November 2023

Purdue researchers have examined graphene's thermal properties and found they may not be as revolutionary as previously thought. 

Graphene is often touted as the world's best heat conductor, surpassing diamond - which was previously thought to be able to transfer the most heat the quickest. Diamond’s thermal conductivity is generally understood to be about 2,000 W/(m K). But when scientists started measuring graphene’s thermal conductivity, early estimates reached above 5,000 W/(m K). However, subsequent experimental measurements and modeling have refined graphene’s thermal conductivity and brought the number down to around 3,000, which is still quite better than diamond. The Purdue team focused n this graphene property and found something altogether different.

First Graphene has completed the second phase of its graphene-enhanced cement trials, alongside the UK’s largest cement producer Breedon Cement. The first phase demonstrated a 15% reduction in carbon emissions and 10% increase in cement strength, reinforcing graphene-enhanced cement as a lower-carbon solution for construction companies around the world. The material made during the Phase One trials also successfully met performance criteria in the end systems, demonstrating the viability of producing graphene-enhanced cement at industrial scale.

The Phase Two trials used four tonnes of grinding aid containing PureGRAPH® to produce an additional 600 tonnes of graphene-enhanced cement at the production scale. The focus was on the optimization of dosing methods at an increased graphene loading level, with the resulting formulation change in the grinding aid. This stage builds on the learnings from earlier work, with results expected in January 2024 which will be used to compare performance to the Phase One trials.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are developing a water treatment system based on a mix of graphene oxide and a byproduct made from shrimp shells. Recently, ERDC's graphene research attracted the attention of NASA, leading to a collaboration with the agency to investigate the use of novel graphene materials as high-capacity absorbents for the removal of spacecraft water contaminants.

Graphene could significantly reduce the need for resupply and component sparing in space missions, potentially enabling crewed missions to deeper regions of space. Graphene-enhanced water treatment systems may one day be used to help extend future space missions and lead to safer intergalactic explorations.

The GIANCE research project officially commenced on October 1st, marking a step toward addressing environmental challenges with innovative solutions.

GIANCE is an ambitious initiative that seeks to establish a holistic, integrated and industry-driven platform with a clear focus on improving sustainable materials and their real-world applications. This project is dedicated to designing, developing and scaling up the next generation of cost-effective, sustainable, lightweight and recyclable graphene and related materials (GRM)-based multifunctional composites, coatings, foams and membranes (GRM-bM).

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS), University of Science and Technology of China and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan have developed a way to induce and directly quantify spin splitting in two-dimensional materials.

Using this concept, they have experimentally achieved large tunability and a high degree of spin-polarization in graphene. This research achievement can potentially advance the field of two-dimensional (2D) spintronics, with applications for low-power electronics.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced the launch of the ARC Research Hub for advanced manufacturing with 2D Materials. The hub aims to develop the application of 2D materials for water treatment, batteries, functional paints and coatings and other key areas of economic and technological interest.

“The ARC proudly supports research excellence that positively impacts everyday Australians and this is evident in the establishment of the ARC Research Hub for advanced manufacturing with 2D Materials,” said Dr. Richard Johnson, deputy chief executive officer, ARC. “Among the research outcomes expected to emerge from the hub will be high-powered, low-cost graphene-based supercapacitors, capable of storing energy for use in electric vehicles, as well as improvements in the supply chain of materials used in the manufacturing of these devices, allowing industry to thrive,” continued Dr. Johnson.

NanoXplore has announced a novel dry graphene manufacturing process. The dry process centers on an advanced exfoliation technology with innovative media that enables high yield exfoliation without the introduction of impurities.

The new graphene production approach benefitted from NanoXplore’s intellectual property portfolio and the strategic patents acquisition of XG Sciences. The amalgamation of eight different patents registered and/or granted in Australia, Canada, United States, Taiwan, China, and South Korea together with NanoXplore’s knowledge and experience deliver what the Company defined as "graphene with a mix of performance and cost-effectiveness". 

U.S-based graphene batteries developer Nanotech Energy has stated its intention to secure a new US brownfield gigafactory site early in 2024 that will accelerate its commercialization of graphene-based non-flammable lithium-ion batteries.

The announcement follows Nanotech Energy's successful sale of its Reno, NV, site and represents the Company's ambition to satisfy increased customer demand. It plans to use the site for an up to 6GWh-per-year plant, marking the next step in its journey to bring US-made fast charging, high energy density and inherently safe batteries to market. The Company hopes the new gigafactory will be operational in 2025.

TeamGroup has announced that its portfolio of high-speed solid state drives (SSDs) is expanding, with the launch of four new models, including the T-Force G70 Pro, T-Force G70, T-Force G50 Pro, and T-Force G50. 

TEAMGROUP’s new T-Force G70, G70 Pro, G50 and G50 Pro are the company’s latest SSDs available in the M.2 2280 format. Each of these SSDs comes fitted with patented ultra-thin graphene heatsinks, however the G70 Pro is also available with an aluminium alloy heatsink that also fits within the PS5 SSD expansion slot.

Researchers from Peking University, Beijing Normal University and KU Leuven recently reported a novel method to substantially reinforce large-area graphene membranes. Their work provides a facile method to fabricate large-area graphene membranes and paves the road to practical application in the membrane separation field. 

Nanoporous graphene membranes are attractive for molecular separations, but it remains challenging to maintain sufficient mechanical strength during scalable fabrication and module development. In this work, the team drew inspiration from the composite structure of cell membranes and cell walls, and designed a large-area atomically thin nanoporous graphene membrane supported by a fiber-reinforced structure with strong interlamellar adhesion. It was found that factors like fracture stress, fracture strength, and tensile stiffness of the composite membranes can be enhanced compared with other graphene-based membranes of large scale.