale, has announced the next phase with the cleantech engineering company to develop nano-enhanced epoxy resins for hydrogen storage vessels.

The £97,750 Storage of Hydrogen and Nanomaterial Enhancement ('SHYNE') project will run for an initial period of seven months, starting in March.

A research team led by the University of Basel has found that the electronic properties of graphene can be specifically modified by stretching the material evenly.

The researchers, led by Professor Christian Schönenberger at the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Basel, have studied how the material’s electronic properties can be manipulated by mechanical stretching. In order to do this, they developed a kind of rack by which they stretch the atomically thin graphene layer in a controlled manner, while measuring its electronic properties.

Northwestern University researchers have added graphene nanoplatelets to cement, resulting in smarter, more durable and highly functional cement.

With cement being the most widely consumed material globally and the cement industry accounting for 8% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, civil and environmental engineering professor Ange-Therese Akono turned to nanoreinforced cement to look for a solution. Akono, the lead author on the study and an assistant professor in the McCormick School of Engineering, said nanomaterials reduce the carbon footprint of cement composites, but until now, little was known about its impact on fracture behavior.

Last month MSI revealed that it is utilizing graphene composites in its RTX 3000 series GPUs. The new graphic cards are now shipping globally (the cost in the US is $1,699).

MSI uses a graphene composite material as the backplate of the GPU, which is traditionally made of plastic. MSI says that the graphene composite is 4X stronger than its previous plastic backplate, and offers much higher (20X) heat dissipation performance.

Update: the MSI RTX 3000 graphene-enhanced GPUs are now shipping

MSI, a global computer hardware manufacturer, has revealed that it is utilizing graphene composites in its RTX 3000 series GPUs.

It seems that the graphene composite parts are replacing the backplate, traditionally made of plastic, and provide greater heat dissipation performance and better stiffness to handle the weight of the entire card while still weighing less than plastics.

A research team jointly led by University of Warwick and EMPA has tackled a challenging issue of stability and reproducibility in working with graphene, that meant that graphene-based junctions were either mechanically stable or electrically stable but not both at the same time.

Credit: University of Warwick

Graphene and graphene like molecules are attractive choices for electronic components in molecular devices, but have proven very challenging to use in large scale production of molecular devices that will work and be robust at room temperatures. The joint research team from the University of Warwick, EMPA and Lancaster and Bern Universities has reached both electrical and mechanical stability in graphene-based junctions.

XG Sciences (XGS) recently announced that it has entered into an Intellectual Property License, Joint Development and Commercialization Agreement with Niagara Bottling, a market leader in beverage packaging innovation and one of the largest beverage companies in the U.S.

The agreement provides XG Sciences with an exclusive license to Niagara’s patents and proprietary know-how related to the use of graphene nanoplatelets in PET in certain bottle applications. Under the agreement, Niagara will assist XGS with field engineering support to install products into the manufacturing lines for new customers greatly reducing the manufacturer’s time to market.

Graphene Composites, a UK-based company developing graphene-enhanced bulletproof shields, has exceeded its crowdfunding target. GC attempted to raise £300,000 on Crowdcube, but ended up raising £510,680 (around 676,625 USD).

Once Graphene Composites had hit its crowdfunding target, the company sent out a message to its supporters saying: Thank You - by investing in GC, you have not only invested in a company that should provide you with a healthy return and strong dividends, you are also enabling us to develop and deliver products that will truly improve the quality of life for many around the world. For example, our GC Shield active shooter protection in schools now, and eventually our Lightning Harvester renewable energy sources. Thank You, from all of us on the GC Team.