Graphene composites: introduction and market status - Page 17

First Graphene (FGR) has reported that Foster Plastics Industries, an Australian extrusion company, is collaborating with FGR to develop PureGRAPH-enhanced ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) materials for use in Foster’s range of solar tubes and plastic extrusion systems.

The PureGRAPH 10 EVA masterbatch loaded with 30% graphene will be drawn down to the desired ultimate concentration of 0.25% to 1% within Foster’s proprietary black nitrile/PVC compound.

First Graphene has announced it is collaborating with Hexcyl to develop PureGRAPH enhanced HDPE materials for use in Hexcyl’s range of oyster baskets and long-line farming systems.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes and plastic timbers. The incorporation of high-performing PureGRAPH additives will seek to improve the mechanical properties of the HDPE, while at the same time provide greater longevity of the systems in high energy farming environments.

Scientists in the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have worked with graphene and carbon nanotubes to develop a working lithium-ion battery that can be stretched by up to 50% without damage to any of the components. According to the scientists, the battery represents a significant step in the development of wearable or body-implantable electronic devices.

Rather than trying to add inherently stretchable materials such as rubber to the battery components, the group focused on creating an accordion-like structure, adding stretchability to materials that are not inherently stretchable. Using graphene and carbon nanotubes, the scientists were able to construct a honeycomb-shaped composite framework, which was then compressed inwardly like an accordion to impart the stretchable properties.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati claim they have developed a graphene-based "superhydrophobic" material that can separate oil and water. The material could have various uses in industry and healthcare.

Superhydrophobic materials materials with extreme water repellency are considered the best for removing oil from water, but they are generally not scalable, use environmentally toxic products such as fluorinated polymers, or have poor mechanical and chemical stability.

First Graphene (FGR) has reported on the initiation of a research program to test the introduction of its PureGRAPH graphene powder into natural rubber products.

The company has previously reported great success in introducing PureGRAPH into a range of polymers and other materials. These include polyurethane, thermoplastics, and glass composites. Now, First Graphene has set its sights on improving the performance of a range of natural rubber product lines.

Researchers at Tsinghua University have used lasers to make graphene on Kevlar textiles, creating protective clothing that can record the wearer’s electrocardiogram (ECG) or sense a toxic gas.

Prototype of an intelligent protective vest based on the Kevlar-laser induced graphene textile (left) with a gas sensor and battery embedded in a design on the vest (top right) also shown in false color (bottom right). Credit: ACS Nano

Yingying Zhang and colleagues at Tsinghua University used a carbon dioxide laser to write on Kevlar, a synthetic polyamide fiber generally used to make body armor and personal protective clothing. The laser burned and depolymerized the Kevlar fibers and the carbon atoms recombined to form graphene, as shown by Raman spectroscopy. Using a motorized setup for the laser, they were able to scribe any design on the textile in minutes.

UK-based planarTECH has announced an agreement with Thailand-based IDEATI to market and distribute its 2AM line of graphene-enhanced bullet-proof vest and ballistic plate products for body armor.

IDEATI’s 2AM products are now in mass production for delivery to the Royal Thai Army, which has certified the products per National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards. International testing is now underway. Minimum order quantity is 1,000 units with a lead time of 90 to 120 days.

Following a Global Business innovation Programme initiated in 2019, and a collaborative visit to the US, the UK established a new Graphene Innovation Group (UK-GIG) that puts together 15 specialists from UK companies that together share many years of experience in graphene and expertise across the entire value chain.

Scott Storey, a Business Innovation Advisor at Inventya and the lead coordinator at the UK-GIG, explains more about the group - "We can take an everyday industrial challenge, apply our combined graphene knowledge, engineer and manufacture an effective solution, and take that solution to national and international markets. UK-GIG is now an established cohort of 15 UK-based graphene companies, ranging from early stage through to established businesses. The UK-GIG companies are fully aware of the huge potential for graphene technology to improve materials or be used in novel ways across multiple sectors. They are seeking collaboration opportunities where they can combine their expertise to do what they do best - solve problems, design graphene applications, and help commercialize an increasingly exciting field. They aim to make the UK the best place on earth to be grafting in graphene!"

We have reached out to some of the GIG members, to find out how has graphene effected their business and products, and the effects of graphene on their materials or devices.

Thomas Swan recently announced that the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) in Manchester has produced a fibre using Polyamide 6 and 0.2% loading of Thomas Swan Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP’s).

GEIC successfully extruded and subsequently spun 1.5km of the fibre with 0.39mm diameter. This was said to bode well for continuing Thomas Swan's development of graphene in nanocomposites. Typical applications for this type of monofibre include carbon brushes for motors, seat belts or fishing lines.

Researchers from the University of Toronto have shown that graphene is highly resistant to fatigue and is able to withstand more than a billion cycles of high stress before it breaks.

The intrinsic strength of graphene has been measured at more than 100 gigapascals, among the highest values recorded for any material. But materials don't always fail because the load exceeds their maximum strength. Stresses that are small but repetitive can weaken materials by causing microscopic dislocations and fractures that slowly accumulate over time, a process known as fatigue.