THE MAGAZINE FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY NANOTECH · automotive industry as the use of nanomaterials in coatings, composites and energy systems aids the continued development of lighter, more

NANOTECHDecember 2018

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y

Issue #55

Metal

GRAPHENEPRODUCTS

IN

FrameworksOrganic

Nanotech Magazine is published by Future Markets, the world’s leading publisher of market

information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Start-up companies are driving the market for

these ultra-high porosity materials. All the latest nanotech product news.

Market focus on what’s happening in

nanotech research, energy, sensors, coatings,

medicine, electronics and graphene.

NANOTECH

LATEST NEWS

PRODUCTS

New products hit the market this

month.

2

NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018

TABLE OF

THIS MONTH

MARKET FOCUS

CONTENT

Graphene nanotubes (GNTs) are no

longer merely a curiosity – they are

becoming a mainstream conductive

additive. They find application in a

wide range of industries.

Latest nanotech product news

December 2018.

Nanotech in agriculture, filtration

and smart building products.

All

the

late

st p

rodu

ct d

evel

opm

ents

in n

anot

echn

olog

y in

the

adv

ance

d

auto

mot

ive

sect

or.

Quantum dots making a big impact

in agriculture.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Market, appliations and producers.

P.05

P.12

P.06

P.17

P.15

P.16

P.06

P.09 In depth focus on the current market for MOFs

including materials, properties, products and

profiles of leading producers.

Latest nanotech investments,

commercial agreements & funding.

3


MARKET NEWS

FROM EDITORNOTE

Graphene product news December

2018.

Nanotech government, regulation and

policy news December 2018.

P.17

P.21

P.25

Subscribe to Nanotech Magazine to receive

all the latest monthly news and views on this

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Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are highly

ordered crystalline materials composed of organic

ligands and inorganic metals or metal-oxo units

to produce highly ordered, 3D structures. They

possess excellent chemical and physical properties

and can be assembled from a variety of metals

and a large number of organic linkers, opening

up a wide range of applications. A number of

start-ups are bringing MOF products to the

market and multi-national chemical producers

are also becoming increasingly interested in

these materials. In this issue we assess the latest

applications, products and companies.

We also look at how innovations have been

gathering pace in recent months in the

automotive industry as the use of nanomaterials

in coatings, composites and energy systems aids

the continued development of lighter, more

environmentally friendly automobiles. This plus all

the latest global product breakthroughs.

P.27Low cost carbon nanotubes in high-

performance Li-ion batteries,

P.29Supplying nanomaterials to a range

of industries.

The use of nanomaterials in the

automotive industry is solving

numerous technology problems

in side and outside the car. We

investigate the latest solutions.

Discover. Connect. Share

www.materialshub.com

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5


GRAPHENENANOTUBES

Graphene nanotubes are no longer merely a curiosity – they are becoming a mainstream conductive additive.

This technology is helping to create new opportunities in various industries, including PVC plastisols.

With their unique properties, graphene nanotubes (GNTs) push PVC

plastisol performance higher, to fully satisfy market demand for 105

– 109 Ω/sq resistivity, to preserve a permanent and stable form even

after harsh working conditions, to maintain abrasion resistance, and

to demonstrate flexibility in the colouring of final products. This all

is possible with just 0.25–2 wt.% of graphene nanotube concentrate,

recently developed by OCSiAl.

New technology is able to eliminate the common friction points in

the usage of conventional anti-static additives, such as carbon black

or ammonium compounds. Application of carbon black usually

affects PVC plastisol’s mechanical performance very negatively, and

turns final products black, whereas ammonium compounds can

become unstable over time and provide only humidity-dependent

resistivity. On the top of that, processing itself is complex – carbon

black influences the rheology of material and facilitates dust

formation on the surface. Graphene nanotubes, which can solve

all these challenges, bring vast improvements to the PVC plastisol

industry.

GNTs create new business opportunities for conductive PVC

plastisol manufacturers. They enjoy an overwhelming welcome

in the mining industry, where assurance of safety is vital. Here are

a few examples of GNTs blazing their own trail in this market. 0.4–

0.5 wt.% graphene nanotube concentrate in PVC plastisol-based

flexible ventilation ducting and fiberglass mesh (see image above)

for mining applications enable manufacturers to obtain a resistivity

of 107 Ω/sq with maintained mechanical performance. PVC plastisol-

based anti-static textiles and treadmill

belts mapping out graphene nanotubes

extensive application in industry. Uniform,

permanent, stable and humidity-

independent electrical conductivity – all

guaranteed by graphene nanotubes.

GNTs may have started as a “wonder-

material,” but they are quickly becoming

a conventional, economically viable

technology for many industries. These

tiny tubes are being used in a multitude

of materials with increasing frequency,

including PVC plastisol, polyurethane,

epoxy, polyester, and acrylic polymers.

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MARKET

METAL-ORGANICFOCUS

MOFs possess excellent chemical and physical

properties and are find-ing application in several

markets.

FRAMEWORKSMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs), also known as

porous coordination polymers (PCPs), are a class

of nanoporous materials. They are highly ordered

crystalline materials composed of organic ligands

and inorganic metals or metal-oxo units (e. g. Cu, Cr,

Zn) to produce highly ordered, 3D structures. MOFs

possess excellent chemical and physical properties

and can be assembled from a variety of metals and

a large number of organic linkers, opening up a wide

range of applications. A number of start-ups are now

bringing MOF products to the market.

