Graphene applications: what is graphene used for? - Page 21

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced that it has commissioned its graphene-enhanced coating blending plant and it is now operational after making its first 1,000-liter blend.

Updating investors on the commercialization progress and sales development of THERMAL-XR, the Company said the blending plant is expected to have the capacity to produce up to 500,000 liters of THERMAL-XR RESTORE coating a year, subject to graphene production, when operating two blends per eight-hour shift, 250 days per year. This capacity enables future service growth well into the future, it added.

A team of researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley are reportedly leveraging the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to produce higher-quality graphene aerogel than is possible on Earth.

It was announced that this week, the Crew-6 astronauts onboard the space station completed work on the team’s investigation, which was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The results could provide new insights into the underlying physics of graphene aerogel synthesis and lead to the development of novel material products.

At the beginning of June 2023, Asus unveiled the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD, a gaming monitor that uses graphene for thermal management. Now, Asus has added the PG32UCDM and PG34WCDM gaming monitors, each based on a different OLED panel technology. 

The PG32UCDM uses a 32" QD-OLED panel, produced by Samsung Display. The PG34WCDM monitor is based on a 34" MLA (microlens) WOLED curved panel, produced by LG Display. Both monitors make use of a graphene film for heat dissipation.

Advanced Material Development (AMD) has announced signing a further contract with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). AMD’s Radar absorbing technology is now being incorporated by AMD into foam panels and will be used by JPL during the system level electromagnetic compatibility test for the Europa Clipper spacecraft later this year.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft will perform dozens of close flybys of Jupiter’s moon Europa, gathering detailed measurements from multiple instruments, including the radar instrument, to investigate whether the moon could have conditions suitable for life. Europa Clipper’s primary objective is to determine whether there are places below Europa’s surface that could support life.

Sparc Technologies has reported positive results in relation to its ecosparc product. The critical Thermal-Cycling Resistance Testing has reportedly demonstrated significant reductions in cracking when utilizing ecosparc-enhanced coatings in comparison to coatings without ecosparc.

The prevention and postponement of cracking plays a pivotal role in extending the life of protective coatings. A primary cause of coating deterioration, which subsequently leads to corrosion and asset degradation, is the occurrence of cracks on welds and angular surfaces. An accredited third-party laboratory conducted the ThermalCycling Resistance Test.

Bio Graphene Solutions (BGS) has announced a strategic partnership with Brook Restoration, one of the largest structural restoration companies in Canada.

The strategic partnership will enable Brook to leverage BGS’s graphene-enhanced liquid admixture for concrete products in building and public infrastructure projects in Ontario. Brook has also made a strategic investment in BGS’s current financing - further solidifying Brook’s commitment to innovation and sustainability within the construction space.

The MINIGRAPH project (Minimally Invasive Neuromodulation Implant and implantation procedure based on ground-breaking GRAPHene technology for treating brain disorders) aims to pave the way for a new generation of adaptive neuroelectronic therapies, resolving the most important limitations of current technology. The project revolves around the development of a new generation of graphene-based brain implants.

The project started in October 2022 and will go on for 36 months. It is a HORIZON-EIC project, with an estimated cost of €3,928,402.50. Among its members are ICN2, IMEC, Fraunhofer, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, MSRL and more. Recently, Scientists from the Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute – CATRIN at Palacký University also announced that they will participate in the project.

Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich, in collaboration with partners from Peking University, the University of Warwick and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, have succeeded in attaching electrodes to individual atomically precise graphene nanoribbons, paving the way for precise characterization of the ribbons and their possible use in quantum technology.

Researchers attach carbon nanotube electrodes to individual atomically precise nanoribbons. (Image credit: Empa, from: Nanowerk)

In the coming decades, quantum technology is expected to provide various technological breakthroughs: smaller and more precise sensors, highly secure communication networks, and powerful computers that can help develop new drugs and materials, control financial markets, and predict the weather much faster than current computing technology ever could. To achieve this, there is a need so-called quantum materials: substances that exhibit pronounced quantum physical effects. One such material is graphene. Giving it a ribbon-like shape,  for example, gives rise to a range of controllable quantum effects.

The Graphene Flagship, Europe's $1 billion graphene research initiative, has summed up its progress in advancing graphene-based innovations for automotive in the last ten years. The project examines, among other topics, how graphene can address key challenges in the automotive sector, such as fuel efficiency, recycling, and environmental impact.

Graphene has the potential to drive significant advancements in the automotive industry — from strengthening structural components to improving electrochemical energy storage (i.e., Batteries) efficiency and safety in electric cars as well as enhancing the performance of the self-driving car. The Graphene Flagship has orchestrated a number of projects researching the benefits of graphene in automotive applications and how vehicles can be improved. The Graphene Flagship reports it is now seeing this research and development come to fruition. Listed below are the automotive-related advancements that were achieved.

Researchers at  Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Arizona State University have developed a technique that combines two approaches to nanofabrication - top-down and bottom-up methods - to enable atomic-scale precision manufacturing using a focused electron beam.

Top-down methods, such as lithography, employ external influences to modify materials. While they offer precision patterning, their resolution is often constrained by factors like beam size and scattering effects. On the other hand, bottom-up methods capitalize on the spontaneous self-assembly of atoms and molecules through chemical reactions, granting atomic-level control. However, the positioning in this method tends to be random rather than directed.
The novel technique demonstrated on twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) harmoniously integrates these two approaches.