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NANOTECHApril-May 2019

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 #57

Ice

GRAPHENEPRODUCTS

IN

CoatingsResistant

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

information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Latest develop,ents and market for anti-icing,

ice-repellant and icephobic coatings. 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 2019

TABLE OF

THIS MONTH

MARKET FOCUS

CONTENT

The market for ice-resistant coatings

is driven by demand from aviation,

transportation, marine and wind

energy. We look at applications,

technologies and companies.

Nanocoated salt-based energy

storage technology production.

Quantum dots for high resolution,

lower cost camera sensors.

Gra

phen

e/si

licon

com

posi

te a

node

mat

eria

l w

hich

ca

n in

crea

se

the

capa

city

of L

i-Ion

bat

teri

es.

Latest product and production

news in nanocellulose.

Latest investments, commercial

agreements and rounds of finance.

P.04

P.14

P.10

P.20

P.15

P.16

P.10

P.13 Carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires

conductive films to reduce the radio frequency

(RF) energy exposure from smartphones.

New quantum dot products in

displays, medical and solar.

3


MARKET FOCUS

FROM EDITORNOTE

Recent company acquisitions in

cellulose nanofibers.

New cellulose nanocrystal

production initiatives and funding.

Graphene product news April-May

2019.

Graphene batteries for electric bikes and

vehicles in China.

P.17

P.17

P.18

P.20

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all the latest monthly news and views on this

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Quantum dots are THE nanomaterials success

story. Quantum-dot enhancement film is widely

used in LEDs for high definition televisions and

displays, and are a multi-billion dollar market.

However, what we have seen so far is the tip of

the iceberg.

The next wave of QD display products will

incorporate quantum dots on glass, quantum

dot colour filters (QDCF) for microLEDS and

displays, perovskite QDs and inkjet printed QDs.

These areas are all under development by major

electronics manufacturers such as Samsung and

LG Display. According to major QD producer

Nanosys, electroluminescent quantum-dot

(ELQD) displays, which could subsume the OLED

market, are also just around the corner. The

proliferation of the consumer electronics market

will continue to drive demand for these materials

and this month also sees product development

initiative in camera sensors and biomedicine.

P.21New silver nanowire-based ink for

conductivity and flexibility in displays.

P.22Nanotech government, regulation

and policy news.

4


MARKET

ICE-RESISTANTFOCUS

The market for ice-resis-tant coatings is driven by

demand from aviation, transportation, marine

and wind energy.

COATINGSIce resistant coatings, also know as anti-icing,

ice-repellant and icephobic coatings repel water

droplets, delay ice nucleation and significantly

reduce ice adhesion on surfaces. Ice-resistance is

desirable for a variety of surfaces including aircraft

(fixed and rotary wing), vehicles, ships, camera lenses,

road signs, protective eyewear, buildings, antennae,

power lines, and bridges.

The use of ice-resistant coating systems has several

advantages over existing methods for mitigating the

build-up of ice including:

• no energy required

• can be retrofitted

• enhancement of product value.

• reduction in costs and energy consumption.

• improve performance of technical goods.

• environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to

solve the issue of ice formation and accretion.

• mitigate safety concerns and issues.

Ice formation and accretion on surfaces is a major

problem in various industries from transportation to

energy generation, leading to equipment failure and

high energy loss.1 2

To deal with this problem, surface-coatings

techniques based on thermal, chemical, and

mechanical methods have been implemented to

5


ICE-RESISTANTCOATINGS

attain anti-icing properties; however, most of these

rely on complicated processes that require expensive

equipment and labour-intensive procedures with

detrimental environmental consequences. This

has opened opportunities for new nanocoatings

technologies.

Superhydrophobic coatings

Superhydrophobic surfaces possess extraordinary water

repelling properties due to their low surface energy and

specific nanometer- and micrometer-scale roughness.3

A superhydrophobic surface is able to repel water

droplets completely; such surfaces exhibit water droplet

advancing contact angles (CAs) of 150o or higher and

sliding angles (SAs) < 10°. The theoretical limit for CAs is

180o. Researchers at ORNL has developed surfaces with

CAs of >179o.

Superhydrophobic coatings enhance anti-icing

properties by:

• delaying ice formation.4

• enhancing the dynamic anti-icing behaviour of water

droplets impacting the SHP surface.5

• reducing the ice adhesion strength.6

Figure 1: Superhydrophobic coatings on glass.

