Posted by AGORACOM
at 5:17 PM on Monday, January 27th, 2020
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here
Goodyear developed a proprietary compound enhanced with graphene
The rubber is able to deliver low rolling resistance, improved grip in the dry and wet and long-term durability.
Famous tire and rubber company Goodyear has launched two new bicycle tyres, Eagle F1 and Eagle F1 Supersport utilizing graphene technology and weighing just 180g for a 23mm model.
The
new Eagle F1 is an “ultra-high-performance all-round road tire†and the
Eagle F1 Supersport, which is even lighter, is aimed at the upper
echelons of competition and will be suited to road racing, time trial
and triathlon where speed trumps all other requirements.
Goodyear has developed a proprietary compound enhanced with graphene and “next-generation amorphous (non-crystalline) spherical Silica†to create what it labels Dynamic:GSR. The result of this is said to be a rubber that is able to deliver low rolling resistance, improved grip in the dry and wet and long-term durability.
he Eagle F1 comes in five width options from 23 to 32mm, while the Eagle F1 Supersport comes in three widths from 23 to 28mm.
To
produce the new tire Goodyear has invested in its own factory in Taiwan
and has developed a process that allows much greater control over the
construction of the tire. It didn’t share too many details, but it
believes this enhanced precision contributes to significant weight
savings.
Currently the new Eagle F1 and F1 Supersport are only
available as clincher tube-type tires, but a tubeless tire is reportedly
in the pipeline for a launch later this year.
The new tires will cost from £45 and be in shops in February.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 4:05 PM on Monday, January 27th, 2020
SPONSOR: ZEN Graphene Solutions: An emerging advanced materials and graphene development company with a focus on new solutions using pure graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Our competitive advantage relies on the unique qualities of our multi-decade supply of precursor materials in the Albany Graphite Deposit. Independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada confirm this. Click here for more information
Researchers at the India-based Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) are developing an economical graphene-based supercapacitor
that can present an effective alternative to providing energy to
various applications, including state-of-the-art military equipment,
mobile devices and modern vehicles.
Graphene has been used in the newly developed ultra-capacitors to
replace the expensive activated carbon, and the switch seems to have
also reduced the supercapacitors’ weight and cost by ten times.
The team has developed a new technique for making graphene oxide, which is being used to produce new ultra-capacitors.
CMERI scientist Dr. Naresh Chandra Murmu stated that “scientists have
developed a technique for producing graphene oxide. The production cost
of one kilogram of graphene oxide using this technique comes to around
ten thousand rupees, which is much lesser than the cost of activated
carbon used in supercapacitors. We have modified the surface of graphene
oxide in our research, due to which it has also succeeded in reducing
its weight. We have now reached the advanced stage of making
ultra-capacitors by using this graphene oxide, which can be useful in
various sectors.â€
Former Senior Defense Development Research Organization (DRDO)
official M.H. Rahman said that such devices not only cater to civilian
applications, but can be applicable in strategic and defense
applications as well.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 5:40 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here
A new technique to make ultra-flat, wrinkle-free films of graphene
could pave the way for a host of applications, including graphene-based
flexible electronics and high-frequency transistors. The technique works
by introducing protons into the film as graphene is synthesized using
chemical vapour deposition (CVD), and its inventors say that it might be
extended to other two-dimensional materials such hexagonal boron
nitride (h-BN) and the transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). It
could also aid the development of hydrogen storage devices made from
layered 2D structures.
Graphene – a 2D honeycomb of carbon atoms just one atom thick –
boasts several unique electronic properties. In contrast to conventional
semiconductors, which have an energy gap between the electron valence
and conduction bands, graphene is a “zero-gap†semiconductor. This means
its electron valence and conduction bands just touch each other. At the
point of contact, the electrons move at near-ballistic speeds, and
their behaviour is governed by the Dirac equation for relativistic
electrons – hence the name “Dirac point†for this section of graphene’s
band structure.
