Graphene products: introduction and market status - Page 11

Italian sports equipment maker NRC launched new sports sunglasses that come with a graphene-enhanced frame. NRC says that the graphene increases the durability, flexibility and lightness of the frame - and so enabled NRC to design glasses that "perform far beyond all limits".

The EVEREST series of sunglasses are now shipping for €215 in Europe - and can be found at Amazon.

UK-based planarTECH has announced an extension to its existing agreement with Thailand-based IDEATI to include the marketing and distribution of its 2AM-branded graphene-enhanced antibacterial face masks.

According to a recent report from market research firm QY Research, global demand for face mask products is growing rapidly in 2020 due to both pollution concerns in developing countries and the recent worldwide outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.

Nano Graphene, AKA GrapheneCA, an engineering and technology company offering graphene based products and solutions, has announced the launch of its online store to sell its new Dr. Nano anti-bacterial coating. GraphenCA did not openly specify that this is a graphene-based product, but we assume so as GrapheneCA is a developer of graphene-based products.

Dr. Nano is a formula developed to create anti-viral environment that would protect different surfaces for a time frame of 7 to 10 years.

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.

Huawei has launched its Huawei P40 flagship phone family, that includes three different devices: the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro and, a new addition to the line-up for 2020, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus.

After many rumors about this line sporting a graphene battery - which were later disproved - it appears that Huawei's new P40 phones are using a graphene film cooling technology for heat management purposes (Huawei's SuperCool system), much like the Mate 20X and P30 line that preceded the P40.

Haydale has announced that its graphene nanoplatelets have been incorporated into iCraft’s recently launched cosmetic face mask sheet. These sheet masks are face-shaped sheet fabrics which utilize the thermal and electrical conductivity of graphene to help the skin absorb its contents through bio-electric currents.

Haydale has supplied graphene to iCraft since May 2019 for development work in a number of areas including cosmetic use. iCraft, based in South Korea, is a global technology company with interests in security and network solutions as well as the health and beauty sector. Following intense research and rigorous testing, iCraft manages to report zero harmful substances for graphene-based products, and has applied for three related patents.

Micro Powders, in collaboration with Garmor, recently launched GraphShield 730, a next-generation graphene-based anticorrosion additive for powder coating applications.

GraphShield 730 uses Micro Powders’ wax composite technology to deliver a high loading of Garmor’s unique edge functionalized graphene product, enabling the delivery of an advanced nanomaterial into coating formulations safely and effectively without any changes needed in the customer’s production process. Graphene imbues the final coating with significantly enhanced corrosion resistance on both bare and treated cold rolled steel, with up to 50% reduction in corrosive creep.

XG Sciences recently announced the innovative use of XG Sciences’ graphene in Grays’ field hockey sticks. For over 160 years Grays of Cambridge has been on the forefront of creating superior sports equipment and has continued that path by strategically incorporating graphene into their GR hockey sticks to elevate player performance.

Adding graphene into our durable GX composite matrix enabled us to forge the GR Collection to deliver exceptional feel, power and playability, said James Bunday, Range Development Lead, Grays Hockey. The feedback we received after launching the GR Collection was tremendous because the graphene-enhanced technology strengthens the hockey sticks and helps players reach great all-around performance.

Famous tire and rubber company Goodyear has launched two new bicycle tyres, Eagle F1 and Eagle F1 Supersport utilizing graphene technology and weighing just 180g for a 23mm model.

The new Eagle F1 is an ultra-high-performance all-round road tire and the Eagle F1 Supersport, which is even lighter, is aimed at the upper echelons of competition and will be suited to road racing, time trial and triathlon where speed trumps all other requirements.

When speaking of graphene in terms of commercialization, the general impression is that "a killer application has not yet been found". While this is not a false concept, it does not do justice with the now-budding graphene world. It can easily be stated that many graphene applications are being developed. This has been true for years, but various commercial products are starting to pop up, hopefully heralding the beginning of a more steady stream of commercialization.

Among these applications, one can point to cooling technology like Cryorig's CPU cooling system or Huawei's Mate 30 X smartphone, which sports a graphene film cooling technology. Various footwear and sports equipment products have also been launched, along with more technical products like oil additives and coatings. The list goes on and on, and there are even graphene-enhanced sanitary napkins on the market!