Directa Plus - Page 4

Directa Plus recently announced that it has qualified for a total of €0.7 million in loans under the Italian government's Covid-19 recovery plan. The Company said it took advantage of the low-cost liquidity offered by the Italian Government, to accelerate its strategic program.

It said the funds were being provided in two tranches by Intesa Sanpaolo, being a €0.5 million loan and a €0.2 million leasing loan to fund the acquisition of new machinery for the company's production facility.

Annemiek van Vleuten of the Dutch Cycling Team recently won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the road race, wearing a shirt printed with Directa Plus' graphene-enhanced Thermal Planar Circuit technology.

The shirts for the Dutch National Cycling Team used a high performance print made using Directa Plus' sustainable G+ graphene. TPC absorbs the heat produced by the body, distributing it inside the garment and dissipating it by interacting with the surrounding environment.

Directa Plus recently stated that a research paper has been published in the journal iScience, supporting the use of its ‘functionalized’ graphene as an antimicrobial material in face masks.

The peer-reviewed paper said the company's G+ nanomaterials and those from graphene oxide provide a critical opportunity to significantly increase face mask efficacy.

Directa Plus recently updated that NexTech Batteries, with which Directa established a partnership for developing next-generation batteries, has established an Italian subsidiary to explore the feasibility of producing cathode active materials in Italy, where Directa Plus' graphene technology will be an important component.

NexTech's subsidiary, called NexTech Italia SpA, will look at producing these materials using Directa Plus' graphene nanoplatelets for the manufacture of lithium-sulphur batteries throughout Europe, "in order to accelerate the technology's commercialization".

Directa Plus has announced it has received positive test results confirming that its graphene nanoplatelets are not absorbed through human skin. The Company said this was the eighth in vitro test to show that there is no absorption potential for the Pure G+ powder.

The study was carried out by an independent third party and followed international standards, using human skin reconstructed in the lab. Directa Plus said successful results from in vitro tests of its hypoallergenic, non-toxic products are vital for their use in textile markets, where customers have to be certain of the safety of the apparel they produce and market.

Directa Plus progressed its partnership with U.S-based Lithium Sulphur batteries company NexTech Batteries by signing a 3-year Supply and Strategic R&D agreement for developing next-generation batteries for green mobility, grid storage, aviation and consumer products.

The Supply Agreement, based on a worldwide bilateral exclusivity in the lithium battery field, has an initial duration of three years, with an option to be extended for two years longer. The R&D Agreement, also with a duration of three years, provides for Joint Lab activities with the intention of developing new specific grades of G+ graphene nanoplatelets. Both parties will dedicate selected scientists from their R&D teams and part of their respective facilities to the enterprise.

Directa Plus has received a grant for its face masks as part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The Company said that the grant has a total value of €100,000, on a non-refundable basis, and covers a project which is expected to be concluded within the next 8 months. As part of the Inno4Cov-19 Project, the grant will be used to assist Directa's research into using graphene technology to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Italy-based graphene developer Directa Plus says that it has made "continued good progress" during H2 2020, with new orders and agreements across all of the company's verticals. Directa+ expects its 2020 revenues to reach around €6 million, exceeding current consensus market expectations.

Directa+ says that the improvement has been primarily driven by the sales of G+ enhanced face masks, including Co-masks, which have proven very popular with both individual and corporate customers and have generated strong demand. The strengthening performance of Setcar, the Environmental division, has also contributed to the improved revenue expectations for the current year.

Directa Plus, which has recently signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with lithium sulphur batteries company NexTech Batteries, has announced that using its G+ pristine graphene nanoplatelets, NexTech managed to achieve more than 400 watt-hours per kilogram in a practical system, "the holy grail" for many battery applications.

NexTech produced several prototypes using its proprietary cathode and electrolyte materials producing 410Wh/kg of specific energy at a weight only slightly below 30 grams. For comparison, standard lithium-ion batteries have an energy density of 100-265 Wh/kg.

Italy-based Directa Plus recently signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with NexTech Batteries, a company active in the field of lithium sulphur batteries based in Nevada, US.

Under the terms of the agreement, Directa would supply its G+ graphene nanoplatelets to Nextech Batteries.