Graphene batteries: Introduction and Market News - Page 47

The University of Wollongong from NSW, Australia, developed a new patented process to manufacture surfactant-free graphene. The University licensed the technology to newly founded NanoCarbon Pty Limited (not to be confused with Poland's Nano-Carbon) which will commercialize the technology.

NanoCarbon aims to start producing graphene in 2015 in Australia in a pilot line. Until then, they will source the graphene materials from the University. The company will also be involved with graphene applications - such as high barrier films, lithium ion batteries, and water purification.

In December 2013, Graphene Nanochem, in cooperation with the National Innovation Agency of Malaysia agreed to launch Malaysia's national graphene hub, with hopes that Malaysia will turn into a global graphene innovation hub. Now the Malaysian government has launched the National Graphene Action Plan (NGAP) 2020, a "strategic and calculated venture on graphene".

The NGAP 2020 outlined five potential industries that could best benefit from graphene — rubber additives, Li-ion battery anode/ultra-capacitors, conductive inks, nanofluids and plastic additives. The government says that according to their studies, by 2020 Malaysia could capture a $20 million nanofluids market, a $90 million plastic market and a $4.4 billion rubber market.

Vorbeck Materials announced the Vor-Power straps, a light-weight flexible power source that can be attached to any existing bag strap to enable a mobile charging station (via 2 USB and one micro USB ports). The Vor-Power strap weighs 450 grams and provides 7,200 mAh. And it's probably the world's first graphene-enhanced battery.

The Vor-Power strap is also very rugged - it is water resistant and can survive a drop of over 24 meters. You can pre-order it now for $89.99 (the regular price, after July 15, will be $129.99). Vorbeck will ship this product by July. They also offer custom versions with your logo or marketing message.

Perpetuus Carbon Group and OXIS Energy agreed to co-develop graphene-based electrodes for lithium-sulphur (Li-S) batteries.

OXIS is already developing Li-S batteries, and the collaboration with Perpetuus will enable them to develop even higher performing devices. Perpetuus says that those next-gen graphene-enabled batteries will offer an energy density in the order of 400 watt-hours per Kg - significantly higher than current Li-Ion batteries. This may enable electric cars to drive up to 800 kilometers on a single battery charge.

In February UK-based Perpetuus Carbon Technologies entered the graphene supply market, and a month later the company launched two graphene based products - a graphene based ink and an ITO alternative polymer coating.

Today Perpetuus said it is going to give £2.5 million($4.2 million) - or up to 100 Kgs - of surface modified graphenes to the UK graphene academic research community. Perpetuus will invite twenty research organizations to collect 5kg of high quality friable surface modified graphenes each. Such a 5 Kg package is worth up to £125,000.

Angstron Materials rolled out several new graphene products. The products (which will actually become available over the next few months) include a line of graphene-enhanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Angstron calls the Li-Ion battery materials "NANO GCA" and they say that this product line combines high capacity silicon materials with mechanically reinforcing, and electrically conductive graphene. This results in a high capacity anode capable of supporting hundreds of charge/discharge cycles.

Update: It turns out that Konstantin Novoselov did not join the new research institute, he just visited to give a lecture...

In 2013, Shanghai-based Powerbooster Technology developed a graphene-based flexible touch-panels for mobile devices, with ambitious plans to mass produce those panels. The graphene supplier for powerbooster is Bluestone Global Tech (BGT).

Now it is reported that BGT, Power Booster and Xiamen University established the Graphene Industrial Technology Research Institute in Xiamen. The will mainly develop the applications of graphene in batteries, touch screens, cancer treatment, LED lamps, sea water desalination and more.

Japan's National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) singed an agreement with China's Southeast University (SEU) to co-design graphene based materials as platinum alternatives for electro-catalysts and develop high quality fuel cell electrodes.

A young professor from SEU (who worked at NIMS earlier) aims to design unique molecular structures of electrodes and his aides at NIMS will examine the performance of the electrodes and fuel cell devices.

Researchers from the University of Southern California developed better performing and cheaper Li-Ion batteries. The researchers developed new cathode and anode materials.

The anode in the new batteries is made from Silicon, and they say that this anode is three times more powerful and longer lasting compared to a typical graphite anodes. The cathode they used is made from sulfur powder coated with graphene oxide.

Researchers from the University of Maryland developed a technique to fold graphene squares into a "box", which opens and closes in response to an electric charge. The researchers packed hydrogen atoms into this "box" - and say that this is the most efficient hydrogen storage device ever - with a storage density of 9.5% hydrogen by weight. This outperforms the DoE's goal for 2020 (7.5%).

The researchers are now working to increase the density and say that they have already demonstrated an even higher density. This research was supported by the US NSF.