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Single-Walled
carbon
nanotubes ITSY-BITSY
NANO BIKINI
The market could be set to take-off for these
remarkable materials.
Cleaning up the marine environment with
LABORATORY
TO
MARKET
Recent products and commercial
developments in nanotech.
LATEST NEWS!!
Market focus on what’s happening in graphene,
Nanotech Magazine is published by Future Markets, the world’s leading publisher of market
TABLE OF
CONTENT
THIS MONTH
P.04
The market could be set to take-off for single-
walled carbon nanotubes as production
capacities increase and price falls.
P.10
Round-up of the latest investments, deals
and funding initiatives in nanotech.
P.13
Latest nanotech business and product
news, February-March 2017. P.04
P.14 A in-depth look at the market for single-
P.15
Samsung launch new range of
Quantum Dot HDTVs.
P.16
Dot (QLED) TV series.
P.18
Latest graphene business news,
February-March 2017.
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
MARKET FOCUS
P.23
Nanocellulose packaging product
to hit the market.
P.24
A round-up of all the latest news in
nanocoatings.
P.25
New anti-fingerprint and waterproof
nanocoatings.
P.26
NOTE
FROM EDITOR
Profiles of new nanotech start-ups
and Asian producers.
The past two months has witnessed increased
MARKET
FOCUS
SWCNTS
The market for single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) is set to take off as production capacities increase
O
and materials price drops to commercially acceptable levels.
industrial materials.
S
WNTs were independently
of wavelengths)
Applications
are very large, and they possess high transparency and • Flexible solar cells
high currents making them an ideal replacement for • SWCNT Rubber tire reinforcement
conductive films, composite materials and rubber. SWNT-TCFs demonstrate great potential in electronic
Applications that have been identified with potentially devices due to their properties such as flexibility,
the greatest economic return are: stretchability and excellent electronic and mechanical
• Printed electronics and sensors properties.5 Among the various choices of materials
• Printed batteries for printed and flexible electronics, SWNTs are unique
• SWCNT anode additives The main opportunity for SWCNTs lies in flexible,
• Wiring and cables semiconductors and are easier to process than a-Si or
High-pressure carbon
monoxide (HIPco)
Timesnano 0.5 CVD
electronic paper, smart packages, skin-like sensors, approximately 1-2 tons, mainly for R&D purposes, due
wearable electronics, implantable medical implements to cost and also the lack of commercially available
etc. is a fast-growing market. Their future development methods for mass production. Demand is likely to
depends greatly on the exploitation of advanced increase significantly with the development by OCSiAl
materials such as SWCNTs and graphene. and Zeon Corporation of low-cost, mass produced
IBM Research has benchmarked the average SWCNTs.7 OCSiAl has developed a technology for
performance and the variability of SWCNT transistors commercial-scale production of SWCNTs, with a
against state-of-the-art silicon technologies, and predicted capacity of 30-40 tons per annum (200kg
found that chip level simulations indicate that CNT produced in 2015).8 Price is $2000 per kg, a significant
transistors are the most promising candidate for high- reduction on widely available prices (> $100,000 kg).
performance electronics at 5 nm technology node, OCSiAl has identified a potential market for SWNTs of
compared to both silicon devices and other emerging 145,000 tons per annum.
fabrication.
Production
Figure 2: Single-walled carbon nanotubes. Technology Center, OET, Grace Continental, Kazan
Image credit: OCSiAl. Glass Fibre Pipe Plant, Lanxess, Evermore and Trust
Chem Corporation.
OCSiAl claims to be the first company to succeed composites, automotive components, conductive
in transforming SWCNTs into economically viable coatings, rubber and cathode materials for li-ion
technologies and successfully commercialized end batteries. The company has future plans to invest $5
products. The company state that their scalable million in an R&D platform for developing industrial
synthesis technology enables the production of high- technologies and for engineering and prototyping of
purity nanotubes (80%) at a price 75 times lower than SWCNT applications – OCSiAl’s Prototyping Center.
other techniques. According to the company they Further information on the company’s products at
including BÜFA Composite Systems, DUKSAN Zeon Corporation has developed the SWCNTs “Super
Chemicals, Union Chemical, Aleees Innovation & Growth Method” discovered by Dr. Kenji Hata’s team at
method.
