Graphene applications: what is graphene used for? - Page 7

Black Swan Graphene has announced a commercial agreement with Broadway Colours, a UK-based manufacturer of color and additive masterbatches, plastic compounds and rotational molding powders. The Company said the partnership aims to leverage Broadway’s technical expertise, manufacturing capabilities, distribution, and market reach to fast-track the commercialization of Black Swan’s graphene products.

Broadway will use Black Swan’s graphene nanoplatelets to manufacture their Graphene Enhanced Masterbatches (GEMs) targeting a variety of sectors including consumer goods, packaging, automotive, construction, defense, marine and logistics. Its new product range will also feature a bio-based polymer GEM, which Black Swan highlighted offers an eco-friendly alternative to the existing products.  

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Inovartic Investment, a technology innovation company, to establish a facility in Abu Dhabi that will produce graphene and graphene-enhanced products.

The strategic collaboration marks a step towards enhancing advanced material manufacturing in the region and beyond and is aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a global hub for cutting-edge industries and technological innovation.

Inbrain Neuroelectronics has designed a brain implant that can both read signals and stimulate brain impulses. Its brain-computer interface (BCI) uses graphene to create a high-resolution interface with the brain. Now, the Company has announced it is gearing up for its first-in-human testing, planed for this summer.

The technology is a type of brain-computer interface (BCI), which have been used for medical diagnostics, as communication devices for people who can’t speak, and to control external equipment, including robotic limbs. However, Inbrain intends to transform its BCI technology into a therapeutic tool for patients with neurological issues such as Parkinson’s disease. 

Researchers from the University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, Khalifa University and Universidade Federal do Ceará have developed a new device using graphene to transform next-generation technologies in hydrogen fuel cells, computing, and catalysis.

Image credit: Khalifa University 

The team's research shows that the properties of a graphene sheet can be fine-tuned with the help of electric fields to independently host proton and electron currents, thus setting the stage for a device that serves both computer memory and logic functions.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carnegie Mellon University, North Carolina State University and Yale University have developed a novel method to enhance the efficiency and stability of solar-driven, carbon-dioxide reduction.

Image credit: Applied Materials and Interfaces

This new technique involves the use of “fuzzy” graphene to improve the performance of semiconductor-based photoelectrodes, which initialize electrochemical transformations following the absorption of light. The term fuzzy refers to a form of graphene that has a rough or irregular surface with a porous and three-dimensional (3D) structure, as opposed to smooth or flat layers, with enhanced properties like surface area, reactivity or adhesion to a silicon molecule, or substrate.

Specialist structural flooring manufacturers Staircraft have been testing the use of Haydale's graphene-based functional ink for application on their innovative chipboard flooring system. Significant investment has reportedly been made to get the new flooring system to adopt a heating solution that is cost effective and easy to install.

In a recent trial, Staircraft has reported very encouraging results and is now focused on continuing to collect definitive data before introducing the concept to their customer base. 

As part of an effort to promote self-reliance, the Indian government's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has granted seven new projects to private MSMEs and start-ups in the defense industry, under the Technology Development Fund scheme. 

One of these projects aims to develop graphene-Based smart & e-textiles for multifunctional wearable applications. Alohatech has been granted funding for this project, which will focus on developing conductive yarn and fabric-making processes using graphene nanomaterials and conductive inks. 

Limb neuroprostheses aim to restore motor and sensory functions in amputated or severely nerve-injured patients. These devices use neural interfaces to record and stimulate nerve action potentials, creating a bidirectional connection with the nervous system. Most neural interfaces are based on standard metal microelectrodes. 

Left: a histological section of the nerve implanted with an electrode longitudinally. Right, an image of the sciatic nerve with an EGNITE electrode implanted transversely to allow stimulation and recording of nerve impulses. Image credit: UAB

Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and ICN2 have demonstrated in animal models how Engineered Graphene for Neural Interface (EGNITE), a derivative of graphene, allows the creation of smaller electrodes, which can interact more selectively with the nerves they stimulate, thus improving the efficacy of the prostheses. The study also demonstrated that EGNITE is biocompatible, showing that its implantation is safe.

Premier Graphene has announced that it has shipped proprietary graphene suspension test samples by HGI Industrial Technologies, a company with a strategic agreement with Premier Graphene, to one of the largest essential materials companies in the world for use in concrete. This materials company is adding graphene samples to concrete to confirm the improved qualities of this concrete as measured by HGI’s in-house tests. 

Premier Graphene stated that with almost 8,000 employees, with a dominant distribution system in North America including almost 800 operating locations, this worldwide leader in the aggregate and cement business presents an extraordinary opportunity for it and HGI. With over a century of operational expertise and a public market value exceeding $50 billion USD, Premier Graphene’s potential partner leads North America in sustainable construction materials, road contracting, and building products sales.

Researchers at AMO GmbH, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Senseair AB and the University of Bundeswehr have developed a waveguide-integrated incandescent thermal mid-infrared emitter using graphene as the active material. This innovative approach is said to significantly enhance the efficiency, compactness, and reliability of gas sensor systems, paving the way for widespread applications across various industries.

Many applications require robust, real-time air quality monitoring solutions, driving the demand for distributed, networked, and compact gas sensors. Traditional gas sensing methods, including catalytic beads and semiconducting metal oxide sensors, suffer from performance degradation, frequent calibration needs, and limited sensor lifetimes due to their reliance on chemical reactions. Absorption spectroscopy offers a promising alternative by utilizing the fundamental absorption lines of several gases in the mid infrared (mid-IR) region, including greenhouse gases. This method provides high specificity, minimal drift, and long-term stability without chemically altering the sensor. The ability to “fingerprint” gases through characteristic absorption wavelengths, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) at 4.2 μm, makes it a promising technology for precise gas detection.