Linear defects
So far, this electronic behaviour has only been observed in small
flakes of graphene that have been shaved off, or exfoliated, from
samples of bulk graphite. These flakes are not big enough to be
practical for electronic circuits, and although larger, wafer-sized
graphene films can easily be produced via CVD, their electronic
performance is not as good. This is because CVD-grown graphene, unlike
the exfoliated type, contains grain boundaries, atomic vacancies,
impurities and wrinkles. These defects act as centres off which
electrons can scatter as they travel, thus degrading the material’s
electronic properties.
CVD-produced graphene is prone to wrinkling because the graphene must
adhere to the surface of a substrate as it grows. If the thermal
expansion coefficient of the substrate does not match that of the
graphene itself, a change in temperature can lead to linear defects –
wrinkles – forming as the ensemble strives to release compressive
strain.
Researchers have attempted to reduce wrinkling by performing CVD at
low temperatures, using substrates with a similar thermal coefficient to
that of graphene, and developing single-crystalline substrates. A team
of researchers led by Libo Gao at China’s Nanjing University has now shown that reducing the interaction between graphene and its substrate might be a good, alternative, strategy.
Intercalating hydrogen molecules
The Nanjing team began by introducing a plasma of protons – hydrogen
ions – into the graphene’s growth chamber. During the CVD process, some
of this hydrogen became intercalated between the graphene and its
substrate, causing the two materials to decouple.
Gao and colleagues found that some of the wrinkles disappeared
entirely from the graphene thanks to this proton penetration. They
believe this is due to decreased van der Waals interactions between the
carbon sheet and the substrate, as well as – possibly – an increase in
the substrate’s distance from the growth surface thanks to the
intercalation process.
High-quality bilayer graphene goes large
The researchers also found that the electronic band structure of
their graphene films shows a V-shaped “Dirac cone†(representing the
density of states around the Dirac point) similar to the one observed in
exfoliated graphene. They argue that this proves the proton-assisted
CVD-grown graphene is indeed decoupled from its substrate.
The technique, which is detailed in Nature,
could be extended to grow ultra-flat versions of other 2D materials,
such as h-BN and the TMDCs, Gao says. It might also make it possible to
develop hydrogen storage devices made from these layered materials.
“The physical and electronic properties of our ultra-flat graphene
films are homogenous on the large scale, which means they might now be
used in higher-performance electronic and photoelectronic devices,†he
tells Physics World.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 2:06 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020
SPONSOR: ZEN Graphene Solutions: An emerging advanced materials and graphene development company with a focus on new solutions using pure graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Our competitive advantage relies on the unique qualities of our multi-decade supply of precursor materials in the Albany Graphite Deposit. Independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada confirm this. Click here for more information
The battery race shows no sign of letting up, even though the gains
feel increasingly marginal. Whether it’s phones or portable consoles,
maximising the life eked out of a slim lithium-ion battery is getting
harder and harder.
For some time, graphene has been touted as one possible solution, a
material that hasn’t been efficiently harnessed yet but which could help
improve charging times and battery life in one fell swoop. Now Real
Graphene, a tech business from Los Angeles, is apparently preparing to
change that.
It has a range of portably power banks on
the market, and ambitious plans to crowdfund the wider production of
banks that go even further with their use of Graphene. For now, Real
Graphene’s banks come in two sizes, a 10,000mAh version and another with
20,000mAh, and have a number of apparent advantages over lithium banks.
For one thing, they charge far more quickly themselves, with the
smaller variant charging completely in 50 minutes, far less time than
the hours most banks need to power themselves up.
Graphene as a material is also extremely lightweight, so down the
line it could lead to lighter batteries, always a welcome change.
However, for now, even Real Graphene’s own batteries are not pure
graphene — they’re a blend of graphene and lithium which gains in speed
but remains affordable to build and sell.