Properties

MOFs possess a wide range of exceptional properties:

• high surface area (up to 7100 m2/g-1)

• high porosity (3,60 cm3g-1)

• density as low as 0.13 g/cm3

• tunable pore sizes up to 10 nm

• tunable semiconducting properties

• catalytic activity

• channels connected in 1-, 2-, or 3-D

• structural flexibility

• thermal conductivity

• luminescence.

• Internal surface can be functionalized.

Their properties can be improved to further

7


METAL-ORGANICFRAMEWORKS

enhance their performance by functionalization of the

organic linkers, postsyntheic modification, and doping

of nanomaterials into their frameworks. Based on their

outstanding properties MOFs outperform traditional

materials such as zeolites and activated carbons and

in application such as in gas storage, purification and

separation, as well catalysis and sensing applications.

Figure 1. Schematic drawing of a metal–organic

framework (MOF) structure.

Schematic drawing of a metal–organic framework (MOF)

structure (MOF-5 is shown in the figure, where the

metal center is Zn4O center, and the organic linker is

terephthalate [1,4-benzodicarboxylate]). (Figure courtesy

of Xueyi Zhang, of the Pennsylvania State University).

Materials

MOFs are well ordered, lattice like crystals. The nodes of

lattices are metals-such as copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt,

and many other materials that have been developed in

recent years.

Materials

MOFs are well ordered, lattice like crystals. The nodes of

lattices are metals-such as copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt,

and many other materials that have been developed

in recent years. MOFs are available as powdery solids

with microscopic pores. There is now growing interest

in exploring amorphous solid, gel and melt-quenched

glass forms of MOFs. In particular, the liquid phase has

recently been identified.

Markets and applications

The commercial prospects for MOFs were first highlighted

over a decade ago, and several companies developed

projects to find applications, mainly related to storage

of hydrogen or natural gas at relatively low pressures

to power vehicles. However, the prospects were too

long-term to translate into commercial reality and MOF

production deemed too expensive.

Over the last few years, MOF-based applications, based

on economically scalable MOF synthesis routes, have

been developed, mainly by academia. Several start-ups

are now producing commercial quantities of MOFs, and

chemicals companies such as BASF are also involved in

the market. Current products are in niche application

areas.

Main markets for MOFs are in catalysis, gas adsorption

& storage, biomedical, energy storage, sensors, and

separations. Applications include:

Photocatalysts: Water contamination degradation,

water splitting, CO2 reduction and organosynthesis

Solar: Thin film arrays for solar cells. 1

Catalysts: Heterogeneous catalyst for various CO2

conversion processes.

Membranes: Separation membranes for selective gas

cleaning processes.

Sensors: Sensors for selective gas.

Biomedical: Slow release coatings, dressings and

ointment that deliver antimicrobial metal ions and nitric

oxide (NO) gas for wound management; Drug delivery

vehicles.

Diagnostics: Biomedical sensors and MRI contrast

agents. 2

Gas storage: Storage systems for highly reactive gases

and gaseous fuels for mobile applications.

Coatings

MOFs have emerged as potential candidates for

smart coatings and films owing to their inherent

structural characteristics, i.e., a large surface area, high

thermostability, structural diversity, and a well-ordered

porous structure.

8


However, forming thin, functional, conformal coatings

is prohibitive because MOFs exist as a powder and

have poor film forming properties. Layer-by-layer

(LbL) assembly and molecular imprinting have been

employed to circumvent this issue. 3 4 Applications of

MOF coating include:

• Lithium-Sulfur Battery and Lithium-Ion Battery

electrodes and separator coatings 5 6

• Anti-bacterial coatings.

• Inhibition of biofilm growth through triggered

antibiofilm compound release

• Filter coatings in residential and industrial pollution

control.

• Chemical sensor coatings.7

• Humidity sensors. 8

• Gas sensors. 9

• Anti-corrosion coatings.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Minimizing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)

emissions is a critical global challenge. In the transition

to a sustainable low‐carbon economy, CO2 capture

and storage technology plays a critical role for deep

emission reduction, particularly for the stationary

sources in power generation and industry

However, current methods for CO2 capture and storage

are energy-intensive and extremely inefficient. MOFs

are ideal carbon capture adsorbents with high uptake

capacities, excellent separation performance and

potentially low cost. They are suited for the storage of

gases such as CH4, H2O, CO2, NH3 and NO, and they

can be optimised for the specific type of CO2 capture.

Drug delivery

The inherent properties of MOFs make them

candidates for drug delivery systems. MOFs are nontoxic,

biodegradable and have the ability to carry high loadings

of the anti-neoplastic agent due to their porous nature.

There are multiple pathways to incorporate guest

molecules within the MOFs. The tailorable interactions

between the guest molecules and MOF linkers or metal

nodes allow for high drug loading capacity. 10

MOF companies

Most MOF companies are university start-ups,

who collaborate with larger companies in product

development.

MOFgen Ltd., UK

http://www.mofgen.com/

The company is a spin-out from the University of St

Andrews and develops MOF-containing coatings for

indwelling devices such as urinary catheters and textiles

such as hospital gowns. They are developing a new

wound healing technology based on the delivery of a

powerful anti-biofilm agent, nitric oxide (NO). The MOFs

are cheap to prepare and formulate (compared to many

other advanced wound healing products) and can be

used to precisely control the delivery of NO leading to

highly effective anti-biofilm agents and wound healing

products. The company has collaborations with several

medical device companies.

NuMat Technologies, USA

https://www.numat-tech.com/

The company produces ION-X® gas cylinders that

incorporate proprietary MOFs holding very toxic gases

such as arsine, phosphine and boron trifluoride. The

product is a granular combination of two MOFs, which

is produced in volumes of hundreds of kilograms.

