University of Central Florida spin-off Garmor will take part in the NPE2015 Startup Garage and showcase its low-cost graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide in addition to products made with graphene oxide polymer and fiberglass composites that can be used in a variety of applications ranging from automotive, aerospace, and military to consumer electronics, medical, and construction.

The company will also share the methods developed for the smooth dispersion of graphene into both polar and non-polar plastics. According to Garmor, the company’s partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF) has played an integral role in perfecting a method to optimize the incorporation of graphene in various polymers, composite materials and coating.

The Canadian Grafoid received a $8.1 million CAD ($6.46 USD) grant from the Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to automate Grafoid's production of its low-cost, high-purity MesoGraf graphene.

This grant is meant to assist in designing and testing the automation system for the production of constant quality MesoGraf. Further, the grant enables the testing of pre-commercial products using MesoGraf graphene from the automated system.

Global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin is testing nanofilters using its patented Perforene (graphene sheets with precisely sized holes as small as 1 nanometer meant for water desalination) for oil and gas industry wastewater management.

Simulated nanoporous graphene filtering salt ions

The company states that the ultimate goal is water desalination, but more feasible and immediate uses can be found in the oil and gas industry, where the requirements in terms of the quality of the graphene and hole sizes are less challenging.

Canada-based Group NanoXplore announced that its new graphene production facility is in full operation. The new plant can produce up to 3 tonnes of graphene GNPs per year, the largest production capacity in Canada and the fifth largest in the world outside of China.

NanoXplore says that their unique process "gently and efficiently" creates pristine graphene from natural flake graphite without creating the crystalline defects that can limit performance. The company's process also functionalises the graphene material during production making subsequent mixing with a broad range of industrial materials simple and efficient. The company makes several standard grades of graphene and also derivative products such as a unique graphite-graphene composite suitable for anodes in Li-ion batteries.

A team of international researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory examined the properties of materials that combine graphene with a common type of semiconducting polymer and found that a thin film of the polymer transported electric charge better when grown on a single layer of graphene than it does when placed on a thin layer of silicon.

The scientists claim that their study is one of the first to measure the charge transport in these materials in the vertical direction the direction that charge travels in organic photovoltaic devices like solar cells or in light-emitting diodes. A somewhat surprising result of the study was that a polymer film about 50 nanometers thick conducted charge about 50 times better when deposited on graphene than the same film about 10 nanometers thick.

The Spanish car company Spania GTA announced the unveiling of its 925 hp model's latest evolution - a super-sportscar with a chassis and bodywork that have been created using graphene with carbon fibre, titanium and Kevlar. The car will be presented in the 85th Geneva International Motor Show from 5th to 15th of March under the name GTA Spano.

The car was enabled by a collaboration between Spania GTA and the Spanish Graphenano. The GTA Spano will be the first car in the world to incorporate this technology into several of its components. The car will be of a limited production line with only 99 cars planned for release. 

Carbon nanomaterials offer many possibilities for printed and flexible electronics, and Due to its high charge carrier mobility, superlative thermal and chemical stability and intrinsic flexibility, graphene is a promising material to develop conducting inks.

Graphene-based inks are being developed by several companies, and some inks are already on offer commercially. Read our latest article on graphene inks here.

Researchers at the Indian Banaras Hindu University (BHU) designed a sensitive and specific graphene oxide-based electrochemical biosensor for detection of specific micro-particles in blood samples and predict the risk of heart attack or brain stroke.

The scientists explain that certain processes that take place in the body prior to brain stroke or cardiac arrest cause the release of microparticles to the blood, which can be detected by the sensor to predict an imminent stroke or heart attack.

Graphene 3D Lab announced signing a contract with U.S based ZeGo Robotics to develop a proof-of-concept 3D printer. The prototype machine will be specifically designed to print with the company's conductive graphene filament and other functionally-enhanced composite materials.

A prototype is meant to be delivered in 3 months, will be owned by Graphene 3D Lab as well as all related intellectual properties. Graphene 3D will also be granted a perpetual, royalty-free license to use any pre-existing ZeGo intellectual property integrated into the machine.

This week's Graphene-info personal interview features Sheriozha Anthony Wijekoon. If you wish to be featured, contact us here. 

• Sheriozha Anthony Wijekoon, Director of RS Mines pvt ltd in Sri Lanka and also Maia Cheese Pvt ltd in India: My role in both companies is to ensure positive and clear company direction, drive and execution of this path.
• What was the last book you read? Last book would be reading to my kids ; ) Aesop’s Fables teaches my kids and also me, to be wise and ethical.