Image: ORNL.

However, a large number of investigations have shown

that frost can build up within the micro/nanostructured

features of superhydrophobic surfaces under sub-zero

conditions, leading to the anchoring of ice, which in

turn results in the increase of ice adhesion during icing/

deicing cycles. Frost can build up within the micro/

nanostructured features of superhydrophobic surfaces

under sub-zero conditions, leading to the anchoring of

ice, which in turn results in the increase of ice adhesion

during icing/de-icing cycle.7 8 9

Also, with regular exposure to weather such as freezing

rain, the icephobicity of the coatings decreases to a

significant extent after a few thawing freezing/thawing

cycles.10 11 12 However, other researchers have since

demonstrated that superhydrophobic nanocoatings

display high stability against periodic crystallisation of

water contacting the coatings.13 14

Omniphobic coatings

Among all the attributes of superhydrophobic coatings,

the most challenging is to achieve multi-functionality

that includes super-omniphobicity (completely repels

both water and oil), high transparency with minimal

haze, and mechanical durability. Over the past few years,

researchers have proposed oleophobic and omniphobic

surfaces that repel most organic liquids, therefore

negating the problems faced by superhydrophobic

coatings (e.g. coatings are usually fragile, surfaces can be

fouled by contaminants, and condensation can induce

intrusion).

Surfaces that are capable of supporting non-wetting

interfaces for both high and low surface tension liquid

droplets are considered to be omniphobic. Most

fabricated superhydrophobic micro/nano-structured

surfaces are not suitable to support non-wetting states

for low surface tension liquids, such as oils and alcohols.

To overcome this limitation, researchers have engineered

surfaces with topographic features having specialized

6


reentrant geometries, such as:

• inverse trapezoidal.15

• serif-T. 16 17

• mushroom.18 19 20

• micro-hoodoo.21 22

• micro-nail structures. 23

On such surfaces, deposited droplets remain pinned at

the sharp edge of the reentrant structures, where the

meniscus generates an upward force that resists droplet

collapse into the surface cavities, even for low surface

tension liquids.

Figure 2: SLIPS technology coating.

Image: Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc.

One strategy for creating omniphobic surfaces is slippery

liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) that are “liquid-

like” developed at the University of Harvard. Inspired

by the Nepenthes pitcher plant. SLIPSs do not require

pressure-dependent metastable states but involve

dynamic liquid/liquid/vapor contact line motion.24 25 26

Advantages of this approach include functioning under

extreme high-pressure conditions, self-healing and anti-

icing properties. 27

Phase switching materials

Novel ice-phobic coatings have been developed that

employ organophosphorous phase change materials

(PCMs). PCMs exist in a passive or dormant state under

most environmental conditions, but PCMs undergo solid-

solid phase changes over a narrow temperature range

slightly below at which ice formation occurs. As ice forms

on the surface, some of the latent heat of freezing passes

to PCMs. This heat is absorbed by the PCMs and causes

local strain on the coating surface and results in removal

of the ice. Minimal force (<1psi) is required to remove ice

from test surfaces treated with PCM ice-phobic coating

technology.

Graphene coatings

Graphene-based de-icing composites and anti-icing

coatings are of great interest due to exceptional thermal,

electrical and mechanical properties of graphene.

Advantages of the use of graphene include:

• Delays ice formation

• Lowers the temperature of the freezing onset

• Prevents fogging

• Transparent

• Extremely lightweight

• Strong and durable

• An efficient conductor.

The use of graphene coatings can accelerate the internal

heat transfer of the composite materials, improving the

anti-icing and de-icing efficiency of aerospace and wind

turbine components.

Figure 3: Graphon Coating for use in conductive

heating coatings for de-icing.

Image: CSIRO.

7


Currently, fibre reinforced polymer composites are

increasingly popular in aerospace, automobile and civil

engineering industries due to their higher strength and

lower weight. However, ice accumulation reduces the

advantages that the composite brings to the structure.

The electro-thermal system is identified as one of the most

promising de-icing systems for polymer composites, as it

does not cause delamination and damage to composite

structure. However, the application of the electro-

thermal system within composites is limited by the

poor thermal conductivity and high thermal sensitivity

of polymeric materials. Many studies have reported uses

of conductive polymers, metals, CNT and carbon black

to make conductive polymer composites; however, they

still suffer from poor thermal and electrical conductivity,

and higher energy consumption. Therefore, it is desirable

to use a conductive material that can provide excellent

electro-thermal properties as well as can achieve desired

temperature without compromising existing mechanical

and thermal properties of composites.