9


The company has a collaboration with global gas

supplier the Linde Group to develop MOF-based

next generation separation and storage technologies.

The company has a ION-X® gas fill plant in Sihwa,

South Korea, in partnership with Versum. In April

2018, the company raised $12.4 million in funding.

Figure 2: NuMat’s ION-X cylinders.

Source: NuMat Technologies

MOF Technologies, UK

http://www.moftechnologies.com/

The company sell commercial volumes of MOFs. The

company produces TruPick, in collaboration with Decco,

a global company with expertise in fruit and vegetable

storage. The pores in TruPick’s MOFs hold the gas

1-methylcyclopropene (1- MCP).

MOF Technologies supplies 10 MOFs commercially, that

they can produce in 100kg quantities. They also supply

an additional 15 MOFs in quantities of milligrams to

hundreds of grams. Other commercial partners include

General Motors (natural gas storage), IBM (heat pumps for

data center temperature) management, and industrial

gases companies (managing specialty gases used to

produce) electronics.

BASF AG, Germany

https://www.basf.com/

The company sells small volumes of MOFs to universities

and institutes for research purposes. BASF has produced

about 100 types of MOFs at lab scale via a collaboration

with University of California, Berkeley. The company

sells MOFs in small volumes via Merck KGaA subsidiary

Sigma-Aldrich.

Mosaic Materials, USA

https://mosaicmaterials.com/technology/

The company is a spin-out from Jeffrey Long’s lab at the

University of California, Berkeley. They are developing

MOFs to separate carbon dioxide from various mixtures,

including capturing it from the flue gas emanating from

power plants. The company has developed air filtration

systems for submarines for the US Navy.

MOFApps AS, Norway

http://www.mofapps.com/

The company licences a technology from the Catalan

Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) for

producing spray-dryed MOF materials. The ICN2's spray-

drying method was first published in Nature Chemistry

in 2013. It was patented and licensed to fellow ProDIA

partner MOFApps by 2015. It has since been scaled up

from gram- to kilo-scale production.11

REFERENCES

1. https://researchfeatures.com/2017/05/15/metal-

organic-frameworks-2/

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S0277538718303309

3. http://www.flintbox.com/public/project/30922/

4. http://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/6/4/42

5. http://ma.ecsdl.org/content/MA2016-02/5/695.

short?cited-by=yes&legid=ecsmtgabs;MA2016-02/5/695

6. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.5b08109

7. http://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_

releases/2016/metal_organic_framework_materials_

enable_highly_se/

8. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/js/2016/4902790/

9. http://spie.org/newsroom/6205-ultra-sensitive-fiber-

optic-gas-sensors-are-enhanced-by-metal-organic-

materials

10. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/

acsomega.8b00185

11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1569

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BusinessFinance&

Graphene company Zenyatta Ventures has announced the closing a private placement which raised $3,000,000

Canadian dollars (~$2.2 million USD). The funds will be used for bulk sampling, environmental assessment and

community engagement work on the Company’s Albany Graphite Project.

HZO Inc., the leading nanocoatings electronics waterproofing and protection company, has acquired UK-

based Semblant Ltd. HZO currently delivers advanced turnkey Parylene coating processes and manufacturing

equipment which are capable of protecting any electronic device from water and other damaging substances.

With the acquisition, HZO will add Semblant’s plasma applied coatings to its expanded solution portfolio. In order

to maintain functionality, electronics must be protected from destructive elements such as water, sweat, dirt,

dust and other harmful substances. In the past, bulky mechanical seals and enclosures were required to protect

Latest nanotech investments, commercial agreements

and rounds of finance. December 2018.

11


electronics. However, HZO has developed advanced manufacturing

techniques that enable manufacturers to protect electronic

components using chemical components such as Parylene to reduce or

completely eliminate the need for mechanical seals. HZO’s solutions are

highly scalable for work in a number of industries including consumer

electronics, industrial IoT, automotive, and more.

Water technology company G2O has received a £1.035 million

investment in a round led by private equity firm Maven Capital

Partners, and plans to sign collaborative partnerships with suppliers

and enter global markets to expand customer reach. G2O’s graphene-

based coatings technology provides highly efficient and cost-effective

solutions to a broad range of filtration applications and critically can be

used in conjunction with existing filtration membranes and systems.

The technology has the potential to be used across multiple markets

including the treatment of waste water in the oil & gas industry for oil

and water separation, industrial & processed waste water treatment,

domestic water filters, and desalination.

Danish-based NIL Technology (NILT) has raised €6.3 million

in a funding round co-led by Jolt Capital and NGP Capital.

Founded in 2006, NILT specialises in nanopatterning and

nanoimprint lithography for industrial customers. The

company plans to use the funding to develop full optical

systems for sensor solutions to use in IoT, AR/VR, displays,

and automotive products. “Micro-optical sensors have been

underutilised for a while mostly because of poor yield and

lack of expertise,” said Jean Schmitt, managing partner

of Jolt Capital. “NILT is a unique and critical supplier at

the intersection of optical design and mass production,

enabling high-quality sensors with high yield- and high

volume production.”

Sila Nanotechnologies, a company developing and manufacturing energy-dense lithium-silicon battery materials, has

raised $70 million in a series D round. The company manufactures a nanocomposite that enables silicon to be used as

an anode in lithium-ion batteries instead of graphite, which is the material most manufacturers currently use.

