Graphene market news, products and recent developments.
Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. has completed successful testing of the Company’s graphene oxide material by a leading U.S. based advanced materials company (‘U.S. Co.’) developing silicon-graphene anodes for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries. Preliminary results show ease of processing with Zenyatta’s graphene oxide and similar electrochemical performance compared to the control material that is currently being used by U.S. Co. The superior dispersion qualities and good electrochemical performance of the Company’s graphene oxide are desirable properties for this silicon-graphene battery application. Zenyatta’s high-purity graphite was recently converted to graphene oxide by Dr. Aicheng Chen, Professor at Lakehead University, and then sent to the U.S. Co. for testing as an advanced nanomaterial in a new Lithium-ion battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used globally for portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. Unfortunately, lithium-ion batteries still lack the required level of energy storage to completely meet the demands of such applications as electric vehicles. A new silicon-graphene composite anode enables higher capacity and faster charging batteries that could meet consumer demand for increasing power and range.
Aubrey Eveleigh, President and CEO of Zenyatta, commented, “Given the present limitations on the existing lithium-ion battery, the World needs to develop a super‐battery. Silicon-graphene is the next generation anode being developed for batteries by many advanced material companies. Zenyatta’s graphene oxide has properties that make it a suitable material to be used with silicon in these next generation Lithium-ion batteries. While silicon has many times the capacity of graphite, it cannot be used alone due to rapid degradation. A significant amount of research has been carried out to encapsulate silicon in a graphene material to enhance the cycle life while also increasing charge capacity and durability for advanced lithium-ion batteries.”
U.S. Co. will continue to carry out advanced testing on Zenyatta’s graphene oxide for use in Lithium-ion anode composite material.
GRAPHENE MEMBRANE
University of Arkansas researchers have discovered a simple and scalable method for turning graphene oxide into a non-flammable and paper-like graphene membrane that can be used in large-scale production.
“Due to their mechanical strength and excellent charge and heat conductivities, graphene-based materials have generated enormous excitement,” said Ryan Tian, associate professor of inorganic chemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “But high flammability jeopardizes the material’s promise for large-scale manufacturing and wide applications.”
Graphene’s extremely high flammability has been an obstacle to further development and commercialization. However, this new discovery makes it possible to mass-produce graphene and graphene membranes to improve a host of products, from fuel cells to solar cells to supercapacitors and sensors. Tian has a provisional patent for this new discovery.
Using metal ions with three or more positive charges, researchers in Tian’s laboratory bonded graphene-oxide flakes into a transparent membrane. This new form of carbon-polymer sheet is flexible, nontoxic and mechanically strong, in addition to being non-flammable.
Chinese company Shandong Longju New Materials Technology Co., which is backed by Shandong Longlive Bio-Technology Co., has completed the installation and commissioning of a pilot biomass graphene production line and has put it into operation.
The facility uses corncob waste generated by Shandong Longlive to make few-layer biomass graphene, the statement said, citing Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences test results. The production line’s annual capacity is five tons and is expected to increase to 300 tons.
A new UK-China collaborative project is developing a sensor to provide an easy, low-cost method of diagnosing hepatitis on the spot using graphene. The sensor will be the first to simultaneously test for three types of hepatitis – A, B and C – out of the five types that exist. The multi-partner project, supported by the UK’s Newton Fund and led by BIOVICI, will bring together the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK’s National Measurement Institute; the University of Chongqing; Swansea University; and industry partner CTN, to develop this new diagnostic technology.
Graphene NanoChem has received two purchase orders worth US$589,680 for its ‘smart’ fluid, PlatDrill R. The orders, from a leading oil and gas company, are for deployment in the near term in Myanmar. Jespal Deol, Graphene’s chief executive officer: “We are pleased to announce our latest commercial orders from Myanmar and see huge potential market opportunity from the resumption of drilling activity.
“These orders are a continuing validation of our products value proposition and is another milestone for Graphene NanoChem and its ongoing partnership with Scomi Oil.”
Lanka Graphite has entered into a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Global Graphene Group (G3), for the purpose of advancing toward a formation of a joint venture for development, exploitation and commercial production of a range of graphene-‐enhanced products. The proposed joint venture would leverage high purity LGR-produced vein graphite.
Haydale Graphene Industries PLC (LON:HAYD) has raised £470,000, the final tranche of a £3.6mln arrangement with New York based technology investor Everpower.
Haydale CEO Ray Gibbs said: “We are delighted that the subscription agreement has now completed and we can now commence negotiations on the exclusive binding collaboration agreement with Everpower to manufacture, supply and market existing Haydale products and develop nanomaterials and new graphene products for the Chinese market.”
Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists have created a graphene-based sensor that could lead to earlier detection of looming asthma attacks and improve the management of asthma and other respiratory diseases, preventing hospitalizations and deaths.
The sensor paves the way for the development of devices – possibly resembling fitness trackers like the Fitbit – which people could wear and then know when and at what dosage to take their medication.
“Our vision is to develop a device that someone with asthma or another respiratory disease can wear around their neck or on their wrist and blow into it periodically to predict the onset of an asthma attack or other problems,” said Mehdi Javanmard, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “It advances the field of personalized and precision medicine.”
GRAPHENE PRODUCTION
The synthesis of graphene oxide involves the oxidation of graphite under severe conditions (requiring a strong oxidizing reagent and an acidic solvent),-therefore mass production has been hindered by significant challenges.
Japanese company Nippon Shokubai Co. claims to have resolved various problems associated with the oxidation reaction, making it possible to scale up production far in excess of laboratory scale production. The method was developed in collaboration with Okayama University and the company can now supply commercial quantities of graphene oxide.