CSIRO has created a new form of graphitic material

that’s conductive, easy to apply and offers greater control

over performance than graphene. GraphON can also be

manufactured cheaper and easier, with more flexibility

and less hazardous waste than comparable products.

The materials can be used in applications in electrical

heating (de-icing) for aerospace applications. It can

be mixed into polymers or paints to create a surface

coating that conducts heat or electricity. GraphON can

be manufactured with flow chemistry, guaranteeing a

product that’s safe, efficient, cost-effective and consistent.

SAAB has filed a patent for the development of de-icing

coatings. The graphene additive could strengthen the

acrylics and shield against EMI interference.28 Lockheed

Martin is working with Rice University on graphene de-

icing coatings.29

Companies

Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc.

USA

https://adaptivesurface.tech/

Adaptive Surface Technologies (formerly SLIPS

Technologies) is a spin-out from Harvard University. The

company launched in October 2014 with a $3 million

Series A financing led by BASF Venture Capital. SLIPS

(Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces) changes the

surface of a solid material into a microscopically thin

and ultra-smooth (friction-free) immobilized “sea” of

lubricant.

SLIPS creates a stable and immobilized liquid lubricant

overlayer (LOL) and this "liquid surface" provides extremely

slippery (low contact angle hysteresis) and non-sticky

surfaces against a wide range of viscous contaminants,

biofouling, ice and frost.

Alchemy Nano

Canada

https://alchemynano.com/

Alchemy is a spin-out from the University of Waterloo.

The company’s Exoshield films use multi-layer nano

composites to protect a vehicle's windows and

windshields from natural and seasonal elements, such as

insulating against summer heat, preventing frost during

winters, and avoiding stone chips. It caters to autonomous

vehicles, windshield protection, and defense and security

applications.

The company's products are available through a global

network of distributors. Alchemy was formerly known as

Neverfrost, Inc.

AF220 Anti-frost nanocoating is designed to prevent

formation of overnight frost on any desired substrate such

as glass or polycarbonate for automotive applications.

The coatings enable multi-climate reliability for AVs by

providing impact/scratch resistance, frost prevention,

de-icing to combat snow/freezing rain, and water/dirt

shedding. It is an easily applicable, transparent, infrared-

reflective and anti-frost film.

Agiltron, Inc.

USA

www.agiltron.com

8


Agiltron has developed robust and affordable anti-

icing and ice-phobic surfaces that are also transparent

(>%80) in visible spectrum for superstructures of surface

ships in Arctic and cold region operation. Leveraging

Agiltron"s previous experiences in mechanically durable

superhydrophibic nanocomposite coatings and optically

transparent fluoropolymer resins, in collaboration with

the Ice Research Laboratory at Dartmouth College,

they have produced nanotextured superhydrophobic

nanocomposite coatings of hard nanoparticles

embedded into a fluorinated polyurethane resin matrix,

both are optically transparent in the visible spectrum.

This nanocomposite coating is highly transparent, easy

to apply via spray coating over large areas and containing

no volatile organic compounds.

Battelle Memorial Institute, Inc.

USA

www.battelle.org

The company produces the HeatCoatTM ice protection

technology that utilizes a carbon nanotube coating that

can be sprayed onto an aircraft.

Figure 4: Carbon nanotube de-icing coating.

Image: Battelle Memorial Institute, Inc.

Helicity Technologies, Inc.

USA

www.helicitytech.com

IceShield coating formulations are UV weathering

and corrosion resistant, environmentally friendly, and

feature extremely low ice adhesion strength (shear stress

averaging less than 0.04 MPa at -20° C). They can be easily

applied across very large or irregular surface areas using

conventional spray coating and painting methods.

For applications that require optical clarity, Helicity

offers a transparent formulation that can be sprayed

onto virtually any surface, requires no curing, and lasts

over 30 icing/de-icing cycles. For industrial applications

requiring rain-erosion resistance and durability, Helicity

offers an opaque, two-component coating with anti-

icing properties that can last for approximately one year.

Any ice, snow, or frost that accumulates on treated

surfaces can be easily wiped away, thus reducing

or eliminating the need for thermal, mechanical, or

chemical de-icing methods.