Yissum, the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has launched a new fund focused

exclusively on innovations emerging from the university’s nanotech research. The fund has already secured $6 million

of an anticipated $9 million.

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NANOTECHNEWS

PRODUCT

December 2018

13


LABPRODUCTTO

Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread

application of nanotech-enabled products. This month we look at new developments and breakthroughs.

HZO Inc., the leading nanocoatings electronics waterproofing and

protection company, has acquired UK-based Semblant Ltd. HZO

currently delivers advanced turnkey Parylene coating processes and

manufacturing equipment which are capable of protecting any

electronic device from water and other damaging substances. With

the acquisition, HZO will add Semblant’s plasma applied coatings

to its expanded solution portfolio. In order to maintain functionality,

electronics must be protected from destructive elements such as

water, sweat, dirt, dust and other harmful substances. In the past, bulky

mechanical seals and enclosures were required to protect electronics.

However, HZO has developed advanced manufacturing techniques

that enable manufacturers to protect electronic components using

chemical components such as Parylene to reduce or completely

eliminate the need for mechanical seals. HZO’s solutions are highly

scalable for work in a number of industries including consumer

electronics, industrial IoT, automotive, and more. Leading brands that

feature HZO include Rakuten Kobo, Dell, Motorola as well as other

non-disclosed top tier companies.

ASICS has launched the GEL-NIMBUS 21 shoe – the latest release

of its top-of-the-range, neutral long-distance running shoe. The shoe

incorporates the company’s FLYTEFOAM

technology-the FLYTEFOAM LYTE

compound makes it ASICS’ lightest

midsole with added cellulose nanofibers

increasing the durability of the bouncy

midsole.

VueReal Inc., a developer of micro- and

nano-devices, has received $8.5 million in

funding from Sustainable Development

Nanocoatings protect electronic components from wa-ter, sweat, dirt and other destructive compounds

14


NANO IMPLANTSNanovis, a US-based technology company selling nanotechnology enhanced spinal implants using carbon nanotubes,

has completed a $5.5m funding round.

The company intends to use the funds to meet

increased working capital and sales needs from

demand from surgeons and distributors for its

nanotechnology enhanced spinal implants.

Nanovis invents, acquires, and commercializes

technologies that offer implants to reduce fixation

and infection related complications. Nanovis is

commercializing the following platforms: the

deeply porous scaffold currently available with

the FortiCore® line of interbody fusion devices; an

advanced nanotube surface; and a nanotube surface

technology with anti-colonization and anti-microbial

capabilities in pre-clinical studies.

Technology Canada (SDTC) to support a total project investment of

over $26.0 million. VueReal will use the funding to further develop

innovative micro-LED technologies by expanding its Waterloo team

and launching an Advanced Nano-Technology Center.

VueReal is engineering electronic systems through the mass

integration of high-efficiency nano/micro-devices into large-area

substrates (e.g. displays, sensors, system on panel etc). It initially

targets making micro-LED displays affordable for all applications

(TV, laptop, smartphone, virtual/augmented reality, etc). The firm’s

technology platform is based on the interplay of micro/nano-device

processing, integration technologies and system design (hardware

and software).

M-TEchX Inc, a Japanese nanofiber producer, is to establish a plant

in Ghana to manufacture nanofibers for oil and gas and medical

hygiene applications. The company is to partners with Waste

Management companies to collect the plastic waste generated as a

raw material for the production of the nanofibers. The nanofibers are

15


NANO AGROCHEMICALS

used for clearing up in the oil and gas and petroleum industries and

for cleaning of hospitals as well as cultivation of crops.

India-based start-up J K Nano Solutions has developed a novel

solution for cleaning up India’s heavily polluted water system.

The nanosolution consists of iron and copper nanoclusters and

nanoparticles which due to its high surface and small size work on

the dissolved and suspended pollutants to precipitate down. Usually

pollutants settle down after nanosolution treatment which can

filtered by sand filters and used in landfills. Also the nanoparticles

and clusters aggregate leading to micro and macro sized particles

after treatment, which acts as micronutrients for plants.

Candian start-up Alchemy has developed two nanocoatings: a

passive anti-frost coating and an abrasion resistant coating. The

coatings enable multi-climate reliability for AVs by providing impact/

scratch resistance, frost prevention, deicing to combat snow/freezing

rain, and water/dirt shedding.

The University of Utah’s Center for Technology & Venture

Commercialization (TVC), the university’s Nano Institute and

Aqua-Yield (www.aquayield.com) have signed a collaboration to

develop nanotechnology for agriculture. Aqua-Yield’s produces

specialty liquid fertilizers and the partnership will nanoparticles that

will specifically focus on agriculture and combine these new findings

with the “nanogronomy” advancements already underway at Aqua-

Yield. The company was founded in 2014. Dr. Ghandehari, co-director

of the Nano Institute said that, “Aqua-Yield is at the forefront of using

nanotechnology for the delivery of agrochemicals.”

Smart building materials company

ClearVue Technologies Limited has signed

a new Research Agreement with UNSW

Sydney. The research project will explore the

development of a transparent luminescent

solar concentrator employing quantum dots

(QD) demonstrating high quantum yield

photoluminescence. The project includes

as a milestone development of custom QD

materials and a small-scale prototype. If

the research project is successful, ClearVue

would seek to further scale the prototype

in conjunction with UNSW with a view to

integrating the QD technology with its

existing technology and products.

Use of nanotech in water clean-up and agriculture is growing.