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science Properties, and Applications (Springer, 2008)
and Technology (AIST), and has set up mass production 4. M. Endo, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 51
are: 6. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/528601/
http://www.futuremarketsinc.com/the-global-market-
http://www.zeonnanotech.jp/en/about.html
References
& Business
Finance Round-up of the latest investments, deals and funding
Haydale has announced that Haydale and Everpower International Holdings Co. Ltd, a New York-based investment
company, have agreed subject to contract, to enter into a collaboration agreement. Everpower has conditionally
agreed to make a strategic investment in Haydale of £3.26 million to acquire a 9.9 per cent. shareholding, through
its subsidiary Fu Xing New Materials Development (Heze) Co., Ltd (“Everpower”).
A majority stake in Cambridge Graphene Ltd., a spin-out company from the University of Cambridge, has been
acquired by Versarien plc. Cambridge Graphene develops inks based on graphene and related materials using
processes developed at the Cambridge Graphene Centre. The spin-out company has commercialized graphene
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
received €15 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB
loan comes under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
The EFSI-backed financing will allow the company to finance the R&D
“This EIB loan is an important milestone for the company, not only
providing more financial power to achieve our goals, but also serving as
a sign of trust for our customers and partners,” says Skeleton CEO Taavi
Madiber. Skeleton has now raised €41.7 million in funding. The new
for technological innovation in smart fabrics. The project is a collaboration between Directa Plus, Novaresin
and Soliani companies and the Politecnico of Milan university, with Directa Plus as project leader. The project
will focus on the development of the company’s G+ membranes to enhance the thermal and electrical
performance of textiles for fashion applications. Imagine IM (Imagine Intelligent Materials Pty Ltd), a
developing graphene applications company based in Sydney, Australia, has raised $2 million in new capital.
Imagine IM is focused on developing conductive coatings and sensing technologies for industrial textiles.
QD Solar has closed Series A funding led by DSM Venturing with participation from existing investors, KAUST
Innovation Fund and MaRS Innovation. QD Solar is a winner of the 2016 SunRISE TechBridge Challenge, a
competition organized by Royal DSM, Fraunhofer, and Greentown Labs to realize innovations in Solar Energy.
The first QD Solar product, an insert into conventional silicon solar panels, has potential to increase energy
output of solar panels by 20%. The product is based on QD Solar’s world leading quantum dot technology
that captures infrared energy that is currently wasted. The development of this technology is also supported
by project funding that was announced in March 2016 from Sustainable Development Technology Canada
(SDTC).
The Guanghui Technology Group (GTG) and Quantum Materials Asia Co., Ltd., (QMA), a joint venture of GTG
and Quantum Materials Corp (QTMM), have received investment from the China Government Guidance Fund
of 150 Million RMB ($21.8 million) in GTG and QMA. Quantum Materials Asia was originally established in
Hong Kong in September 2016 with registered initial capital investment of 100 million RMB (US$14.4 million).
QMA will build two Quantum Dot production line and application development centers in the Beijing and
NANOTECH
BUSINESS
NEWS
February-March 2017
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
New nanotech enabled products are coming to the market with increasing regularity. Industrial collaborations
LAB
TO PRODUCT
UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., has
Dots. Dotz Nano Ltd. uses low-cost, raw material to make high-
partnering with Dotz Nano Ltd. will allow us to offer this new
GQD MEMORY
Dotz Nano Limited has successfully completed a Proof of Concept research study for utilising their GQDs in Flash
Memory.
development.
make the energy density reach to 150 Wh/L. The main areas that
and discharged.
