Graphene manufacturer Versarien has launched a new material with magnetic properties it says can boost sustainable practice across a range of sectors.
The Gloucestershire-based advanced engineering materials company is known for creating products such as building materials and clothing from graphene - a Nobel Prize-winning nanomaterial made from a single layer of carbon atoms.
The AIM-listed company, which has a manufacturing facility in Longhope in the Forest of Dean, has announced a series of collaborations over the past year with international brands, including fashion label Superdry and the kit suppliers of the England rugby team Umbro.
Versarien’s majority-owned Spanish subsidiary Gnanomat has now led research into a new composite, based on graphene and other forms of carbon, combined with metal or metal oxide nanoparticles typically used for energy storage.
The group said potential applications of the material include the treatment of wastewater whereby pollutants are adsorbed onto the graphene surface.
The material could also lend itself to biomedical and biotechnology applications, or defence applications which require the shielding of electromagnetic fields.
Versarien added that magnetic manipulation could allow the recovery and recycling of graphene, something that could not be done previously with previous graphene-infused mixtures.
Chief technology officer Steve Hodge said: “The potential for this material is hugely promising. Versarien is branching out into the next generation of nanomaterials, providing innovation to industries across the globe.
“The technical properties the superparamagnetic material offers are exciting and show that there is so much more potential for us to find innovative applications for other nanomaterials.”
Gnanomat chief executive Roberto Clemente added: “We believe this is the beginning of the next wave of nanomaterials. Using graphene combined with metal oxides, there are countless opportunities to change the way we view a number of industries.
“This superparamagnetic material is just the first step in an extensive line of innovation to come.”
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