The first-ever product of its kind, UbiGro is a retrofit luminescent film that hangs over crops and can be quickly installed

and tested in a portion of an existing greenhouse. The film is currently installed in five commercial greenhouses across

New Mexico, Oregon and Colorado.

Bergren explained that while almost every aspect of greenhouse agriculture is optimized and controlled precisely,

sunlight can vary in color and intensity depending on the season and climate. Today, the only way to control the

light spectrum in a greenhouse is with expensive supplemental lighting. The UbiGro film contains safe, copper-based

quantum dots that tailor the spectrum of sunlight for optimized crop growth by converting portions of ultraviolet,

blue, and green sunlight into an orange glow above the plants. This November, the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) granted UbiQD approval to start large-scale commercial production of its dots.

“The EPA-approval of our pre-manufacturing notice puts us into an elite group of nanotechnology companies approved

to go beyond R&D production into commercial supply,” UbiQD CEO Dr. Hunter McDaniel said. “We are excited to be

enhancing both the environmental and economic sustainability of the greenhouse industry, working with growers

throughout the world to facilitate the most efficient greenhouse environments.”

For more information about the UbiGro greenhouse films, visit www.UbiGro.com.

16


UbiQD, Inc., a Los Alamos-based

nanotechnology development company,

has launched its first commercial

quantum dot (QD)-containing product,

the UbiGro™ greenhouse film.

“We developed a safer, cheaper, more

reliable quantum dot technology and are

applying it in greenhouse films in order

to red-shift the sun’s spectrum year-

round, regardless of location,” said Dr.

Matt Bergren, Chief of Product at UbiQD.

“In our successful commercial pilot

program, these films have demonstrated

boosts in crop yields in excess of 10%

for various plants, improvements in crop

quality, and grower feedback has been

positive.”

17


MARKET

AUTOMOTIVEFOCUS

The use of nanomaterials in the automotive indus-

try is solving numerous technology problems in

side and outside the car.

NANOTECHNOLOGYNanotech innovations have been gathering pace in

recent months in the automotive industry as the use

of nanomaterials in coatings, composites and energy

systems aids the continued development of lighter,

more environmentally friendly automobiles.

The automotive industry has utilized nanomaterials

in coatings and composites for over a decade.

Automotive giant Ford has announced that it will

become the first automaker to use graphene parts in

its mass manufactured vehicles (the technology has

already been used in various prototypes), beginning

with the Mustang and F-150 by the end of 2018.

Regulatory requirements and consumer demand

for electric vehicles will further drive the market

for lightweight, high strength, long-lasting, safer

and more environmentally sustainable materials.

Applications of nanomaterials that have been

identified for the automotive sector include:

- Conductive polymer nanocomposites.

- Li-Ion batteries for electric vehicles.

- Fuel cell and supercapacitor electrode materials.

- Thermal barrier coatings.

- Wear resistant coatings.

- ESD, EMI and RFI paints

- Superhydrophobic coatings.

18


- Anti-fingerprint display coatings.

- Conductive adhesives.

- Electrically conductive coatings.

- Conductive fuel system components.

- Electrical packaging.

- Automotive exterior claddings.

- Olefin plastics for exterior parts.

- Biocomposites.

- Fire retardant materials.

Supercapacitors for electric vehicles

Avevai, a start-up from Singapore is producing the

Iona series of electric vehicles (see picture anove)

incorporating graphene supercapacitors. To power

the light commercial electric vehicles, the company is

using graphene supercapacitor technology developed

by e-Synergy, also based in Singapore.

Graphene Energy Management System (GEMS), which

combines lithium-ion batteries and ultracapacitors.

According to AVEVAI and e-Synergy, such combination

will take the high-power stress from the lithium-ion

cells and extend the productive life of the battery. The

warranty was set at 200,000 km (124,000 miles) or 5

years. The company will launch the their electric vehicle

series February 2019, in China. Other markets such as

Europe and the U.S. will follow from May next year.

Coatings

MIT spin-out Xtalic Corporation, a developer of nano-

scale metal alloys and coatings, has entered the

electric vehicle market. The company has applied its

XTRONIC and LUNA nanostructured alloys to lengthen

the service lives of electric vehicle charger connectors.

Xtalic is also developing XTALIUM a durable, corrosion-

resistant nanocoating that enables the use of low-

cost, lightweight magnesium alloy for automotive

components.1

Seats

Promethient, Inc. has developed a graphene-

enhanced seat warmer technology, Thermavance is

a climate control technology that is adaptable for

19


multiple vehicle thermal use cases. Thermavance heats

and cools through conductive heat transfer, offering

significantly higher efficiency than current convective

technology.

Figure: Promethient’s Thermavance™ system.

Tires

Perpetuus Advanced Materials is developing

graphene automotive applications and has announced

the completion of a road testing program of car tires

enhanced with graphene. The graphene enhanced

tires were fitted to high mileage, commercial light

vehicles, which primarily travel on the UK’s A and B

roads. The tests compared the graphene-enhanced

tires with regular tires and monitored the performance

of both tires. Perpetuus says that the tests showed that

the graphene-enhanced tires produced an average of

40% increase in wear resistance over the regular tires.

Composites

The most effective way to reduce fuel consumption

and decrease CO2 emissions is to produce lighter

vehicles, and lightweight vehicle production has

increased considerably. Achieving these emission cuts

necessitates stringent fuel efficiency standards for

automobiles which have forced OEMs worldwide to

further reduce their vehicles’ weight. However, vehicle

safety is usually compromised by lightweighting.

Therefore, there is a need to develop new materials to

overcome safety issues.

