Vorbeck Materials

After announcing its collaboration with Reliance last month, to develop graphene-enhanced elastomer materials, Vorbeck Materials launches Vor-flex Engineered HNBR Elastomer: Rubber Reinforced with Vor-x Graphene.

The Vor-flex 50 is planned to be the first in a new family of graphene-enhanced, engineered elastomer products made using Vorbeck’s proprietary Vor-x technology. Vor-x provides Vor-flex 50‘s hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) with extreme strength at low deformation (high modulus) and the ability to withstand temperature spikes up to 200 ⁰F above the rated working temperature of HNBR. Vor-flex 50 has a nominal tensile strength of 3500 psi and a Shore A hardness of 88.

Vorbeck Materials and Bluewater Defense (a leading manufacturer of protective clothing, uniforms and equipage for the United States Department of Defense) recently exhibited at AUSA 2016 their graphene-enhanced next-gen, high performance wearable antennas for military, tactical and commercial use in apparel and equipment, featuring multiple communication bands including LTE capabilities.

Bluewater and Vorbeck partnered to offer robust, high-gain, low-cost, and discrete conformal printed graphene antennas embedded in military apparel and backpacks. Its reported benefits include:

• Increase existing cell phone coverage by up to 200%
• Significant improvements of upload and download speeds
• Omni-directional coverage through the deployment of an array of antennas
• Supports wide frequency range from 800-3000 Mhz
• Durable, flexible, washable and non-corrosive -- environmentally friendly
• Increased battery life by reducing operating power

Vorbeck Materials, a leading producer of graphene and graphene-based products, has signed a joint development agreement with Reliance Industries, one of Asia’s top petrochemical production companies.

The two companies will each be using its unique expertise to develop graphene-enhanced synthetic elastomer products.

Vorbeck Materials entered into a strategic investment and technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel, an independent strategic investment firm that focuses on innovative technology solutions for the US Intelligence community.

As part of the agreement, Vorbeck will adopt its graphene technologies and develop conductive compounds for IQT's customers.

Vorbeck Materials announced the Vor-Power straps, a light-weight flexible power source that can be attached to any existing bag strap to enable a mobile charging station (via 2 USB and one micro USB ports). The Vor-Power strap weighs 450 grams and provides 7,200 mAh. And it's probably the world's first graphene-enhanced battery.

The Vor-Power strap is also very rugged - it is water resistant and can survive a drop of over 24 meters. You can pre-order it now for $89.99 (the regular price, after July 15, will be $129.99). Vorbeck will ship this product by July. They also offer custom versions with your logo or marketing message.

The wall street journal posted an interesting article and video on graphene. The article discusses the current state of research and business, possible graphene applications and the rush to patent related technologies.

The article starts with the Cambridge graphene research center and then discusses several companies and their graphene programs, including IBM, Nokia, BlueStone Global Tech, Vorbeck Materials, Lockheed Martin and Aixtron.

Vorbeck Materials and Batelle (who operates the DoE's PNNL laboratory) signed a commercial license agreement that will Vorbeck to commercialize lithium batteries incorporating Vor-x graphene technology. Those new batteries will charge faster than current Li-Ion batteries. The research effort of PNNL and Vorbeck may also lead to more stable batteries that have a higher energy density and a longer life.

PNNL, together with Princeton University developed a "substantial" graphene-based battery technologies portfolio. This, combined with Vorbeck's own graphene technologies (in conductive inks, printed electronics, composite materials, and energy storage. PNNL's technology uses tiny titanium oxide and carbon structures. Using small quantities of Vor-x graphene can "dramatically improve the performance of the batteries". In fact, Electrodes containing graphene charged and recharged three times as fast as standard titanium dioxide electrodes.

Back in October 2012 we reported that Vorbeck Materials completed their first capacity expansion step in their Jessup, MD facility (annual capacity is now over 40 tons) and they are still on track to build a new 42,000 square foot production facility in Pocomoke City, MD. Now the National Science Foundation (NSF) posted a hightlight on Vorbeck (who's supported by the NSF).

Vorbeck's Vor-ink graphene-based conductive ink for electronics is one of the first (if not the first) graphene product on the market. The Siren anti-theft packaging device, which uses their graphene-based Vor-Ink circuitry started shipping back in December 2011. Now the company posted a nice video - showing how Vor-Ink maintains its properties even after extreme crunching and bending (and washing)...

Lux Research released a new report (Is Graphene the Next Silicon ... Or Just the Next Carbon Nanotube?) on the graphene market, in which they forecast that the graphene market will grow to $126 million in 2020 (up from $9 million in 2012). It's an impressive growth - but the overall market will remain small. Most of the growth will come from graphene nanoplatelets (NGP) for the composites and energy storage applications. Graphene sheets will remain mostly in the lab.

According to Lux, the leading companies will be XG Sciences and Vorbeck Materials. Vorbeck is selling higher margin conductive inks, while XG supplies GNPs to corporate channel partners. Regarding newer startups (such as Graphene Technologies, Grafoid, National Nanomaterials, Xolve and Haydale), Lux says it is simply too early to tell.

Vorbeck Materials made several interesting announcements today. First of all, the company completed their first capacity expansion step in their Jessup, MD facility. The company added new real estate and production equipment and now their annual Vor-ink capacity is over 40 tons. The company is still on track to build a new 42,000 square foot production facility in Pocomoke City, MD - which will commence production in late 2013.

With the added capacity and scale, Vorbeck lowered their volume pricing - which is now five times lower then silver inks. They say that the pricing now challenges existing graphite and amorphous carbon inks. Vorbeck's inks offer ten times the conductivity over the competition, and is extremely flexibility. Vorbeck also added a new product, Vor-ink Screen S102. This is a high resolution ink for fine features.