Phazebreak Coatings LLC

USA

http://phazebreak.com

Phazebreak Coatings has developed a Patented

Icephobic Transparent Coating, NEINICE, that minimizes

ice accumulation and provides protection. The coating

contains novel silicone-based phase change materials

(PCMs).

SurfEllent, Inc.

USA

https://surfellent.com/

SurfEllent produces anti-icing coatings from various

polymers with extremely low ice adhesion and good

durability under severe environmental conditions. The

product is either applied via paint or spray.

Synavax

USA

www.synavax.com

Energy Protect™ and Hydrophobic coatings are utilized

for ice prevention. Energy Protect™ coating applied to

bridge soffits and tunnel structures provides resistance to

9


icicle formation, thus reducing the cost for icicle removal

and increasing rail safety

X-Therma Inc.

USA

http://x-therma.com/our-science/future-applications/

X-Therma Inc. is a biomimetic nanotech company with

the mission to develop safe & effective antifreeze solutions

to enable long term bio-banking of Regenerative

Medicine and enhance mechanical performance at

extreme temperatures for greener industrial applications.

The company has developed a bioinspired, non-toxic and

anti-ice nanomaterial via biomimetic nanoscience.

References

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1630

2. Petrie, E. M. Strategies for combating ice adhesion:

Evaluating application-specific methods that help ensure

smooth function of the world’s infrastructure Met. Finish.

2009, 107, 56– 59 DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0576(09)80033-0

3. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2009/

SM/b818940d#!divAbstract

4. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/

CC/C3CC40592C#!divAbstract

5. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/nn102557p

6 .ht tps : / / l ink inghub .e l sev ie r . com/ret r ieve /p i i /

S0257897209000553

7 . h t t p : / / a i p . s c i t a t i o n . o r g / d o i /

abs/10.1063/1.3524513?journalCode=apl

8 .h t tp : / / on l ine l ib ra r y .w i l ey . com/do i /10 .1002 /

admi.201500330/abstract

9 . h t t p : / / a i p . s c i t a t i o n . o r g / d o i /

abs/10.1063/1.4752436?journalCode=apl

10. S. Farhadi, M. Farzaneh and S. A. Kulinich, Appl. Surf.

Sci., 2011, 257, 6264.

11. S. A. Kulinich and M. Farzaneh, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol.,

2011, 65, 60.

12. S. A. Kulinich, S. Farhadi, K. Nose and X. W. Du,

Langmuir, 2011, 27, 25.

13. Superhydrophobic nanocoatings: from materials to

fabrications and to applications, http://pubs.rsc.org/en/

content/articlelanding/2015/nr/c4nr07554d#!divAbstract

14. Designing durable icephobic surfaces, http://advances.

sciencemag.org/content/2/3/e1501496


SM/b925970h#!divAbstract

16. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23278566


18. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014JMiMi..24i5020W


SM/C2SM25879J#!divAbstract






25. http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpage/316

26. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7365/

full/nature10447.html

27. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.6b00194

28.http://www.innovativesurfaces.ch/vio/images/

NordinPart4.pdf

29 .http : / /news . r ice .edu/2013/12/13/graphene-

nanoribbons-an-ice-melting-coat-for-radar/

Further information

The Global Market for Ice-Resistant Coatings and

Surfaces

Published April 2019

https://www.futuremarketsinc.com/the-global-market-

for-ice-resistant-coatings-and-surfaces/

10


BusinessFinance&

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Maine will establish a $20 million nanocellulose-based

3D printing manufacturing partnership. The centre will produce new nanocellulose bio-based materials that will

be conducive to 3D printing a variety of products, such as boat hull molds, shelters, building components, tooling

for composites and wind blades.

ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant that will accelerate ZEN’s graphene-

enhanced concrete research and development project. The grant will potentially help the Company achieve its

goal to provide innovative cement-based composite products to the Ontario market by possibly early 2020. The

grantor will reimburse 50% up to a maximum of $1,000,000 spent by ZEN on relevant expenses directly related

to graphite purification, graphene production research, concrete additive research and large-scale grapheme-

Latest nanotech investments, commercial agreements

and rounds of finance. April-May 2019

11


enhanced concrete testing.

ZEN is currently developing a graphene-enhanced concrete additive in

collaboration with the University of Toronto and the University of British

Columbia-Okanogan campus that has the potential to increase the

strength of concrete by 40%.