Even so, the reality is that graphene-enhanced batteries will be more
expensive than current lithium equivalents, to the tune of a 30% bump
in cost at Real Graphene’s own estimation. That’s a sizeable leap, so it
shouldn’t be a huge surprise if the tech can’t make too many mainstream
waves until it’s even more affordable in comparison.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 12:26 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko owns 80% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property , Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
Swedish automaker Volvo announced plans to build an electric battery plant at its assembly factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina to support the launch of electrified Volvo models for the U.S. market. Construction of the battery assembly plant will be completed by the end of 2021.
While many people consider Detroit home of the automobile, the
southeast region of the U.S. is becoming a hotbed for auto
manufacturing. Automakers BMW,
Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai built assembly plants
in the region to manufacture vehicles for the U.S. and global markets.
Most recently, Toyota and Mazda recently announced they will be
opening a new $1.6 billion plant in Huntsville, Alabama, adding around
4,000 new jobs to the region. Now Volvo becomes the latest automaker to
expand its U.S. manufacturing with a new electric vehicle battery plant.
The automaker announced plans to build an electric battery plant at
its assembly plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina to support the launch
of electrified Volvo models for the U.S. market. Construction of the
battery assembly plant will be completed by the end of 2021, a Volvo
spokeswoman said to Automotive News.
The battery production plant is part of a previously announced $600
million project that is already underway at Volvo’s plant in Ridgeville,
S.C., which includes adding a second production line and Volvo Car
University. The 2.3 million sq. ft. facility includes a body shop, paint
shop, final assembly, a vehicle processing center and an office
building.
The Ridgeville plant is Volvo’s first in the U.S. Construction began in 2015.
At that facility, employees will assemble and test the lithium ion
battery packs that will power the electric XC90. By assembling the packs
on at the plant, Volvo hopes to reduce shipping costs involved in
transporting the heavy batteries.
Dallas Bolen, a manager with Volvo’s product launch group, told local
media outlet the Post and Courier that local battery production would
be more cost-effective than building batteries off-site then having to
transport them to the factory.
The Ridgeville plant is currently the production home of the Volvo
S60 sedan. The U.S.-built S60s are exported around the world through the
Port of Charleston, one of the busiest ports in the U.S.
Volvo’s next EV will be the XC40 Recharge. It will arrive at U.S. dealers later this year.
The South Carolina plant will become the global production center for
the third-generation XC90 flagship crossover. Volvo plans to build the
next generation XC90 sport utility vehicle in 2022, along with a
fully-electric version. The plant has the capacity to build 150,000
vehicles annually.
Volvo has not said how much of the XC90’s production at the $1.1
billion factory will be devoted to the battery-electric variant.
That next-generation XC90 will be built on the next version of
Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture platform, referred to as SPA2. The
new electric vehicle architecture is designed to make it easy to add
new technology, such as microprocessors, sensors and camera technology.
Volvo declined to release its production capacity for the battery
assembly plant or say how many jobs it will create. Overall, the planned
XC90 production line is expected to create about 1,000 jobs.
The XC90 would be Volvo’s third battery-powered model following the
electric version of the popular XC40 compact crossover, was unveiled in
October.
The electric XC40
is expected to arrive in U.S. dealerships in the fourth quarter of
2020. The crossover will be competitively priced under $48,000, after
the $7,500 federal tax credit, Volvo said.
The new battery plant will support Volvo’s push to electrify around
half of its lineup. The automaker aims for EVs to account for half of
its global sales by 2025. Over the next five years, Volvo expects to
launch a fully electric vehicle every year.
“A Volvo built in 2025 will leave a carbon footprint that is 40
percent lower than a car that we build today,” Volvo CEO Hakan
Samuelsson said during a press event in October. “We made safety part of
the brand. We should do the same with sustainability.”
In November 2019, Volvo Cars announced it will be the first carmaker
to implement global traceability of cobalt used in its batteries by
applying blockchain technology,
ensuring that customers can drive battery-powered Volvos knowing the
raw materials for the batteries has been responsibly sourced.
