Graphene Coating: introduction and market status - Page 15

Hong Kong-based advanced materials company Surwon Technology announced that a version of a new membrane coating it has tested in heavy-duty desalination applications could soon be part of new water filtration products specially-developed for the consumer market.

The ultra-thin, graphene-based coating has reportedly continued to perform well in ongoing controlled tests at various desalination plants on the Chinese mainland and the company says it is convinced the technology can make a substantial contribution to reducing the cost of thermal and reverse osmosis systems.

Elcora Advanced Materials has announced that it has entered into a strategic relationship with Elephant Red Maple Leaves New Material Technology (Suzhou, China). The objective of this collaboration is to develop graphene coatings applications.

Elcora and its strategic partners are now pursuing the use of graphene in the coatings business for functional and production efficiencies for instance, by replacing or reducing toxic materials such as cuprous oxide and zinc. The partners will also further explore graphite powder anodes opportunities in Asia and develop graphene enhanced components for Lithium-ion batteries. Elephant Red has many industrial clients and a growing network of about 300 distributors in China.

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) recently announced the launch of two new series within its Genable platform dispersion technology range. The Genable 1000 series, meant to significantly enhance and reduce the content of existing anti-corrosion additives, and the Genable 2000 series, developed to deliver excellent anti-corrosion performance specifically on aluminium substrates.

AGM states that once formulated optimally into anti-corrosion coating systems, Genable dispersions have demonstrated substantial performance gains, providing extensions in coating lifetime of over 3 times under cyclic salt spray testing (ASTM G-85-94 Prohesion). Early adopters are reportedly already successfully applying these materials in real-world applications.

Mr. Xu Jiang, president and general manager of China’s XFNano, was kind enough to answer a few questions we had for him regarding XFNano’s graphene materials, technology and business. Mr. Jiang founded XFNano in 2009, and he holds a master’s degree from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

Q: Hello Mr. Jiang, thank you for your time. Can you update us on your graphene production process and facilities?

In 2016, XFNANO put its new production line into operation, which yields an annual production capacity of 50 tons of high-quality graphene powder and 1,000 tons of graphene dispersion. We believe this can meet our customers’ demands for large quantities.

An interesting project under the H2020 initiative is GRAPHENART - focused on examining graphene as an anti-fading agent for the protection of artworks. The project, funded at about €150,000, started at October 2017 and will go on until March 2019.

The reasoning behind the project is that fading, yellowing and discoloration are common degradation effects that result from exposure to UV and visible light and oxidizing agents, resulting in the irreversible alteration of the appearance of contemporary artworks. The GRAPHENART project aims to develop innovative, multi-functional graphene-based products (graphene ‘veils’ and inclusions) that provide UV shielding, de-acidification, oxygen and humidity barriers for the protection of old and modern paintings and artworks.

The PolyGraph project, a 4-year development project with aims to develop new production techniques to deliver industrial scale quantities of graphene-reinforced thermosetting polymers, has published its results.

The POLYGRAPH (Up-Scaled Production of Graphene Reinforced Thermosetting Polymers for Composite, Coating and Adhesive Applications) project brought together 14 partners, including SMEs, companies, universities and a research center, and has reportedly led to the identification of the most suitable materials and production techniques for graphene-based coatings, adhesives and composites. Once the graphene market reaches maturity and material prices drop , these new products could appeal to a vast range of industries.

In July 2017, Applied Graphene Materials partnered with HMG Paints to develop and commercialize graphene-containing coatings for a variety of industries. Now, the two companies announced that they are continuing to work together and are progressing towards commercialization of the formulation in a range of protective and anti-corrosion coatings.

Following an initial stage of controlled environment testing, which reportedly produced some extremely positive results, the two companies are now testing their products in real world environments. Tests are initially focused on the application of graphene-enhanced coatings in both the commercial vehicle and construction equipment markets.

Applied Graphene Materials has announced the launch of the Genable platform dispersion technology for the incorporation of graphene into coatings formulations. This launch reportedly Follows 3 years of development work, driven by direct engagement with global industry partners. Applied

Achieving the consistent and successful incorporation of graphene into existing manufacturing processes and formulations is well recognized as a challenge for companies seeking to incorporate graphene nanoplatelets in their products. The materials technology behind AGM’s Genable range has been developed to address this critical area. Genable dispersions are said to achieve long term stablity and are designed to be delivered easily into existing manufacturing processes.

Researchers from the Chinese Harbin Institute of Technology have developed an intriguing material that combines a soft, self-healing polymer with a tough layer of graphene oxide and could one day form the basis of ultra-tough scratch resistant coatings.

The Harbin team sees the material as a combination of the best properties of skin which can heal itself from the inside out with tooth enamel, which is hard but cannot self-repair. "For a material to self-heal, it generally needs to be a highly dynamic polymer network", say the researchers. "Unfortunately, this also means self-healing coatings are typically made of soft materials".

Haydale Graphene Industries has provided an update on trading for the six months ended 31 December 2017, as well as the general progress updates.

The main highlights include the report that Haydale is on track with its strategy and trading is in line with market expectations for the full year to 30 June 2018. The creation of two Strategic Business Units (‘SBU’) with respective senior management teams to drive sales and realize geographic potential has reportedly led to an uptake in sales and commercial opportunities.