Denso Corporation is developing cellulose nanofiber

(CNF)-phenolic resin composites for automotive

components. The company has incorporated CNF into

the resin of large containers for vehicle air conditioners.

Other Japan based companies with initiatives in

automotive composites include Furukawa Electric,

Seiko PMC and Toyota, who are seeking to develop a

concept car using CNF by fiscal 2019. Yohei Kawada,

deputy director of the Japanese Environment Ministry's

climate change projects office, has stated that Japan

is focusing on CNF as the key to reducing vehicle

weight as technologies for increasing the efficiency of

automobile engines are approaching their limits.

In 2016, DIC developed a masterbatch called Epiclon

NCM consisting of 10 wt% cellulose nanofiber

(CNF) dispersed in an epoxy carrier. Addition of the

masterbatch to epoxy resin reportedly improves the

traditional disadvantages of epoxy resins, namely their

brittleness and lack of toughness. The company is

applying the masterbatch in automotive applications,

where it would be added to carbon fiber-reinforced

plastics (CFRP) to improve toughness. Asahi Kasei

has also developed CNF for automotive composites.

CBF Hybrid Composite is a lightweight material with

excellent dimensional stability based on uniformly-

dispersed CNF in a thermoplastic resin.

Ford Corporation recently announced in partnership

with Eagle Industries and XG Sciences it will use

graphene reinforcement in certain components to

strengthen and lighten them, as well as reduce noise.

"The breakthrough here is not in the material, but in

how we are using it," stated Debbie Mielewski, Ford

senior technical leader for sustainability and emerging

materials, in the company's statement. "We are able to

use a very small amount, less than a half percent, to

help us achieve significant enhancements in durability,

sound resistance and weight reduction—applications

that others have not focused on."

20


Sunroofs

In suspended particle devices (SPDs), a thin film

laminate of rod-like nanoparticles is suspended in a

liquid and placed between two pieces of glass or plastic

or attached to one layer. When no voltage is applied,

the suspended particles are randomly organized, thus

blocking and absorbing light. When voltage is applied,

the suspended particles align and let light pass. Varying

the voltage of the film varies the orientation of the

suspended particles, thereby regulating the tint of the

glazing and the amount of light transmitted. The visible

light transmission at the darkest state of SPD glazing

is around 0.5% and the process takes one to three

seconds after power is applied, regardless of the size

of the window. The resulting dark blue shading blocks

light and provides only partial privacy.

SPD has been commercialized in high-end niche

production vehicles by Mercedes. The technology

was developed by AGC, Inc.2 SPD automotive side

and rear windows and sunroofs offer many benefits to

passengers in the vehicle. Due to their fast-switching

and infinite tunability, they reduce unwanted light and

glare, which allows users to more comfortably maintain

their views of the outside and to enjoy glare-free

viewing of displays and video screens. SPD automotive

glass also minimizes heat build-up inside the vehicle

because of their ability to block solar heat gain. They

automatically switch to their maximum heat-blocking

state when the vehicle is not in use. These features

improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency and reduce carbon

emissions. The deep tinting of SPD windows also gives

users instant privacy on demand.

REFERENCES

1. Nanocrystalline Ag-W alloys lose stability upon

solute desegregation from grain boundaries,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/

S1359645418307183?via%3Dihub

2. http://www.agc-glass.eu/en/news/story/clear-dark-

mere-touch-button

21


GRAPHENENEWS

PRODUCT

December 2018

22


GRAPHENEPRODUCTS

Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread

application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at new developments and breakthroughs.

Inov-8 has collaborated with The University of Manchester to create

a pair of hiking boots which utilise graphene. Building on the l success

of its pioneering use of the material in trail running and fitness shoes

last summer, Inov-8 is now bringing the technology to a market it

considers to have been "starved of innovation".

Two ROCLITE boots with graphene-enhanced rubber grip have been

produced – the ROCLITE 335 and the ROCLITE 345 GTX. The former

offers increased warmth on cold days, while the latter has waterproof

GORE-TEX protection for hiking adventures in wet conditions. Michael

Price, product and marketing director at Inov-8, said: "Working with

the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester,

we've been able to develop rubber outsoles that deliver the world’s

toughest grip.

"The hiking and outdoor footwear market has been stagnant for

many years and crying out for innovation. We've brought a fresh

approach and new ideas, launching lightweight, fast-feel products

with graphene that will allow hikers, fast-packers and outdoor

adventurers."

UK company James Briggs Ltd will launch a range of anti-corrosive

vehicle paint primer using Applied Graphene Materials PLC materials

in launch in the New Year. Extensive testing has demonstrated

repeated and outstanding improvements in anti-corrosion

performance for JBL's automotive aerosol primer. The company will

launch the range of graphene-enhanced anti-corrosion aerosols

under their Hycote brand.

Researchers at Monash University,

Australia, have developed graphene

oxide membrane technology that can

be manufactured using gravure printing,

an industrial printing process. The

technology will directly benefit Australian

and international companies seeking

energy savings and other cost advantages

in water and wastewater filtration and

industrial processes associated with

pulp and paper, food and beverage, and

pharmaceuticals. Supported by funding

from the Australian government’s Co-

operative Research Centre programme of

23


GRAPHENE CHARGENew venture to develop technology that enhances battery energy and power density by up to 50% and offers best-

in-class cycle life.

SiNode Systems, a U.S-based developer of silicon-

graphene materials for lithium-ion batteries, and

JNC Corporation, a Tokyo-based specialty chemical

manufacturer, have formed NanoGraf Corporation—a

joint venture focused on commercializing advanced

materials for the Lithium-ion battery industry—with

a $4.5-million investment. SiNode will be renamed

NanoGraf.

