Versarien announces consumer goods collaborations
Graphene producer Versarien plc is in advanced negotiations with two of the world’s largest consumer goods groups. The Company started collaborating with one of them to enable both groups to work together on research, development and testing of Versarien’s proprietary Nanene few layer graphene nano-platelets in polymer structures.
The company has provided its first Nanene purchase order to Versarien. The Nanene will be incorporated into polymer structures, primarily for packaging applications, for testing and evaluation, with a view to improving material strength, moisture control and recyclability.
PPG forms partnership with SiNode Systems for vehicle battery technology
PPG has entered into a partnership with SiNode Systems to accelerate the commercialization of high-energy anode materials for advanced battery applications in electric vehicles. The 30-month project will enable the companies to rapidly develop and demonstrate anode materials that will store more energy than conventional lithium-ion battery materials, enabling electric vehicles to travel farther on a single charge or to have a lighter-weight battery.
The project will focus on improving the stability and scalability of SiNode’s anode materials to meet or exceed USABC targets for a battery’s active materials, which store the energy. Raymor Industries will provide graphene – a nanoscale-thin layer of pure carbon that is required for the high-energy anode materials – to PPG, which will then prepare the material for SiNode. PPG will help both Raymor and SiNode scale up their manufacturing processes to production volumes to support the project.
Auto parts manufacturer invests in graphene producer
Auto parts manufacturer Martinrea International Inc. has invested in NanoXplore Inc. Martinrea is an international auto parts manufacturer with more than 14,000 employees at over 50 manufacturing and engineering facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Martinrea produces parts and assemblies, modules, fluid-management systems and offers lightweighting solutions, primarily for the automotive sector.
Carbon nanotubes company receives Canadian government funding
Raymor Industries Inc. has received $2.9 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to develop higher capacity lithium-ion batteries . The company manufactures carbon nanotubes for the electronics industry, but has also been developing technology to integrate graphene into lithium-ion batteries.
Few details about the new battery technology were released, but along with improved capacity and lower costs, Raymor said the integration of graphene would also lead to decreased life cycle emissions by reducing the amount of CO2 produced during the manufacturing process.
Xefro wound-up by UK high court
Xefro Trade Limited, which misrepresented graphene heating systems to the public, has been wound-up by the High Court. Xefro Trade Ltd sold its products on the basis of misrepresentations made in promotional material and an investigation by the Insolvency Service found the company misled the public and failed to install systems safely. The company was wound up on 17 October 2017.
The heating system itself was not fit for sale and was described as a “defective and dangerous” product. In some cases he company failed to deliver systems at all despite receiving advance payments.