Canadian company Nicoya is receiving a $2.57 million investment from

FedDev Ontario, which the government said will help scale up Nicoya’s

operations and accelerate its growth into new markets. Established in

2012 as a spin-off company from the University of Waterloo, Nicoya has

developed nano-structured sensor surface uses localized SPR (LSPR)

to deliver repeatable, highly sensitive kinetic data in nanoparticle

characterization.

Less than six months after securing €1 million through its previous

Crowdcube round, Spanish nanotechnology company Nanusens has

returned to the equity crowdfunding platform and has surpassed

its £200,000 initial funding target. The funding round is now nearing

£350,000 from more than 400 investors.

UCLA spin-off Nammi Therapeutics Inc. has raised $8.2

million from 17 investors during a January seed round

and expects to raise $20 million more during a Series A

later this year. The company has developed a nanoparticle

drug delivery system designed to fight cancer without

the serious side effects associated with chemotherapy.

By early 2020, Nammi expects to launch a clinical trial

for what it claims will be the first nanoparticle to ferry a

combined chemoimmunotherapy payload to kill breast

cancer tumors.

Cardea Bio Inc., a commercial manufacturer of the

biology-enabled transistor technology made from

graphene-based biosensors, has raised $7.8m Series A-1

financing. Its ultra-sensitive graphene-based biosensors

directly measure and instantly digitize binding interactions in biological systems. Unlike silicon, graphene is stable in

water and air, so its use in electronic circuitry allows for direct contact with biomolecules such as proteins, RNA and

DNA.

Skeleton Technologies, who produce graphene-based ultracapacitors and energy storage systems, is to invest €25

million in its plant located in the German state of Saxony. With the investment in Saxony, Skeleton aims to expand its

research and development as well as scale its production.

12


NANOTECHNEWS

PRODUCT

April-May 2019

13


LABPRODUCTTO

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 recent developments and breakthroughs.

CHASM Advanced Materials, Inc. has launched the AgeNT RF

Shielding Film, which can reduce the radio frequency (RF) energy

exposure from smartphones by up to 95%. The company has also

entered into an agreement with Venti Group, LLC to license its

patented Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) technology, a key

component of its AgeNT RF Shielding Film solution. CHASM’s

transparent, flexible printed electronic (FPE) film is made from a

combination of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and silver nanowires (AgNW).

Commonly referred to as a CNT hybrid, the novel combination

of strong, conductive, and environmentally stable CNT inks with a

transparent and conductive AgNW layer creates a new category of

transparent FPE that is both superior in performance and more cost-

effective to manufacture.

Quantum Materials Corp has produced a 100% cadmium-free

55 inch QDX™ quantum dot display technology that achieves an

industry-leading 95% Rec. 2020 colour gamut coverage. The company

is working with display manufacturers, film manufacturers and

chemical companies to bring this technology to market as a superior

and lower cost QD-based display solution. In addition, incorporating

QDX quantum dot infused films into LCD displays can materially

increase colour gamut levels over the

current standard of phosphor driven

technology and significantly improve

overall viewer experience.

2Ctech, Inc., a privately-held

development stage company focused

on the application of nanoparticle

technologies for the treatment of retinal

diseases, has initiated a first-known clinical

Quantum dots are finding there way to into products including treatment of retinal disease as several QD

companies announce new developments.

14


NANOCOATED SALTVATTENFALL, a leading European energy company, and Swedish company SaltX Technology have commissioned an

industrial-scale pilot plant to test SaltX’s innovative nanocoated-salt based energy storage technology

SaltX 's patented technology, based on nanocoated

salt enables thermal energy to be stored chemically

and provides a long-term, cost-effective solution. The

salt acts as a battery which can be charged thousands

of times without losing performance, and energy can

be stored for months without losses.

Vattenfall is to use SaltX’s nanocoated materials to

test how renewable wind and solar power can be

stored in salt. The pilot plant, located at Vattenfall’s

Reuter thermal power plant in Spandau, Berlin, has

a total storage capacity of 10 MWh and an output of

0.5 MW.

The nanocoating prevents the salt from becoming

“sticky” so it retains its single crystal form. In addition,

the nanocoating makes the salt noncorrosive, unlike

ordinary salt, and it is non-toxic and recyclable.

program to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of Quantum

Dots (QDs) to achieve photovoltaic stimulation of the neural retina

for preservation or enhancement of vision in patients with retinal

degenerative diseases and, in particular, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

NanoPhotonica has secured a $3.5M investment from Samsung

Ventures and DeepWork Capital (formerly the FAN Fund). The

investment, led by Samsung Ventures, will help the company further

develop and commercialize its world-class quantum dot and related

nanomaterial technology.

