Graphene Epoxy - Page 2

The government of Xiangyang, China, has recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Hubei Institute of Aerospace Chemical Technology. Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly build the China Aerospace Graphene Industry Base in Central China.

Graphene has many potential applications in the aerospace industry, like strong and durable composites, high-performance sensors, various functional coatings, batteries, supercapacitors and more. Recent examples of progress made in this field include a graphene-based UAV made by UK collaboration, a graphene-enabled composite with potential uses in the automotive and aerospace industries, a collaboration between Versarien and the Spain-based CT Engineering to develop graphene-enhanced composite components for the aerospace industry, a novel coating of graphene nanoribbons in epoxy, that was proven effective at melting ice on a helicopter blade and more. To read more on the latest graphene advances in the aerospace field, click here.

Graphene 3D Lab, a leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of proprietary composites and coatings based on graphene and other advanced materials, has announced an addition to its G6-Epoxy line of adhesives. This new product, G6E-GSTMepoxy, is a highly electrically conductive adhesive based on the combination of graphene and silver additives. It reportedly has a volume resistivity as low as 0.0001 Ω·cm and can be cured at room temperature or more rapidly at elevated temperatures. G6E-GSTM bonds well to a wide variety of substrates including metals, composites, ceramics, and glass.

The graphene filler is said to enhance the electrical conductivity of the epoxy and prevent the propagation of cracks, improving the material’s durability and fatigue resistance. This is especially important when bonding dissimilar materials subjected to rapid temperature variations. This feature improves impact resistance of the bond and also helps mitigate potential damage caused by vibration.

Haydale Graphene Industries announced that Haydale Composite Solutions (HCS), its wholly owned subsidiary, has formally entered into a joint development agreement with Huntsman Advanced Materials. This agreement has resulted from the successful preliminary work jointly undertaken with Huntsman, to develop a range of graphene enhanced resins to complement its current product range.

The agreement provides Huntsman with the exclusive worldwide rights to market, distribute and sell a range of its resins enhanced with Haydale's functionalised graphene. This will include ARALDITE epoxy resins. The agreement will allow Huntsman to purchase Haydale's graphene enhanced masterbatches for use in the fields of composites and adhesives. Huntsman has also agreed to work exclusively with HCS to further develop graphene enhanced masterbatches with specific targeted performance characteristics.

Scientists from Russia's National Research Nuclear University MEPhI have succeeded in producing graphene with a very high stability to ozonation using high-temperature sublimation of silicon carbide (SiC). The resulting graphene maintains contact with ozone for more than 10 minutes (while ordinary graphene loses its properties after only three or four minutes under such conditions). These results may hold great potential for the development of nanoelectronics.

To further examine the effects, scientists from Greece, France and Sweden were brought onto the team. Using computer modeling, the experts were able to figure out why SiC-graphene was more stable under the impact of aggressive oxygen free radicals. The new graphene's abnormal stability appeared to be associated with the low roughness of epitaxial graphene on SiC-substrate (epitaxy is a natural buildup of one crystalline material upon the surface of another).

Versarien has announced the successful completion of a grant funded project focused on graphene enhanced carbon fibre composites with the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester.

Extensive trials of the graphene produced by Versarien’s subsidiary, 2-DTech, by an NGI team, in carbon fibre composite products, has demonstrated the benefit of adding graphene, particularly with regard to significantly enhancing the strength of the structure.

A vehicle made with graphene in its bodywork has recently been unveiled in Manchester. The car was made by Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) and graphene is said to be used in the car's panels. The BAC Mono spearheads an exhibition to highlight the future of graphene technology.

The BAC Mono has reportedly been road-tested and is being displayed at the National Graphene Institute in Manchester as part of the Science in the City festival from July 22-29. James Baker, graphene business director at The University of Manchester, said: "The graphene car is an excellent example of how graphene can be incorporated into existing products to improve performance".

Haydale's Composite Solutions division (HCS) has announced the launch of three graphene enhanced carbon fibre pre-impregnated (prepreg) products, in collaboration with SHD Composite Materials Ltd (Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK) using epoxy resins from Huntsman Advanced Materials.

The products to be launched include a structural component carbon fibre prepreg, a prototype Out-of-Autoclave curing carbon fibre tooling prepreg capable of fast composite part production in autoclave processing and a higher operating temperature prepreg for enhanced life and very high accuracy tooling.

Haydale has received £350,000 in research grants from the government, to accelerate the development of new products enhanced by the incorporation of functionalized graphene and other nanomaterials.

The grants are for five project areas:

1. The development of electrically conductive graphene-enhanced adhesives for aircraft structures.
2. The development of multi-functional graphene-enhanced composite materials that are not only capable of detecting the build-up of ice on structures, such as aircraft leading edges and wings, but can then be thermally activated in order to prevent ice build-up.
3. The development of graphene reinforced polyolefin materials for lightweight extruded products such as filaments for nets and filtration.
4. The development of graphene-enhanced epoxy resins with improved durability, wear resistance and thermal cycling performance.
5. The development of graphene-enhanced carbon-carbon composites materials for use in high-performance brake systems.

Researchers at Rice University have created a thin coating of graphene nanoribbons in epoxy, that has proven effective at melting ice on a helicopter blade. This coating may be an effective real-time de-icing mechanism for aircraft, wind turbines, transmission lines and other surfaces exposed to cold weather. In addition, the coating may also help protect aircraft from lightning strikes and provide an extra layer of electromagnetic shielding.

The scientists performed tests in which they melted centimeter-thick ice from a static helicopter rotor blade in a -4 degree Fahrenheit environment. When a small voltage was applied, the coating delivered electrothermal heat - called Joule heating - to the surface, which melted the ice.

Researchers at the Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a highly heat-resistant and high-strength resin based on chemical graphene oxide processing and mixing with universal epoxy. The new material is expected to contribute to the production of lightweight aircraft and rockets.

An epoxy resin is a material that stabilizes the structures of carbon composite materials.The institute found that multiple amine groups present around graphene oxides bond with epoxy resins to result in a number of cross-linked bonds and a 240% improvement in cross-linking density.