density; yet, the products do not have metal oxide in them. It was
Samsung Electronics has launched its new QLED Q9, Q8, and Q7
world first for Samsung, QLED TVs are capable of reproducing 100%
colour volume. This means the devices can express all colours at any University of California engineering
level of brightness, with even the subtlest differences visible at the professors Mihri Ozkan and Cengiz Ozkan
QLED’s peak luminance – between 1,500 and 2,000 nits. The new made the porous material called Sponge
Quantum dots allow Samsung QLED TV to express deep blacks and from a network of nanocarbons originating
rich detail regardless of how light or dark the scene is, or whether the from sugar. The lightweight material has
content is being played in a brightly lit or darkened room. a surface area of 823.77 square meters
The new TVs offer dramatically its own weight, depending on the density
EU Limited in Regulat-
ing Nanoscale Chemicals
The European Chemicals Agency Board of Appeal The Board of Appeal said REACH (Regulation
has ruled that chemical companies operating in the No. 1907/2006 on the registration, evaluation
EU are not required to provide specific information and authorization of chemicals) does not require
about the nanoscale forms of their substances. companies to provide in their registration dossiers
The Board of Appeal annulled a 2014 European nano-specific substance identity information
Chemicals Agency decision that required a group separately from substance identity information
of companies to provide more information in their relating to the bulk form of the substance. The
REACH registration dossiers about the substance chemicals agency exceeded its powers by asking for
EU NanoSafety Cluster
publishes roadmap
The EU NanoSafety Cluster has published its 2017 Research
Final_version_090317.pdf
European Union.
GRAPHENE
BUSINESS
NEWS
G
rafoid Inc. has of Canada, and, on February 20,
T
Ion battery applications. that will automate Mesograf™
D
polymer membrane product development.
U
nveiled by Eurojersey (CRC-P) program. Government funding
Due to the elec- at ISPO Munich, the of $632,285 has been approved
one can avoid marketed to the customers of Directa develop energy efficient wastewater
explosions due HydraRedox Iberia S.L. and oxide technology. The technology
GRAPHENE BATTERY
A Beijing-based company has developed Carbon Century’s new batteries use
the world’s first graphene lithium-ion AA graphene for the framework of electrode
rechargeable batteries in the city and said materials to increase their strength,
its ready to be mass produced and officially which enhances the overall life of lithium
Compared with ordinary AA dry batteries and batter safety, said Chairman Yan Liqun.
batteries can be used 30,000 times under Plus plc, a producer and supplier of
cited the company as saying two days ago. announced that Colmar, the high-end
Working temperatures for ordinary, nickel- sportswear company, has launched a new
metal hydride batteries are between 0 and collection of ski jackets containing the
40 degrees Celsius.
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
to the team.
“Rogue Valley Microdevices has been a true partner in developing a viable large-scale fabrication process for our AGILE
biosensor chips,” said Nanomedical Diagnostics’ CEO Ross Bundy. “The ability to manufacture graphene biosensors at
scale will enable us to create significant cost reductions for many life science and healthcare applications, as well as
what it calls the WPG Graphene output of 18W and won’t be prone
been selected by Luxottica Group, a company ultrafast optical modulator based on graphene.
that designs, manufactures and sells eyewear, to An optical modulator is a critical fiber optic
enhance a new range of Ray-Ban glasses. Rutgers component for the encoding and transmission of
University has licensed a technology that allows digital data. The new 6-month research program
for the mass production of high-quality graphene commences April 1, 2017 will conclude on
at a reduced cost to Everpower International September 30, 2017. This will allow the research
Holdings. Invented by a team led by Manish team to demonstrate optical index changes in
Chhowalla, professor of materials science and graphene using external voltages and to fabricate
Rutgers University–New Brunswick, the method Graphene NanoChem has received a firm
uses microwaves to produce high-quality commitment for PlatSurF, its oilfield recovery
graphene from graphene oxide, and has the additive, from a Middle Eastern oil and gas
potential to generate large quantities of it at low company to use on oil wells in Turkmenistan.
Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. has reported that a country with the order worth US$119,000 just
team of scientists under the direction of Dr. for one trial well. Graphene said the unnamed
Aicheng Chen at Lakehead University in Thunder customer has 110 wells in Turkmenistan. If
Bay, Ontario, Canada, has made significant the trial is successful, negotiations will start for
advancements related to sensing application these oil wells to be treated over the next 12-24
STAND-UP
and mineral oil barrier properties has been
POUCHES
VTT’s patent pending high consistency
technology.
of VTT.
been shown to be potentially very useful for a number of future technical applications. The
densely packed structure of nanocellulose films and coatins enable their outstanding oxygen,
HefCel technology exploits industrial enzymes and simple mixing technology as tools
to fibrillate cellulose into nanoscale fibrils without the need for high energy consuming
process steps. The resulting nanocellulose is in the consistency of 15-25% when traditional
The stand-up pouch is the fastest growing type of packaging, growing at a rate of 6.5% per
year from 2015-2020. Fossil-based plastic films still dominate the packaging market. However,
applications.
