Grafren AB, an Associated Member of the Graphene Flagship, is making rapid progress in creating graphene composites that could revolutionise how electric vehicles are constructed. The Swedish company is developing multifunctional composite materials via graphene coating of materials’ fibres-based substrates. Applications of these materials include serving as encasements for batteries in electric vehicles, which would massively mitigate the risk of fire in electric vehicles as graphene coated glass fibres-based composites are 20 times more fire resistant then conventional glass fibres-based solutions.
Owing to their nature as graphene composites, these materials are also simultaneously extremely thin, flexible, lightweight, and strong. This means they have the potential to be incorporated into further parts of electric vehicles’ structures, such as the body of a car. This could lead to significant environmental gains, as lighter vehicles require less power to move.
Grafren’s graphene composite materials are also capable of boosting electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, meaning they have high potential to be used in heating applications as well as to create more effective electrical systems.
Coating occurs on the fibres’ surfaces at nanoscale level via layer-by-layer mode, making it extremely uniform, thin, and lightweight. Coating a mere 4-5 grammes of graphene per square metre of the fibres is enough to result in marked gains in terms of the materials’ properties, meaning this product is relatively easy to manufacture and is therefore well-positioned to transition into the market.
Although currently being explored primarily in relation to electric vehicles, these new composite materials could find applications across a variety of products and sectors. The lightweight, thermal qualities of the materials could make them useful in outerwear, for example, and their imperviousness to water could render them materials of choice in storage and construction.
In recognition of Grafren’s innovative work, the company has been shortlisted for the Startup Booster award this year at JEC World, which is the world’s leading composites show.
The Startup Booster award is a prestigious competition that recognises startups innovating in the composites industry. Award winners will be announced over the coming few days.
Founder and CEO of Grafren, Erik Khranovskyy, says that he and the the Grafren team are excited about what the future holds. “Being shortlisted for a JEC World award that reocgnises innovation is highly encouraging,” says Khranovskyy. “We are proud to be at the forefront with our groundbreaking graphene technology.
“The future looks bright. Innovations such as ours have a wide range of applications, across various sectors. With this in mind, we would encourage those who are curious to contact with us about possible collaborations. At Grafren, we are always keen to combine our technologies with inventive new ideas.”