BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
Samsung Develops Battery Material with 5x Faster Charging Speed
https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-develops-battery-material-with-5x-faster-charging-speed
Recently, a team of researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) developed a “graphene* ball,” a unique battery material that enables a 45% increase in capacity, and five times faster charging speeds than standard lithium-ion batteries. The breakthrough provides promise for the next generation secondary battery market, particularly related to mobile devices and electric vehicles.
EPOXY RESINS ENHANCED WITH GRAPHENE – TALGA RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA (Nov 27, 2017)
PATENTS
Method for synthesizing Graphene from a Lignin source
Mississippi State University
April 2017
A method of turning carbon containing resources such as biomass into graphene using pre-treatments prior to thermal carbonization.
CANADIAN PRODUCERS
NanoXplore is one of Canada’s largest producers, based out of Montreal, they produce their graphene from graphite. They are 30% owned by Mason Graphite a mining company in Quebec. NanoXplore went public on the TSX Venture Exchange in September 2017.
Canadian graphene producer @nanoxplore haven’t done too bad since they commenced trading on TSX Venture Exchange on Sep. 8, 2017 – slow and steady pic.twitter.com/Glvw7Eudpj
— Nanographene (@NanographeneORG) November 28, 2017
PRODUCTION OF GRAPHENE FROM BIOMASS
http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0518/c90000-9217471.html
https://www.graphene-info.com/china-based-company-completes-biomass-graphene-production-line
China at forefront of technology utilizing biomass from corn cobs.
GRAPHENE ATTRACTS GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Geelong, a city of 170,000 in Australia is attracting government funding through the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, “In a further show of confidence in Imagine IM and Geelong’s manufacturing capabilities, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre announced a $250,000 grant to co-fund projects commercialising graphene at an industrially-relevant scale.”
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY
NRC spearheading research efforts to develop graphene standards – Feb 2017
https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/stories/2017/graphene_standards.html
NSERC have given almost $500K in grants since 2014 for graphene research – most of it to Ontario/Quebec based institutions
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/FundingDecisions-DecisionsFinancement/ResearchGrants-SubventionsDeRecherche/ResultsGSCDetail-ResultatsCSSDetails_eng.asp?Year=2014&GSC=1511
Canada Partners With Grafoid Inc. Awards $8.1 Million to Automate MesoGraf™ Graphene Production
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Feb. 20, 2015) – The Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) announced today the award of $8.1 million to Grafoid Inc. – Canada’s leading graphene technologies and applications developer – to automate Grafoid’s production of its low-cost, high-purity MesoGraf™ graphene.
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/canada-partners-with-grafoid-inc-1993622.htm
Note: Grafoid are partly owned by Focus Graphite
Canadian government invests C$2.9m in use of graphene to improve battery technology
BOISBRIAND, QUEBEC–(Nov. 6, 2017) – The Government of Canada is investing C$2.9-million to improve battery technology, as part of its clean technology investment program. The investment, which will be through Raymor Industries Inc., supports the innovative use of graphene to improve lithium-ion (reusable) battery performance and longevity. The technology can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions created during battery production, which will mean cleaner communities and a healthier environment. The announcement was made by Linda Lapointe, member of parliament for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, in Quebec, Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development. The project is being funded through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), which works with Canadian companies to bring early-stage clean technologies to market.
http://www.thenextsiliconvalley.com/2017/11/06/3124-canadian-government-invests-c2-9m-in-use-of-graphene-to-improve-battery-technology/
UNIVERSITY EXPERTISE IN BC
John Madden
Electrical and Computer Engineering
https://www.ece.ubc.ca/faculty/john-madden
Frank Ko
Material Engineering
http://mtrl.ubc.ca/faculty/frank-ko/
Peyman Servati
Electrical and Computer Engineering
https://www.ece.ubc.ca/faculty/peyman-servati
Joshua Folk
Physics – Quantum Physics
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/joshua-folk
Andrea Damascelli
Physics – Quantum Materials
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/andrea-damascelli
Sarah Burke
Physics – Nanoscale Materials
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/sarah-burke
Ian Affleck
Physics – Quantum Magnetism
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/ian-affleck
Fei Zhou
Physics – Quantum Entanglement
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/fei-zhou
Marcel Franz
Physics – Condensed Matter Theory
https://www.phas.ubc.ca/users/marcel-franz
FURTHER RESEARCH
Populus wood biomass-derived graphene for high CO2 capture at atmospheric pressure and estimated cost of production – Nanotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), West Blvd of Azadi Sport Complex, Tehran, Iran – October 6, 2017
Graphene produced from PWB (Populus Wood Biomass)