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
NANO
COATINGS
NEWS
L
iquiGlide Inc. has announced it is expanding its super-slippery
M
shown to reduce up to 95% of product waste, wash water and the
directly onto the existing anti-reflective coating on the solar cells and
N
An independent study via the Utah Science waterproofing technology.
TAP program and and verified by OAI-Optical has received two purchase orders
Ge) solar cell efficiency by 1.2% (absolute) from distribution partners with plans to
29.39% to 30.59%. MetaSOL’s ability to provide commercialize their first product line in early
NEI Corporation has announced that the US notably by natural light — eliminating the need
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has for heavy detergents, surfactants and acids.
issued a notice of allowance to the company Moreover, their coatings remove pollutants like
on two patent applications; one for a durable nitrogen oxides from the air, helping to reduce
highly hydrophobic coating and the other for an smog and related acid rain.
patents complement NEI’s portfolio of patents new coating solution that renders fingerprints
pertaining to superhydrophobic, self-healing, invisible on metal and glass surfaces. With the
Semblant, a market leader in liquid damage lets manufacturers successfully meet the long-
nanotechnology for electronic devices, has standing demand by consumers for a solution
signed production qualification agreements with that reduces or eliminates the appearance of
displays, kitchen appliances, bathroom system was based on findings from the
faucets, and automotive interiors. pivotal PzF SHIELD clinical trial, which
Thomas Swan has announced the successfully met its primary safety and
formulators. The new Elicarb Graphene thrombosis and low clinically driven
The product is available now in liter PzF stent requires a minimum 30-
quantities for testing and evaluation. day dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)
NEW
NANO
COMPANIES
G
lass to Power (G2P) is a spin-off of the University of Milan Bicocca based on the scientific
research of Prof. Sergio Brovelli and Prof. Francesco Meinardi. The company are embedding
silicon quantum dots into luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) for application in
Nano Elements Source, LLC offers affordable, environmentally-conscious quantum dot cores. The
company has licensed the NanoFermentation technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to
further commercialize the production of low cost, cadmium free photoluminescent nanoparticles.
NanoFermentation is capable of producing size-controlled cadmium free precursor material for quantum
dots for significantly less cost than traditional high temperature methods. This project will improve the
efficiency NanoFermented zinc sulfide nanoparticles, market barriers are diminished to commercially
manufacture thin films for solid-state lighting applications. Read more at http://www.nanoelso.com/
A spin-off from the University of Waterloo is to produce nanoparticle filters. H2nanO are using photocatalysts
for passive water treatment and environmental remediation. The company is creating solutions to reduce
the environmental footprint of the Albertan Oil Sands, one of the largest industrial operations in Canada.
Read more at www.h2nano.ca Revolution Research, Inc. are producing Arbotile™, a nanocellulose
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NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2017
by currently-available products
range of nanosilver conductive
http://revolutionresearchinc.com/
in electronics. Read more at http://
www.ajmore.com/index-en.html
NANO
Other interesting
innovations/ A team of engineers at the University
nanotech companies,
CondAlign is a Norwegian of California San Diego and La
based in Asia.
technology company making Jolla-based startup Nanovision
that exist in a wide range of products. interfacing with a prototype of the Japanese company
The technology is based on electric device in vitro. Microphase Co., Ltd. develop
www.condalign.no
has stated it is the only supplier that cultured on the surface of an array
NWC-2017
NanoWorld
03-05
April Conference
2017
Useful Science & Technology for Just a World
Plenary Speakers
NanoWorld Conference
United Scientific
Group
EUROPEAN
Nanotechnologies and
NUREMBERG // GERMANY
EUROPEAN COATINGS SHOW: 4 – 6 APRIL 2017
Advanced Materials
EUROPEAN COATINGS SHOW CONFERENCE: 3 – 4 APRIL 2017
Over 1,000 international exhibitors + The world’s leading trade fair for the paint and coatings
industry + Accompanied by Europe’s largest and most important industry conference