NanoGraf’s technology aims to enhance the

performance of battery materials using a proprietary

graphene-wrapped silicon anode, originally invented

at Northwestern University. The unique combination

of silicon-based alloys and a flexible 3D graphene

network reportedly helps stabilize the active material

approximately AUD 1.2 million (US$865,000) and with investment

from industry partners Clean Teq Holdings and Ionic Industries, the

technology is entering commercialisation phase after seven years of

research and development.

India-based start-up Log 9 Materials, has developed a car, entitled

Ranger that runs on air and water. The car incorporates a graphene

metal-air battery that is able to increase the battery efficiency by

five times at one-third the cost. The metal air batteries use a metal

as anode, air (oxygen) as cathode and water as an electrolyte. A

graphene rod is used in the air cathode of the batteries.

Directa Plus has signed a collaboration agreement with

Ambienthesis, a Milan exchange-listed reclamation and hazardous

waste disposal group. The agreement will see Directa’s G+ enhanced

Grafysorber adsorbent tested as a cleaning agent for soil, groundwater

and industrial waste. Testing will start at the beginning of 2019,

covering various types of liquid waste using a mobile treatment plant

specifically engineered for the project.

from Oct 17 to 19, 2018, at Makuhari Messe, in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, along with Ceatec Japan 2018.

It was developed in a joint research project with the research laboratory of Kazuhiko Matsumoto of the Institute of

Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University. This time, the Advanced Technology R&D Center used a sheet-like

graphene material that is made by arranging carbon atoms on a single layer. The state of electrons of graphene is

different from those of other materials and semiconductors. And the new sensor uses this characteristic.

China-based Hainan Rubber Group has set up a research facility, which will take on graphene/natural rubber composites

as its first major project. The company's "joint laboratory for specialty natural rubber" involves a partnership with

Aero Engine Corp. of the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials—China's largest aerospace materials engineering

institute. In addition to the development of graphene-rubber materials, the Hainan Rubber partnership aims to build

production facilities for such material as the research makes progress.

Evercloak is a University of Waterloo startup that specializes in manufacturing ultra-thin graphene and other 2-D

nanomaterial films for cleantech applications. Evercloak’s low-cost advanced manufacturing platform builds ultra-thin

nanomaterial membranes, enabling disruptive clean technologies that will reduce cost, energy use, and associated

greenhouse gas emissions throughout the oil and gas, nuclear, energy, mining and agri-food sectors.

Haydale Graphene Industries PLC’s Taiwanese operation HTW has started to ship commercial quantities of its

graphene ink for diabetes test strips. Trials have been underway for a year by the customer, but sizeable deliveries have

now started as part of a 100Kg order. According to Haydale it is the first time graphene ink has been used in these

quantities in this market.

24


The Advanced Technology R&D Center of

Mitsubishi Electric Corp is developing

an image sensor that can sense a wide

frequency band of light from visible light

to terahertz waves with one device.

It can be a multi-spectrum image sensor

with a lower cost and higher performance,

compared with existing multi-spectrum

image sensors. Currently, multiple kinds

of image sensors are combined in

accordance with wavelength to realize a

multi-spectrum image sensor, and high-

cost materials and liquid nitrogen-based

cooling are necessary to detect lights

other than visible light.

Mitsubishi Electric exhibited a

prototyped chip at MEMS Sensing &

Network System 2018, which took place

25


The European Commission has adopted new registration

requirements for nanomaterials under REACH, clarifying

how to register nanoforms of substances. The new rules

will apply as of 1 January 2020.

On 3 December the European Commission adopted the

revision of several Annexes of REACH (the EU Regulation

on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction

of Chemicals), clarifying the registration requirements

with regard to nanomaterials.

REACH has always applied to nanomaterials, but did

not contain specific provisions for them, which is why

companies often did not know how to register these

‘substances in nanoform’. The modifications and the new

requirements will help closing the knowledge gap on

which nanomaterials are placed on the market and in

which quantities. They will clarify for the registrants how

to provide information on their basic characteristics and

use, how to handle them safely, what risks they potentially

pose to health and the environment and how these risks

can be adequately controlled. The new provisions will

have to be implemented for all substances in nanoform

that fall within the scope of REACH, from the already

widely used and registered ‘legacy’ nanomaterials in all

their product grades and variations to the specifically

engineered nanomaterials placed on the market by the

newly founded SMEs.

The impact assessment preceding the revision of the

REACH annexes estimated that compliance with the

modified REACH requirements for the registration

of substances with nanoforms would cost a total of

EUR 1.4 billion. These costs are justified in comparison

with the expected health and environmental benefits,

also considering the current size of the market and its

potential for growth.

Government, regulation & policy news

REACH: Closing the gap for nanomaterials

26


EC publishes final opin-ion on nanosilverOn October 26, 2018, the European Commission (EC) Scientific

Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its final opinion on

colloidal silver (nano). According to the final opinion, the EC received

63 notifications of cosmetic products containing colloidal silver in

nano form. The final opinion states that, according to the applicants,

the ingredient is used in nano uncoated form both in leave-on and

rinse-off oral cosmetics products, including toothpastes and skin care

products, with a maximum reported concentration limit of one percent

and certain specifications. SCCS concluded that in addition to the

safety assessment of colloidal silver in nano form, consideration should

also be given to the likely presence of ionic silver in different types of

final products. Further information at https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/

health/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_219.

pdf

The EU NanoSafety Cluster has published the EU-U.S.

