Ionic Industries has signed an LOI with US-based Nanothings for development of graphene supercapacitors for IoT applications. The two companies will work together to develop an energy storage solution that will enable a new generation of IoT tracking technologies based on Nanothings’ proprietary NanoTag devices.

The terms of the LOI cover a range of details about how the technology will be developed and how it might be commercialized jointly.

Scientists from the Center for Nano Energy Materials (CNEM) of Northwestern Polytechnical University in China said they have successfully applied graphene‐enhanced nano-materials to protect ancient wall paintings.

The team used a compound of calcium hydroxide and graphene quantum dots in a water solution and applied the material in ancient wall paintings in three tombs of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). "Research shows that the new material is small (an average of 80 nanometers per particle), uniform in size, and very sticky, thus making it good at reinforcing the wall paintings," Wei Bingqing, a CNEM dean, stated.

Researchers at Brown University, the University of Wisconsin and the National University of Singapore have developed a way of reinforcing hydrogel materials made from alginate, a natural material derived from seaweeds that’s currently used in a variety of biomedical applications, by incorporating graphene oxide into its structure.

This produces a material that can be 3D printed into structures that are stiffer and more fracture resistant than alginate alone - an important achievement as alginate tends to be fragile and thus hard to work with. Furthermore, the material is also capable of becoming stiffer or softer in response to different chemical treatments, meaning it could be used to make smart materials that are able to react to their surroundings in real time. In addition, alginate-GO retains alginate’s ability to repel oils, giving the new material potential as an anti-fouling coating.

First Graphene has announced a new contract introducing its PureGRAPH range of graphene products into the cement industry. FGR confirmed its manufacturing partner newGen Group will supply a wear lining system for dyer chute applications to a large Australian cement producer in their Perth facility. FGR reports that each 50 sqm liner will contain 10-12kg of PureGRAPH product and is expected to be cast and installed in December.

This contract follows other recent announcements made in relation to First Graphene’s research and development collaboration with newGen. According to First Graphene, the client is a leading supplier of cement and lime to Western Australia’s mining, agriculture and construction industries.

Versarien has announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Jinan High-tech Financial Investment ("JHFI") in connection with the Company's ongoing plans to establish a manufacturing center in the Jinan Innovation Zone, Shandong Province, China.

The MOU covers the plans for Versarien and JHFI, together with other parties in China as may be agreed, to establish a joint venture for the manufacture and sale of the Company's Nanene, Graphinks and other related graphene products in Jinan. Subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations it is envisaged that JHFI will provide funding for the venture in a structure to be agreed.

Haydale, the global advanced materials group, has announced the signing of an exclusive license agreement between Haydale Technologies (Thailand) and TKS Siampress Management. The Agreement is for TKS over an initial 3 years and 3 months to access and use the patented anti-counterfeiting technology ("PATit") in commercial applications on an exclusive basis in Thailand and one other territory to be decided by the parties.

The Agreement requires TKS to pay an upfront license fee for grant of the license, payable in three tranches within 120 days of the Agreement. Additionally, the Agreement includes payment of a research service fee due in two payments within 45 days of signing the Agreement for provision of a speciality capacitance ink as part of the anti-counterfeiting technology.

Versarien has announced that it has received an order for the supply of Versarien's graphene nano platelets to a design and manufacturing company for use in fire retardant aircraft interior parts for a major global airline.

The order is for an initial 1 kg of the Company's graphene nano platelets and it is anticipated that further orders will be received to fulfill the end-customers' contract. The specific aircraft interior parts have reportedly gained the necessary certification from a USA-based, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified, fire testing laboratory.

A professor at the University of Guelph in Canada is receiving $1.4 million CAD (a little over $1 million USD) over the next seven years toward his research, which includes developing practical graphene applications. Prof. Aichen Chen was recently named as a tier-1 Canada Research Chair in electrochemistry and nanoscience, a title that came with the $1.4 million in funding.

For the past five years, Chen has been working with graphene — aiming to use it to create innovative green technologies for projects like energy storage and clean drinking water.

A joint collaboration of researchers from SCALE Nanotech, Graphenea and TU Delft have used graphene to make reflective-type displays that operate faster and at much higher resolution than existing technologies.

2500ppi GIMOD prototype showcased at the Mobile World Congress. Credit: Graphene Flagship

Displays consume the most power in electronic gadgets. Portable devices like smartphones and VR visors therefore require most of the energy from batteries. As an alternative solution, reflective-type displays (like those in e-book readers) consume much less power, though they cannot deliver video. Reflective displays that offer the specifications of standard technologies (OLED, LCD) do not exist yet, but graphene may open the door to such possibilities.

Graphene Leaders Canada has launched its GLC+ Water Technologies Platform, which according to the Company "offers a solution to water pollution and remediation and is based on years of expertise in graphene solutions work with a keen focus in water filtration".

The material has been developed as a loose granular adsorbent that can be integrated into existing filtration systems and can be tailored to remove numerous types of contaminants in water. The GLC+ material offers a highly versatile and cost-effective bolt-on solution with the material having the ability to be regenerated for numerous uses.