Definitive Graphene Manufacturing Process License Agreement–
This agreement licenses to ZEN the intellectual property created
by scientists and laboratories in collaboration with ZEN, and provides
that a royalty is payable by ZEN based on the annual amount of material
processed under the intellectual property.
Signed an 18-month
exclusive initial option agreement with the University of Guelph for
intellectual property regarding an electrochemical exfoliation (ECE)
process to produce Graphene Oxide.
Collaborative Research
Agreement (CRA) Template – Forms the basis of each agreement with
various UBC researchers and Universities.
Each contributing
significantly to unlocking the value of the Albany Graphite deposit and
creating a strong intellectual property foundation.
Graphene Aerogel Battery Development Program:
Coordinating with the German Aerospace Center–
A proprietary aerogel formulation containing
doping with either ZEN’s reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) or Graphene produced via
ZEN’s licensed process was tested. The unoptimized results are believed to be
better than those currently reported in the literature for Graphene Aerogel
batteries.
Graphene-containing aerogels could have the
potential to be a low-cost, low-weight, high-performance composite materials
for near future energy storage applications.
Results extremely positive, and DLR applied for
and received federal funding to create a new Innovation Lab (the Center
for Aerogels) to work with industrial partners on the development of Aerogels
and other graphene-based products.
Albany Graphite:
Significantly outperforms both flake/sedimentary graphite and
synthetic graphite, demonstrating the uniqueness of ZEN’s graphite and
its superior performance to exfoliate into graphene products.
ZEN
currently has an inventory of approximately 110 tonnes of
graphite-mineralized material with an average grade of 6% graphitic
carbon (Cg), 110 kilograms of 86% Cg material, 18 kilograms of 99.8% Cg,
and 300 grams of GO.
The Company will continue to process
material and manufacture graphene-related products on an as-needed basis
for research and development (R&D) and marketing
ZEN’s is
developing a proposed webstore which has an anticipated launch date in
the first quarter of 2020, for which it is developing an inventory in
advance of sales.
Graphene-Enhanced Materials for Next-Level Performance.
About ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd.
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is an emerging advanced materials and
graphene development company with a focus on new solutions using pure
graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Our competitive advantage
relies on the unique qualities of our multi-decade supply of precursor
materials in the Albany Graphite Deposit. Independent labs in Japan, UK,
Israel, USA and Canada have demonstrated that ZEN’s Albany
Graphite/Naturally PureTM easily converts (exfoliates) to graphene,
using a variety of simple mechanical and chemical methods.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:37 AM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020
Building codes are a labyrinth of national, state, and municipal
rules. While California since 2015 has required new homes to have the
necessary conduit and service-panel capacity for EV-charging, guidelines
in the rest of the country are spotty. That could soon be fixed because
the International Code Council (ICC) – which provides widely adopted
best practices and standards for construction – approved putting
EV-readiness in its latest guidelines.
The new guidelines equate to a ready-made, consistent national
approach for EV-charging capabilities for new homes and apartment
buildings.
While all states follow the principles outlined by the ICC’s building
codes, the provisions are voluntary until incorporated into state or
local laws. Quartz reports that about half of US states are expected to adopt the ICC’s new EV-readiness requirements.
Forward-looking municipalities – notably Atlanta, Denver, Palo Alto,
and Seattle – already have EV-friendly construction codes in place.
Estimates for the cost of compliance for a newly constructed home vary widely from less than $100 to nearly $1,000.
A 2016 study
pegged the price in San Francisco to be $920 (for a building with 10
parking spaces). But that’s significantly less than adding charging
capabilities after the fact. The same research indicates that
retrofitting sites by expanding electrical panels and adding wiring,
could cost as much as $3,550.
