Graphene for Automotive - Page 17

A few days ago, the collaboration between MIT and Lamborghini to develop a graphene-enhanced supercar was talked about all over, and caused great excitement. However, the Graphene-Info team was not satisfied with the scarcity of the details supplied, and approached MIT Professor Mircea Dinca, the spearheads this project.

Prof. Dinca stated that the supercapacitors that are bring developed as part of this collaboration most decidedly do not have graphene in them and are not graphene-enhanced. "In fact, the whole point is that we are not using graphitic materials, which is what most other EDLCs use. Instead, we are using materials known as metal-organic frameworks, some of which have graphene-like (i.e. 2D) structures, but are definitely not made of graphene", Dinca said.

Update: MIT Professor states that these supercapacitors will NOT be graphene-based!

Lamborghini and MIT have announced a collaboration on a 3-year project to develop a graphene-enhanced supercapacitor electric vehicle. The Lamborghini-MIT partnership could, however, end up being extended as there is no target date for the car’s completion.

The planned graphene-enhanced Terzo Millennio ("third millennium") supercar may be a real gamechanger. This concept car is to be a fully electric, supercapacitor-powered automobile that can be charged in minutes with no bulky battery. It will reportedly be "covered in a sheet of graphene", but this description does not sound extremely accurate... We will have to wait for further information on this project.

Zenyatta Ventures has announced the commencement of a collaborative research project with Dr. Takashi Kuboki at Western University to develop an advanced plastic (polymer composite) using Zenyatta graphene (or graphene-oxide) derived from Albany high-purity graphite deposit.

Zenyatta sees a potential for such enhanced polymer composite materials to be attractive to the automotive, aerospace and construction industries that seek lightweight materials with added strength, electrical and thermal properties. This new project may expand Zenyatta's business opportunities as a graphene nanomaterial supplier for the polymer composite markets.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo managed to significantly improve supercapacitors, by combining graphene with an oily liquid salt in the supercapacitors' electrodes.

The researchers explained that the liquid salt serves as a spacer to separate the thin graphene sheets, preventing them from stacking. That dramatically increases their exposed surface area, a key to maximizing energy-storage capacity. At the same time, the liquid salt doubles as the electrolyte needed to actually store electrical charge, minimizing the size and weight of the supercapacitor.

Dotz Nano, a nano-technology company focusing on the development, manufacture, and commercialization of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), recently announced the signing of a non-binding and non-exclusive MoU with Colorplastic, a polymer compounder located in Switzerland for the implementation of GQDs into the polymer and surface modificant market. The GQDs would be used in automotive plastics and anti-counterfeiting/brand protection applications.

The MoU calls for a 6-month pilot project in which GQDs will be supplied by Dotz to Colorplastic for integration into their products for use in the polymers and surface treatment being commercialized by Colorplastic for use by OEMs. The scope of the pilot is to be defined by the parties, but is to cover the technological development and adaptation of GQDs to Colorplastic's products, including production runs for validating commercial scale. The pilot can be extended an additional 3-months by mutual agreement if needed.

Dotz Nano has announced the successful development of a process to tag fuel derivatives with graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The technology allows GQDs to be optimally added to fuel derivatives via a patent pending method so that the GQDs cannot be easily "laundered" or "washed out" from the fuel.

The new fuel application has been said to successfully withstand various testing procedures used in international bids for fuel taggants. This was achieved by working closely with two international anti-counterfeiting/brand protection companies. Dotz Nano has also submitted a patent application on the specific tagging of fuels with GQDs.

Imagine Intelligent Materials and Swinburne University have announced a collaborative six-month project aiming to develop graphene-reinforced smart composites. The composite will be able to report on the condition of large structures, and will have major commercial potential in the transport sector, including automotive and aerospace.

The project is supported by a $20,000 Seed grant from the university under a program, targeting interdisciplinary projects that are aligned with the Swinburne research institutes’ external partnership and collaboration objectives. It will combine expertise from experts in sensors, electronics engineering and aerospace manufacturing at the university.

Haydale recently announced that it has agreed heads of terms for a technical and commercial collaboration with Rogers Advanced Composites ("RAC). RAC is developing a composites center in the UK, and this collaboration will aim to enable RAC to access Haydale’s extensive technical know-how in composites, polymers and resins and to incorporate the range of advanced graphene enhanced composites, developed by Haydale, into its existing and future projects.

RAC, which has roots in the marine and yachting world through its sister company Rogers Yacht Design, has built a strong reputation in the design and manufacture of advanced composite products. It is Haydale’s understanding that RAC is experiencing a strong demand for high quality composite solutions across a range of industrial sectors including marine, military and motor sport and that RAC is in the process of securing long term production contracts for an oil recovery project as well as several aerospace, military and motor racing projects.

Imagine IM, developer of graphene-based smart materials, was one of the three companies that were awarded US$80,000 grants for research and development projects targeting safer and smarter Australian roads by Transurban (manager and developer of urban toll road networks in Australia and the U.S).

Imagine IM received the funds for a trial of a pressure sensor made from graphene that, when constructed into the motorway surface, would enable a ‘smarter’ road capable of reporting on traffic density, weight, volume and road surface condition.

Applied Graphene Materials has partnered with HMG Paints to develop and commercialize graphene-containing coatings for a variety of industries. Following an initial stage of controlled environment testing, which reportedly produced positive results, the two companies are now testing their product in a real world environment.

Tests will focus on the application of graphene-based coatings in both the commercial Vehicle and construction Equipment markets in partnership with a leading UK commercial vehicle body builder.