Indian company Amtronics CC has paid cadmium-free quantum

dot producer Quantum Materials Corp an initial $500,000 as part

of an agreement securing the right to manufacture quantum dots

and thin-film quantum dot solar cells based on QMC technology for

commercial supply in India. Construction has already started on a

manufacturing facility in the state of Assam.

Amtronics will develop, manufacture and commercialize quantum

dots through joint venture Qamronics India, formed by Amtronics

15


GRAPHENE QUANTUM DOTS

and the state-owned Assam Electronics Development Corp Ltd

(AMTRON). Construction has started on a 120,000 sq ft facility for

large-scale, low-cost quantum dot production in Assam. The factory

will also develop thin-film quantum dot solar cells, solid-state LED

lighting and displays.

A shortwave infrared camera developed using quantum dot sensor

technology has been launched by US firm SWIR Vision Systems.

The company says the camera will compete directly with InGaAs

SWIR cameras by delivering higher resolution, lower cost, and global

exportability to the vision industry. It uses a 400nm to 1,700nm

broadband image sensor with colloidal quantum dot (CQD) thin

film photodiodes fabricated monolithically on silicon readout wafers.

Colloidal quantum dot sensors have lower quantum efficiency than

InGaAs sensors. However, when paired with relatively inexpensive

active illumination, the camera can give near-InGaAs equivalent

performance with a reduction in overall system cost.

Dotz Nano has received a US$100,000 commercial sale of its

ValiDotz security-markers and InSpec detectors from a Swiss anti-

counterfeiting company offering integrated packaging solutions

aimed at governing organizations. The sale follows extensive migration

testing of Dotz’s anti-counterfeiting markers by the customer, which

demonstrated ValiDotz’s accuracy and stability.

The Swiss company will integrate Dotz’s polymer-markers into

the manufacturing of its safety-plastic solutions, and will use the

company’s detectors.

Nawa Technologies is developing

nanostructured electrode material for their

Ultra Fast Carbon Battery. The company

has raised 9M€ from new investors to fund

industrialization and mass production. By

the end of 2019, the first manufacturing

equipment will be installed and operational,

allowing NAWA to steadily build up to over

100,000 ultracapacitor cells a month when

at full capacity.

Pascal Boulanger, COO, said: “Having

completed our development phase

with highly successful results, we will be

operational with the first phase of our

production by the end of this year."

Use of nanotech in wearable electronics is growing.

16


NANOCELLULOSENEWSBUSINESS

Fuji Pigment subsidiary

Green Science

Alliance Co., Ltd. has

created nanocellulose /

biodegradable plastic composites

made from starch, paper, recycle

paper, wood, bamboo and

plants. Some products are 100 %

nature derived material with no

petroleum origin.

By combining the nanocellulose/

biodegradable plastic composite

technology and long-term colour

research technology of its mother

company, Fuji Pigment Co.,

Ltd., created a nanocellulose /


colour masterbatch. They had

also succeeded in making color

masterbatch to with superior

mechanical strength, compared

to without nano cellulose.

White, black, red, blue,

green, yellow, brown colored

nanocellulose / poly lactic acid

(PLA) composite masterbatch

have been prepared. They can

also make nano cellulose /


with other biodegradable plastic

such as poly butylene succinate

(PBS).

The company has started small

sample production for these

colour masterbatch products. In

addition, they will make cutlery

with these new colour products,

which would give them more

color variety to molded products,

with their company own brand

17


CNC INVESTMENTSThe Canadian federal and Quebec

governments have announced a combined

$6.4-million investment in the upgrade of

CelluForce's cellulose nanocrystal facility

to become the world's first full commercial

demonstration-scale plant of its kind.

The funding will allow the state-of-the-

art facility in Windsor, Que., to double

its annual production to produce 300

tonnes of nanocrystals a year. Extracted

from wood fibre, the nanocrystals can be

used in everything from papers to paints,

electronics to adhesives and cement to

cosmetics.

