Gerdau Graphene has announced that it has created a new water-based graphene-enhanced architectural paint that is significantly more durable and resistant to abrasion than traditional paints. The new paint could be used on concrete, cement, metal, and asphalt, such as on sidewalks, bicycle lanes, garages, staircases, sports courts, and a wide array of commercial and industrial areas.

Its parent company, Gerdau, reportedly began applying the new paint to its factory floors in March, making it the world’s first large-scale use of a water-based graphene-enhanced architectural paint. The company is already selling its proprietary graphene additives as development prototypes to major paint producers in the Americas.

Sparc Technologies has reported that significant progress is being made on the way to a successful commercialization of its graphene additive coating products.

Sparc has addressed the issue of graphene's tendency of re-agglomeration, that makes achieving homogeneous dispersions more challenging. Sparc's developments could benefit not only coatings companies, but also companies involved in composite materials.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University have developed a graphene-based electronic tattoo that can be worn on the wrist for hours and deliver continuous blood pressure measurements at an accuracy level exceeding nearly all available options on the market today. This could signify an alternative for the currently used cuff-based devices that constrict around the arm to give a reading, as well as improve accuracy levels.

The wearable is based on electrical bioimpedance and leverages atomically thin, self-adhesive, lightweight and unobtrusive graphene electronic tattoos as human bioelectronic interfaces. The graphene electronic tattoos are used to monitor arterial BP for >300 min, a period tenfold longer than reported in previous studies.

Graphenest and Delta Tecnic have announced a strategic partnership that will explore the commercialization of graphene-based polymer compounds with "unprecedented electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance".

This new product line already includes a PVC material that reportedly has extremely good electrical features that make it suitable for use as an EMI shielding solution in the cable industry.

2D fab has announced a relocation to bigger better premises that include an industrial-sized production plant, R&D laboratory, and office space for its expanding group of employees. 2D fab's CEO, Mikael Algvere, said: "The new plant gives us the rare ability to quickly scale up manufacturing at any given moment, which is one of our greatest assets in the long run".

In addition to the spacious production area, a laboratory has been set up as part of the company’s R&D investment. The laboratory’s primary function is to continuously develop new graphene products. Another benefit with the new premises is that it allows 2D fab to gather all its personnel under the same roof. Before, production and office were set in different buildings.

Scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) have developed a graphene-metal hybrid material that can help achieve ultrafast optical modulation. The work represents the world’s first demonstration of ultrafast optical modulation at mid-infrared wavelengths using the graphene-metal hybrid material.

The group’s design could enable new or improved applications in satellite communications and ultrafast molecular spectroscopy to study chemicals and molecules and advance biomedical diagnostics, remote sensing and astronomical applications — for example, in research being conducted on-site on the moon or Mars.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for the establishment of a graphene research and innovation center in India.

Digital University Kerala, the country's first on-campus digital university, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technologies (C-MET) and Tata Steel are the implementation partners of the center.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced that it has commissioned its graphene aluminium-ion batteries in pouch cell format and that the first G+Al battery pouch cells have been manufactured.

With the addition of the pouch cell equipment to the existing pilot production and testing plant, GMG has made the Battery Development Centre operational, to enable the manufacturing of this technology for a wide variety of applications.

An international research team of the Graphene Flagship project, led by Empa, has conducted a study on the health risks of graphene-containing nanoparticles and found that graphene-based particles released from polymer composites after abrasion induce negligible health effects.

Graphene-related materials (GRMs) are often used to reinforce polymers. In small concentrations of up to five weight percent, GRMs can significantly enhance the strength, electrical conductivity and thermal transport of composites for a variety of applications. However, being a relatively new set of materials, graphene and GRMs need to be carefully assessed in order to identify potential adverse effects prior commercialization.

Graphenea launched two new products out of its Graphene Foundry, which they call mGFET or miniGFET. These are Graphenea's highest value-chain products, which are manufactured and packaged in chip carriers, and can be used together with the freshly released Graphenea Card for seamless sensor development.

The mGFET is available from $99, and as it is a fully-package device, it is ready to be integrated into standard electronics. Order volume can range from a few devices for early prototyping, to JEDEC trays with hundreds of devices which are compatible with automated pick & place routines.