Graphene applications: what is graphene used for? - Page 18

Researchers at Graphenea, University of Utah and Kairos Sensors have examined a perovskite-based graphene field effect transistor (P-GFET) device for X-ray detection. 

The device architecture consisted of a commercially available GFET-S20 chip, produced by Graphenea, with a layer of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) perovskite spin coated onto the top of it. This device was exposed to the field of a molybdenum target X-ray tube with beam settings between 20 and 60 kVp (X-ray tube voltage) and 30–300 μA (X-ray tube current). Dose measurements were taken with an ion-chamber and thermo-luminescent dosimeters and used to determine the sensitivity of the device as a function of the X-ray tube voltage and current, as well as source-drain voltage. 

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has provided a business update on the commercialization progress of THERMAL-XR powered by GMG Graphene.

GMG has announced it has received forward orders of over AU$400k (around USD$255,000) for THERMAL-XR from various distributors and customers worldwide. Most of the value of these orders is conditional on the in-country approval for the THERMAL-XR to be imported from Australia and sold into that country for the product's initial launch.

Researchers at Texas A&M University recently discovered that when charging a supercapacitor, it stores energy and responds by stretching and expanding. This insight could be help design new materials for flexible electronics or other devices that need to be both strong and store energy efficiently.

The team measured stresses that developed in graphene-based supercapacitor electrodes and correlated the stresses to how ions move in and out of the material. For example, when a capacitor is cycled, each electrode stores and releases ions that can cause it to swell and contract. According to the team, this repeated motion can cause the build-up of mechanical stresses, resulting in device failure. To combat this, the research looks to create an instrument that measures mechanical stresses and strains in energy storage materials as they charge and discharge.

U.S-based ONE Condoms has launched graphene-enhanced condoms, after nearly a decade of research and development. 

ONE Condoms' website says that "ONE scientists molecularly bonded graphene, the thinnest and strongest material on earth, with Sensatex®, our proprietary, ultra-soft, vegan latex". The Company explained that when bonded together, graphene molecules fill the space between latex molecules, creating a new material that advances thinness, flexibility, and thermal conductivity. 

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S, the University of Nevada, George Mason University and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have developed a “quantum ruler” to measure and explore the unique properties of twisted materials like 'magic angle' graphene. 

The work may also lead to a new, miniaturized standard for electrical resistance that could calibrate electronic devices directly on the factory floor, eliminating the need to send them to an off-site standards laboratory.

Mito Material Solutions' graphene technology has reportedly been used in fishing rods by St. Croix Fly, a U.S-based company that develops and manufactures fly fishing rods. The new graphene-enhanced line includes Evo and its saltwater-equivalent, Evo Salt, two new premium fly rod designs.

St. Croix’s rods are constructed from SCIII+. Exclusive to the company, SCIII+ is a hybrid carbon fiber material combining high modulus high-strain SCIII carbon fiber and super high modulus SCVI exotic carbon fiber. By itself, SCIII+ carbon fiber is said to produce lighter, more sensitive and better-balanced rods without sacrificing strength or durability. Unlike other fly rods built with pre-applied graphene integrated into carbon fiber prepreg, Evos and Evos Salt are powered by Mito’s functionalized graphene, which is applied in-house at St. Croix at total weight-loading accuracies within 0.01%, delivering radical hoop strength, optimized loop stability and complete accuracy. The process also fits within St. Croix’s vertical-control philosophy, affords extreme consistency and ultimately delivers anglers with more of the benefits graphene can provide — namely faster recovery, increased torsional rigidity and improved strength-to-weight ratios.

Researchers from China's Lanzhou University and Japan's Tokyo University of Science have harnessed the surface binding property and redox activity of platinum (Pt)-doped gold (Au) nanoclusters, Au₂₄Pt(PET)₁₈ (PET: phenylethanethiolate, SCH₂CH₂Ph), as a high-efficiency electrocatalyst in lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). 

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) can store three to five times more energy than traditional lithium-ion batteries and so they have emerged as a promising energy storage solution. LSBs use lithium as the anode and sulfur as the cathode, but this combination poses challenges. One significant issue is the “shuttle effect,” in which intermediate lithium polysulfide (LiPS) species formed during cycling migrate between the anode and cathode, resulting in capacity fading, low life cycle, and poor rate performance. Other problems include the expansion of the sulfur cathode during lithium-ion absorption and the formation of insulating lithium–sulfur species and lithium dendrites during battery operation.  While various strategies, such as cathode composites, electrolyte additives, and solid-state electrolytes, have been employed to address these challenges, they usually involve trade-offs and considerations that limit further development of LSBs.

First Graphene has announced it has entered a Joint Development and Commercialization Agreement with the UK’s largest cement manufacturer, Breedon Group at their Hope Cement Works in the Peak District National Park.

The agreement will facilitate First Graphene’s development of a range of graphene-enhanced solutions to reduce the clinker factor of Breedon’s cement and as a result reduce its carbon emissions footprint.

Gerdau Graphene, in collaboration with Gerdau (its parent company and a major Brazilian steel manufacturer), has unveiled graphene-infused packaging for Gerdau’s nail product line manufactured at three facilities in Brazil. Utilizing the new packaging is expected to reduce Gerdau’s direct plastic consumption by around 25%, or more than 72 tons per year.

Produced with proprietary G2D technology, the new packaging incorporates 1% Poly-G PE-07GM, the company’s inaugural polymer masterbatch with graphene dispersed in polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Poly-G is suitable for the production of films, profiles, and sheets formed through the extrusion processes. The new thermoplastic products created using Poly-G PE-07GM are reportedly proven to be stronger and offer greater overall performance while costing less to manufacture and producing significantly less waste across the value chain. In addition, the products are lighter and longer-lasting, reducing total plastic waste by up to 40%.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego and the University of Southern Mississippi recently designed a graphene-enhanced structural supercapacitor. Structural supercapacitors hold promise to expand the energy capacity of a system by integrating load-bearing and energy-storage functions in a multifunctional structure, resulting in weight savings and safety improvements. 

As a proof of concept, the researchers used their structural supercapacitor to build a miniature solar-powered boat. The supercapacitor was molded to form the boat’s hull and then fitted with a small motor and circuit. The circuit was connected to a solar cell. When exposed to sunlight, the solar cell charges the supercapacitor, which in turn powers the boat’s motor. In tests, the boat was able to cruise across the water, demonstrating the efficacy of this innovative energy storage solution.