“CelluForce has been working hand in

hand with industrial partners, helping

them develop high-performance and

sustainable products using cellulose

nanocrystals,” CelluForce CEO Sébastien

Corbeil said. “This investment will allow

us to maintain our leadership in the field

and expand the development of improved

products with our customers. It will further

enable our continued growth.” The plant

reopened in February 2019.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) producer

Melodea is in the final stages of the

establishment of a 35 ton per annum

CNC plant in Ornskoldsvil, Sweden under

its strategic partnership with Holmen AB.

A 200 ton per annum flagship plant is

planned in Israel by 2022.

Nanocapsules can be absorbed by the body four times faster than

their counter-parts.

Nano Sakura.

Finnish company Valmet has entered

into an agreement to acquire North

American-based GL&V, a company

that has developed a process to

manufacture Cellulose Nano-Fibrils

(CNF) using only mechanical energy

at a total cost of less than $2500. The

enterprise value of the acquisition is

approximately EUR 113 million on a

cash and debt free basis.

GranBio has completed the

acquisition of 100% equity in cellulose

nanofiber producer American Process

Inc. and affiliate companies. The

acquired assets include the Alpena

Biorefinery in Alpena Michigan,

the Thomaston Biorefinery and

R&D center in Thomaston, Georgia,

operations, research, and business

development staff and an extensive

intellectual property portfolio in the

biorefinery, biofuels, biochemicals,

and nanocellulose fields with over 200

granted and pending patents.

“Acquiring the GreenPower+®,

GreenBox+®, and AVAP® biorefinery

technologies and the BioPlus®

Nanocellulose Technology and their

associated world-class demonstration

plants and operations and R&D staff is

part of GranBio’s mission to become a

global leader in the bioeconomy." said

GranBio’s president, Bernardo Gradin.

18


GRAPHENENEWS

PRODUCT

April-May 2019

19


LABPRODUCTTO

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 recent developments and breakthroughs.

Thomas Swan has established a collaboration with manufacturer

Graphene Composites (GC) to incorporate graphene in their GC

Shield Armour products.

The product is the result of a lengthy development collaboration

between the companies together with the Centre for Process

Innovation (CPI) using GNP-M grade graphene from Thomas Swan in

the final application.

Australian graphene producer First Graphene Limited has raised $3.5

million in equity investment. Funds raised will be used for general

working capital purposes and to advance the Company’s facility at

the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre at the University of

Manchester. Additionally, there will be an increasing effort to expand

the sales and marketing functions of the Company.

2D fab, a Sweden-based producer of graphene, has secured SEK

$650k in capital investment. The money funding was provided by a

range of of Swedish investors, including E14 Invest and ALMI Invest

Mitt. The capital will be used to expand the production facility in

order to enable large delivery volumes at a competitive price. 2D

Fab, founded in 2013 as a spin-off from Mid Sweden University in

Sundsvall, produces graphene flakes using graphite from the Swedish

Woxna Graphite.

Archer Exploration Ltd. has successfully printed and patterned ink

formulations of human antibodies on graphene-based biosensor

components derived from the company’s Campoona graphite.

Ink formulations comprised primarily

of human antibody immunoglobulin

G (IgG) as the active constituent were

successfully prepared and printed using

proprietary methods. The IgG inks were

printed on resin-coated paper and a

number of graphene-based electrodes

and were able to withstand the chemical

and physical processes in the formulation,

printing, and post-printing steps.

Grolltex has shipped the first version of

its patented graphene sensor to a large

European sensor maker partner. “Our

strain sensor is very versatile because it is

20


GRAPHENE BIKESInefficient charging and a limited battery life has been the main problems which have restricted the development

of e-bikes as well as other e-vehicles. Jiangsu NESC Science and Technology Company has found a solution.

The Graphene-Polymer battery is able to handle

fast charging in less than 15 minutes (800 seconds).

Company president, Yao Xiaoqing stated “They improved

all of the five performance parameters. These include

energy density, power density, temperature, cycle

life and safety. Our 6Ah battery based on Grapheme-

Polymer technology, highlights a breakthrough in

electric capacity, performance and life cycle. The ability

to fully charge electric vehicles at regular speed in 10-

15 minutes and to do so over 1,500 times will help solve

fundamental problems for new energy vehicles.”

The company is currently testing the Graphene battery

and has already installed some 100,000 battery cells in

electric delivery bicycles.

small, flexible, robust and with a gauge factor of up to 1300, it is

incredibly sensitive. This means it can be used in a wide variety of

applications,” said Jeff Draa, Grolltex CEO. “For example, it can be

layered into the skins of airplanes to sense micro stress in the fuselage

or be used as a wearable blood pressure monitor in a skin patch

configuration. The prototype we delivered to our European partner

was designed to measure any environmental pressure or strain that

a silicon microchip might experience while sitting in its packaging.

