Graphene composites: introduction and market status - Page 13

Two businesses have formed a collaboration to explore the development of a graphene-based archery arrow to aim at the global sporting arrow market which is currently dominated by U.S. Easton.

Arrow products account for one sixth of the $5.2 billion worldwide market of archery equipment and accessories used in sporting, leisure and hunting activities, according to Baek Jong-dae, CEO of archery gears maker Fivics, and Standard Graphene CEO Lee Jung-hoon. The two CEOs believe their technology can compete in this market, once their graphene-based arrows are adopted and used for better performance by players in Korea, the current champion country in Olympic archery.

Tirupati Graphite has commissioned Stage 1 of the Tirupati graphene and mintech research center (TGMRC) in India. Tirupati says this marks the start of revenue generation at TGMRC and allows the company to advance commercialization engagements.

In Stage 1, the facility can initially produce up to 1 kilogram per day of graphene oxide ('GO'), reduced graphene oxide ('rGO') and aluminium graphene composite via the zero-chemical process developed by the company. Ongoing development and expansion of the facility will enable up to 10 kgs per day.

Northwestern University researchers have added graphene nanoplatelets to cement, resulting in smarter, more durable and highly functional cement.

With cement being the most widely consumed material globally and the cement industry accounting for 8% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, civil and environmental engineering professor Ange-Therese Akono turned to nanoreinforced cement to look for a solution. Akono, the lead author on the study and an assistant professor in the McCormick School of Engineering, said nanomaterials reduce the carbon footprint of cement composites, but until now, little was known about its impact on fracture behavior.

NanoXplore has announced that it has entered into a multiyear agreement to supply GrapheneBlack grade of products to Techmer PM, a large U.S-based plastic compounder specializing in modifying and fine-tuning the properties of technical polymers. Techmer PM will market its graphene-enhanced plastic compounds to a variety of industries in a number of diverse end uses and applications.

Techmer PM’s aim is to provide the highest performance properties possible across a wide spectrum of compounds and end products.

SPAC, an Italy-based medium-sized company specializing in the production of technical textiles, has joined the Graphene Flagship's Spearhead Project G+BOARD that aims to build parts of cars’ passenger compartments with graphene and related materials.

G+BOARD’s researchers aim to remove most of the copper wiring currently used in dashboards, to reduce the car’s weight and production steps, while improving aesthetics, disposal and recyclability. SPAC is developing new steering wheels and glove boxes with graphene-based materials.

Graphenglass, an innovative business focused on graphene-enhanced materials put into everyday use, has announced plans to open a plant in Spain to manufacture graphene-enhanced poles for power lines and communications.

The intention is to start up the first Graphenglass in a few motnhs, with a production capacity of around 15,000 poles and a modular capacity to be able to grow as the demand for these materials develops.

A collaborative research project between RISE SICOMP, GKN Aerospace Sweden, Nexam Chemical and Woxna Graphite, aimed to explore graphene-modified composites for long time- and high temperature applications, which can be used in aircraft components and other applications where the demands for durability are exceptionally high. The project took place August 20, 2019 February 19, 2021.

Graphene was added as surface protection in the project, as a matrix modifier. Composites, with and without graphene, were manufactured and tested in the exact same way for comparison and reference.

Tirupati Graphite has announced that its research center has developed a 'ground-breaking' graphene-aluminium (Al-Gr) composite, which reportedly exhibits significantly higher conductivity and strength properties over aluminium and could be used as a substitute for copper.

The specialist graphite and graphene producer said it was engaged with potential end users including a FTSE100 company for the composite’s potential use replacing copper in thermal, power and propulsion systems, providing significant environmental advantages owing to reduced weight.

A British engineering company called Viritech is working on an ambitious hydrogen-powered hypercar. Dubbed the Apricale, it is being designed primarily as a technical showcase for the company’s hydrogen fuel-cell technology and aims to demonstrate the advantages of hydrogen vehicles over electric powertrains. The hypercar will be sold in limited numbers for around £1.5 million (~$2 million).

In order to lower the weight of the Apricale’s hardware, it features graphene-reinforced hydrogen pressure vessels. It was explained that the hydrogen storage tanks form part of the structure of the chassis to reduce weight and cost.

Haydale has announced that it has been awarded funding of £138,549 (around USD$192,290) to develop hydrogen fuel cell tanks by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).

To support the future of green automotive manufacturing and accelerate the UK's transition to net- zero emission vehicles, the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has guided £9.4 million in public funding to 22 feasibility studies looking to scale up the industrialization of low-carbon emission vehicle technologies.