Roadmap Nanoinformatics 2030. Download at https://

www.nanosafetycluster.eu/Nanoinformatics2030.html

The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee

on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has published the tenth

revision of The SCCS Notes of Guidance for the Testing

of Cosmetic Ingredients and Their Safety Evaluation.

Further information at https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/

health/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/

sccs_o_224.pdf

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

published a Federal Register notice on December 7, 2018,

withdrawing significant new use rules (SNUR) promulgated

under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 28

chemical substances, including single-walled carbon

nanotubes, that were the subject of premanufacture notices

(PMN). Further information at https://www.federalregister.

gov/documents/2018/12/07/2018-26686/significant-new-

use-rules-on-certain-chemical-substances-withdrawal

The use of carbon nano-based

ultracapacitors in lithium-ion

batteries can create a dual

energy source for high volume

electric vehicles.

27


CARBONNANOTUBES

LOW COST

Saratoga Energy has won a National Science Foundation grant to scale up its breakthrough process for

generating low-cost, top quality carbon nanotubes from carbon dioxide

Saratoga Energy is targeting applications

in high-performance Li-ion batteries,

such as those used in electric vehicles,

grid storage, and military and aerospace

applications for these materials.

The $723,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation

Research grant will allow Saratoga Energy to increase

production from 100 grams of carbon nanotubes

per day to one kilogram per day. That pilot-scale level

of production will help the company sell nanotubes

to research labs and small customers as it further

develops and tests its product, and gains traction in

the advanced-battery marketplace.

Manufacturers use carbon nanotubes as a conductive

additive along with anode and cathode materials as

part of the battery-making process. The technique

improves cycle life and power performance, resulting

in batteries that last longer and charge and discharge

more quickly.

Currently carbon nanotubes for this type of use cost

$250 per kilogram. The new process will allow the

company to sell them for $5 to $15 per kilogram. The

carbon nanotubes are also easier for manufacturers

to use: they have a lower surface area than other

carbon nanotubes, so they’re less likely to clump

together when they’re mixed into the electrode

slurries. http://www.saratoga-energy.com/

28


Argonne ‘s Advanced Synthesis in Continuous Flow Reactor program applies powerful tools to understand

processes at the atomic level to advance manufacturing of fine chemicals and nanosized materials.

Businesses often struggle to produce fine materials and nanomaterials

at commercial scales. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)

Argonne National Laboratory recently invested in new capabilities

to address this challenge. Known as Continuous Flow Reactors

(CFR), the technology can dramatically improve the consistency and

efficiency of manufacturing the materials used in a wide range of

applications.

In today’s fine-materials manufacturing environment, chemical

producers primarily rely on batch reaction processes, which create

industrial chemicals in tanks heated to a predetermined temperature;

once the process is complete, the reaction must stop for emptying

the tank and replenishing the precursors. This involves a lot of

starting and stopping that is labor-intensive and inefficient, and can

result in batch-to-batch inconsistencies that are not acceptable in a

production environment.

According to Argonne Principal Investigator Kris Pupek, “Beyond the

consistency improvements, CFR can streamline production of fine

chemicals by permitting rapid optimization of process parameters

such as temperature, flow rates, ratio of reagents and other

parameters. "

The Continuous Flow Reactor program is located at Argonne’s

Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF) outside Chicago.

Researchers at the MERF can apply Argonne’s CFR capabilities

to produce samples at pre-pilot-scale rates up to 100 grams of a

single material. Pupek anticipates that they will be able to create

specifications for highly efficient, custom microfluidic plates tailored

to run specific chemistry. The custom microfluidic reactors can

be used for many of the commercially available CFR systems. The

program is also expected to develop highly customized processes

using Argonne-designed systems that are not available commercially

today.

Argonne has made it a core mission

to develop advanced manufacturing

technologies, such as materials with

advanced properties and manufacturing

processes that are more energy efficient.

The CFR work was funded in part by

almost $1 million in Laboratory-Directed

Research and Development funds for

Manufacturing Science and Engineering.

Argonne has made it a core mission

to develop advanced manufacturing

technologies, such as materials with

advanced properties and manufacturing

processes that are more energy efficient.

The use of carbon nano-based

ultracapacitors in lithium-ion

batteries can create a dual

energy source for high volume

electric vehicles.

29


MATERIALSINNOVATION

GOODFELLOW

Leading global supplier of materials, Goodfellow, has collaborated with a number of major

international companies to provide research materials in several industry sectors.

Case studies have now been launched

on Goodfellow.com showcasing real

world examples of applications where

Goodfellow have provided an array of

materials either from their catalogue or as a bespoke

item to aid R&D projects and prototypes.

Goodfellow has also provided bespoke alloys for use

by a world-leading aerospace manufacturer

focused on satellites and engines. Behind some of

the world’s most innovative technological

developments, research and development is a key

part of the company’s goal of achieving ambitious

environment protection objectives. Over several

years Goodfellow supplied low to medium

quantities (in varying amounts of kilos) of specific

types of alloys including Tungsten, Molybdenum

TZM, Tantalum, Rhenium and Niobium. The materials

provided have played a vital role in the

development and production of the next generation

of aircraft engines.

Over the coming months Goodfellow will continue

to add to its portfolio of case studies to

demonstrate how companies in a variety of different

industry sectors can take advantage of its

research materials’ expertise in order to facilitate their

own industrial innovation. For more information

visit – www.goodfellow.com

Documents

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