This can be important information for many defense or autonomous

vehicle related device designs.”

Global Graphene Group, and its subsidiary Angstron Energy (AEC)

has developed a new graphene/silicon composite anode material

(GCA-II-N) which can increase the capacity of Li-Ion batteries while

reducing the battery's size and weight. AEC current market focus is

on electronic bikes and consumer electronics, but is also working

with Tier-1 electric cars and trucks makers.

The use of carbon nano-based

ultracapacitors in lithium-ion

batteries can create a dual

energy source for high volume

electric vehicles.

21


SILVERNANOWIRES

FLEXIBLE

New silver nanowire-based ink from C3Nano improves clarity, conductivity and flexibility for application in

flexible display devices, the next big thing in consumer electronics.

C3Nano has developed ActiveGrid

Gen7 ink, which improves on clarity,

conductivity and flexibility. The company

is a producer of silver nanowire-based

transparent conductive inks and films for flexible

displays The new ink delivers ~50 percent lower haze

compared to the previous ink generation, provides

conductivity from 30-100 ohm/sq and delivers the

flexibility to withstand more than a million bend

cycles.

To obtain less dense films without junction resistance,

C3Nano uses its patented NanoGlue technology

to fuse the junctions of silver nanowires, creating

a more transparent grid that yields superior clarity

and conductivity while supporting the necessary

flexibility. C3Nano’s ActiveGrid is already in mass

production for two of the world’s initial flexible

display devices.

The company currently holds more than 20 core

patents with an additional 45 pending, covering its

breakthrough NanoGlue technology, nanomaterial

synthesis, ink formulations, conductive films, and the

use of conductive and patterned conductive films in

a variety of devices and applications

22


The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment

(BfR) announced InnoMat.Life, a joint research project

to establish criteria for an efficient assessment of the

human health and environmental risks of novel (nano)

materials. The Federal Ministry of Education and

Research is providing 2.22 million euro to fund the

project, which will be coordinated by BfR and includes

ten partners from public authorities, academia, and

industry. BfR states that until now, nanosafety research

focused mainly on first generation nanomaterials,

i.e., mainly round particles of pure substances such as

nanosilver, titanium oxide, and zinc oxide. In real life,

far more materials are used, however. Hybrid materials,

consisting of two or more substances, are often applied,

and nanoparticles can have many different shapes. Many

industrially used materials cover a broad size distribution

from nanometers to micrometers. Moreover, according

to BfR, many industrial applications are based on material

systems that alter their structure during manufacturing

or use, such as the layer-by-layer assembly of products

manufactured with 3D printers.

Government, regulation & policy news

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR NANOMATERIALS

23


ECHA includes CNTs for evaluationA European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Community Rolling Action

Plan (CoRAP) has stated that carbon nanotubes are to be evaluated

by Germany in 2019, due to initial grounds of concerns as suspected

carcinogen, other hazard based concern, wide dispersive use, consumer

use, exposure of environment, cumulative exposure’

The CoRAP is updated yearly, and the latest update lists 100 substances

that are to be evaluated by Member States under 2019 to 2021. The

substance evaluation is based on Articles 44-48 of the REACH Regulation.

Further information at

https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/evaluation/

c o m m u n i t y - r o l l i n g - a c t i o n - p l a n / c o r a p - t a b l e / - / d i s l i s t /

details/0b0236e1807ee629

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and

Development’s (OECD) April 2019 issue of its Chemical

Safety and Biosafety Progress Report includes an update

on OECD’s work to determine the safety of manufactured

nanomaterials. The Report notes that the applicability

of OECD Test Guidelines for nanomaterials continues to

be a major concern of the work of the Working Party on

Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN). View the report

at http://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/progress-report-on-

chemical-safety-and-biosafety-april-2019.pdf

The French government has announced a ban on titanium

dioxide in foods from 1 January 2020. The decision, from

the Ministry of Environment and from the Ministry of

Economy, will be published shortly as a ministerial decree.

E171 is used in foods e.g. mainly as whitener agent.

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and

Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) published 12

April an opinion on the ingestion of TiO2, E171, based

on an assessment of 25 additional studies not previously

assessed by ANSES, or by EFSA in their 2018 opinion.

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