The ICC explains, “The proposed code [now adopted] will allow current
and future EV-owners to avoid the cost of electrical equipment
upgrades, demolition, and permitting for future retrofits.â€
ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT (EVSE). The conductors, including
the ungrounded, grounded, and equipment grounding conductors, and the
Electric Vehicle connectors, attachment plugs, and all other fittings,
devices, power outlets, or apparatus installed specifically for the
purpose of transferring energy between the premises wiring and the
Electric Vehicle.
EV CAPABLE SPACE. Electrical panel capacity and space to support a
minimum 40-ampere, 208/240-volt branch circuit for each EV parking
space, and the installation of raceways, both underground and surface
mounted, to support the EVSE.
EV READY SPACE. A designated parking space which is provided with
one 40-ampere, 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit for EVSE servicing
Electric Vehicles. The circuit shall terminate in a suitable termination
point such as a receptacle, junction box, or an EVSE, and be located in
close proximity to the proposed location of the EV parking spaces.
While builders will make sure that there’s access to a 240-volt
supply, it’s up to owners or tenants to buy and install the charging
equipment.
The ICC says there will need to be 9.6 million new EV charging ports by 2030, with nearly 80% located in single and multi-family residential buildings. As any EV driver knows, home is where the vast majority of electric-car charging takes place.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:18 AM on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 15, 2020) – Lomiko Metals Inc.
(TSXV: LMR) would like to cordially invite you to visit us at Booth
#1030 at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) to be held
at the Vancouver Convention Centre West (1055 Canada Place, Vancouver)
on Sunday January 19 – Monday January 20, 2020.
The Vancouver Resource Investment Conference has been the bellwether
of the junior mining market for the last twenty-five years. It is the
number one source of information for investment trends and ideas,
covering all aspects of the natural resource industry.
Each year, the VRIC hosts over 60 keynote speakers, 350 exhibiting companies and 9000 investors.
Investment thought leaders and wealth influencers provide our
audiences with valuable insights. C-suite company executives covering
every corner of the mineral exploration sector as well as metals, oil
& gas, renewable energy, media and financial services companies are
available to speak one on one. This is a must-attend for investors and
stakeholders in the global mining industry.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 7:53 PM on Friday, January 10th, 2020
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here
“Experts say we are approaching a tipping point for graphene commercialisation”
Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester, made a fact-finding tour
of facilities that are pioneering graphene innovation at The University
of Manchester.
The Mayor toured the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
(GEIC) which is an industry-facing facility specialising in the rapid
development and scale up of graphene and other 2D materials
applications.
As well as state-of-the art labs and equipment, the Mayor was also shown examples of commercialisation – including the world’s first-ever sports shoes to use graphene which has been produced by specialist sports footwear company inov-8 who are based in the North.
Andy Burnham – a running enthusiast who has previously participated
in a number of marathons – has promised to put a pair of graphene
trainers to the test and feedback his own experiences to researchers
based at The University of Manchester.
“Manchester is the home of graphene – and when you see the
brilliant work and the products now being developed with the help of the
Graphene@Manchester team it’s clear why this city-region maintains
global leadership in research and innovation around this fantastic
advanced material.”
Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor
By collaborating with graphene experts in Manchester, inov-8 has been
able to develop a graphene-enhanced rubber which they now use for
outsoles in a new range of running and fitness shoes. In testing, the
groundbreaking G-SERIES shoes have outlasted 1,000 miles and are
scientifically proven to be 50% stronger, 50% more elastic and 50%
harder wearing.
“Manchester is the home of graphene – and when you see the brilliant
work and the products now being developed with the help of the Graphene@Manchester
team it’s clear why this city-region maintains global leadership in
research and innovation around this fantastic advanced material,†said
Andy Burnham.
“I have been very impressed with the exciting model of innovation the University has pioneered in our city-region, with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre playing
a vital role by working with its many business partners to take
breakthrough science from the lab and apply it to real world challenges.
“And thanks to world firsts, like the graphene running shoe, the
application of graphene is now gaining real pace. In fact, the experts
say we are approaching a tipping point for graphene commercialisation –
and this is being led right here in Greater Manchester.â€
