The Spanish Graphenano recently introduced, together with its Chinese partner Chint, graphene polymer batteries that reportedly allow for a range of 800 kilometers in electric vehicles and can be charged in a few minutes. The batteries are meant for domestic use, in the automotive sector (both cars and bicycles), drones or even pacemakers.

The batteries are supposed to be manufactured in Yecla (Murcia), Spain, and the companies hope to have operational prototypes in mid-2016 and commercial batteries at the end of this year. The batteries are said to have a density of 1,000 Wh / kg and a voltage of 2,3V. Independent analyses by TÜV and Dekra show that the batteries are safe and are not prone to explosions like lithium batteries.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, and the IBS Center for Multdimensional Carbon Materials at Ulsan have developed a new way to make high-quality Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene an important material for electronics and photonics.

The researchers have studied a way to make bilayer graphene that yields a high percentage of AB stacked material, and were able to produce sub-millimetre single-crystal AB-stacked bilayer graphene domains. In the CVD chamber used to grow their graphene, the researchers intentionally introduced a small amount of oxygen (parts per million concentrations). This oxygen, when combined with the copper foil substrate on which the graphene was grown, dissociates methane molecule precursors into carbon atoms. These atoms then diffuse through the copper foil and help form a second layer of graphene.

Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that polycrystalline graphene has quite low toughness, or resistance to fracture, despite having very high strength. 

The researchers say that while the extremely high strength is impressive, it can't necessarily be utilized unless it has resistance to fracture. The senior scientist in the Materials Sciences Division of Berkeley Lab developed a statistical model for the toughness of polycrystalline graphene to better understand and predict failure in the material. This mathematical model found that the strength varies with the grain size up to a certain extent, but most importantly it defined graphene's fracture resistance. 

Aixtron, a leading global provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, has announced that the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-IMM) in Catania, Italy, has purchased a BM Pro system in a 6-inch wafer configuration.

The equipment will be used to produce carbon nanotubes and graphene for the WATER (Winning Applications of Nano Technology for Resolutive Hydropurification) project, focused on the use of nanomaterials for water purification. In particular, the research is investigating carbon nanostructures, such as nanotubes and graphene, that have turned out to be the most promising nanomaterials for such applications. 

Haydale's HCS has announced the commissioning of a composite pipe testing facility, that will be used to assess new graphene enhanced composites. The new facility for long term testing consists of 8 independently controlled tanks which can carry out short and long term pressure testing of composite pipes up to 500bar and at temperatures up to 80°C. The facility is versatile and can conduct short term burst pressure (STBP) tests, determine long term hydrostatic pressure (LTHP) rating as well as performing dynamic, fatigue and cyclic testing of composite pipes to a wide range of international standards including API 15S, ISO 14692 and ASTM D2992.

HCS is active in the design, development, testing and certification of reinforced thermoplastic and thermosetting composite pipes for the oil and gas industry. The new facility should enable HCS to accelerate the development and approval of new materials and designs that can be used in the construction of oil and gas pipelines. HCS is currently developing new graphene-enhanced polymer materials for use in pipeline construction and this facility will assist greatly in the testing, approval and certification of these novel materials.

We're happy to announce the launch of Graphene-Info's Graphene Investment Guide, a comprehensive guide to the world of graphene investments. The graphene market and industry are still in early stages - but savvy investors are hurrying to find the companies that will profit the most from the oncoming revolution. Our investment guide will help establish a graphene investment paradigm and assist in launching a successful graphene portfolio.

The Graphene Investment Guide includes:

• An introduction to graphene
• An overview of graphene's most exciting applications
• An analysis of graphene's potential
• Market forecasts from leading analysts
• Detailed descriptions and financials of all public graphene companies
• The latest financial reports and company presentations
• Graphene-Info's own investment thesis and action plan
• One hour of consultation (phone/mail) with graphene-info's Ron Mertens