Honda Graphene batteries Investment

Honda (NYSE:HMC), one of the leading manufacturers of motorcycles and automobiles, has invested in graphene for its energy storage properties. Graphene is touted to become the new material in the manufacture of batteries since electrodes made from graphene can replace those made from lithium.

Research done at Rice University, one of the many institutions that have over the years engaged in explorations into the potential uses of graphene, has indicated that the efficiency of lithium ion batteries can be boosted a great deal if boron atoms where added to graphene to make an ultrathin anode. It is this anode that makes the battery more effective in storing energy.

Earlier research at the Northwestern University had shown that anodes made from graphene can store energy better than those made from graphite. In addition, graphene anodes can charge 10 times faster than those of graphite.

An ideal lithium ion battery has lithium ions that carry the charge circulating through the anode and cathode in the electrolyte when discharging, i.e., when generating power. The process is reversed when charging the battery. The overall performance of the battery largely depends on the ability of anode to hold and facilitate the movement of lithium ions.

By adding boron, the lithium ions that circulate in the battery are able to effectively stick to the graphene anode. This overcomes the initial challenge whereby the ions could not adhere to the anode. Anodes made from graphene enable the battery to charge easily and faster. These batteries also discharge slower than the ones in use today. It is this property that companies such as Honda, Kia and Hyundai want to utilize. Honda has partnered with research institutions to try and use the boron-mixture in batteries to manufacture highly effective batteries for use in electric cars.

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Graphene Investments

In the next five years, graphene will transform the world of clean technology. This transformation is likely to impact greatly on the clean tech stocks as well. Presently, most graphene technologies are in the lab and therefore do not affect their investments. However, this is set to change when the technologies are commercialized.

In the recent past, a lot of companies have engaged themselves in developing graphene applications, and have hastened to patent their results. Although most of these developments are years from measurable revenue, they promise to turn the necks of the stock investors. For instance, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is working on graphene water filters that are set to redefine how water as a resource is treated. A commercialized development will mean something huge worldwide since water is a crucial resource that is of great concern to all governments and other co-operations.

Already, companies such as Focus Graphite and Lomiko Metals Inc. (CVE:LMR) have demonstrated that they can oxidize graphene to produce graphene oxide which is a major breakthrough in graphene investments. Graphene oxide, for instance, is behind the manufacture of graphene super capacitors which are tipped to replace electrochemical batteries in almost all industrial and commercial applications.

Presently, there are over nine thousand patents for graphene. This shows that the graphene investments industry has enough graphite resources to supply and maintain itself. Even if graphene doesn’t meet the expectations of many as a product worth investing stocks in, the companies such as Lomiko (CVE:LMR) and Grafoid are considered as worthy investments as a result of the stakes they hold in graphite mines which support the graphene industry. If these companies are bought based on only the valuations of the mining assets that they hold, graphene industry will provide a potential for long-term investments.

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Over the last four decades, we have been envisioning the end to the use of silicon as a semiconductor in devices. Perhaps the end is near. Just what will replace silicon? The answer to that is a carbon nanotube.

 What are carbon nanotubes?

These are tube-shaped carbon-made materials that have very small diameters measured using the

Carbon nanotubes

nanometer scale. This scale has one billion units of a meter. Approximately, the human hair is nine ten-thousandth times thicker than one unit in the nanometer scale. Carbon nanotubes are so thin that thousands of them can fit when arranged side-by-side in the human air.

Carbon nanotubes are made of graphite layers that appear like a rolled-up chicken wire. The structure closely resembles the continuous unbroken hexagonal wire, with the carbon molecules pegged at the apexes of hexagonal patterns.

While all carbon nanotubes are made from a similar graphite sheet, the fact that they have different characteristics makes them differ in terms of electrical conductivity. This results in some acting as metals while others act as semiconductors. Some of the differing characteristics include their structures, length, thickness, and number of layers.

Typically, carbon nanotubes’ diameter vary between <1 nm and 50 nm as a group while their lengths measure several microns. Recently, advancements have made carbon nanotubes longer by advancements, making them measurable in centimeters. Carbon nanotubes are classified according to their structures:

Single-walled carbon nanotubes

Double-walled nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Properties

Carbon nanotubes have intrinsic mechanical and transport properties making them ideal for ultimate carbon fibers. Carbon nanotubes exhibit a unique mix of stiffness, tenacity and strength when compared with other materials often used to make fiber. These other fiber materials usually lack at least one of these properties. The carbon nanotubes are also unmatched when it comes to thermal and electrical conductivity.

Some of the Applications

Extra strong fibers

Technical textiles

Ultra-capacitors

Biosensors

Antifouling paint

Storing gases

Flat-panel displays

Conductive plastics

Improved life batteries

Nano-electronics

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Energy storage is one field studied extensively today. While other areas of electronics have been rapidly advancing over the last few decades, there has always been an issue with storing energy that is not in used. A lot of discussions are ongoing on the best means of saving energy in electronics.  The solution to this problem is developing an efficient power element that can hold a sufficient amount of energy. The component should also be able to charge quickly and retain a substantial amount of energy over a long period. These two characteristics are very significant in the study of energy storage.

Graphene super batteries

These energy solutions are developing at a very slow rate with materials that currently used to manufacture capacitors. Scientists are studying graphene to see a possibility of developing supercapacitors that can be charged quickly, yet also have the ability to store a large amount of energy.  Scientists are predicting use of tiny graphene-based supercapacitors in low energy applications such as portable computing devices and Smartphone, in the next 5-10 years.

Graphene can also be used to enhance lithium ion batteries. These batteries are used in high energy applications such as electrically powered vehicles. Lithium batteries are also currently used in Smartphone, tablets, PCs and laptops. Graphene based batteries are going to be of significantly lower levels of weight and size.

The scientists are working on enhancing the capabilities of lithium batteries by incorporating graphene as an anode.  This development is likely to offer significant storage capacity with better longevity and high charge rate.

The new graphene based supercapacitors developed have an energy density of about 60Waths per litre. This is similar to the lead-acid car batteries. This will make them the smallest and lightest superconductors made by man.

Since the batteries store charge rather than generating current through chemical reaction, they last longer than the existing batteries.

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