06.13.22
Graphene Flagship will exhibit the applications of graphene for aerospace at ILA Berlin from June 22-26, 2022.
Although just one-atom thick, graphene is the strongest and lightest material known to mankind. These properties make it especially attractive for the aerospace industry, with applications that range from resilient aircraft parts to 3D-printed devices for zero-gravity environments.
Since its inception in 2013, the Graphene Flagship has invested in aeronautics and space. Among other things, its collaborations led to lighter leading-edge parts for aircraft and the first ever trip of 2D materials to space.
Graphene – as well as other layered materials – improves the mechanical properties of components, enabling lighter aircraft, while improving functionality. This results in significant fuel savings, reduced costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Moreover, graphene provides promising opportunities for human space exploration. The possibilities include 3D-printed batteries and parts, new biomaterials for better wound healing, graphene-enabled cooling systems and solar sails, key to fuel-free propulsion systems. Some prototypes have already been tested in different zero-gravity parabolic flight campaigns and sounding rockets, in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
After promising preliminary results, the Graphene Flagship awarded two Spearhead Projects to research and innovation in aerospace: GICE and AeroGRaFT, coordinated by industrial leaders at Airbus and Lufthansa Technik, respectively. Both will exhibit their latest innovations at ILA Berlin, looking for new collaboration and commercialization opportunities.
GICE, led by Airbus, is developing an ice protection system that benefits from graphene’s unique thermoelectric properties – it generates heat with little power input, all while being easily incorporated into flexible plastic composites.
AeroGRaFT has worked on new filter units that will improve the air quality of aircraft and spacecraft. In this case, graphene enables self-cleaning functionalities, as well as additional sensing and monitoring of environmental conditions during operation.
Additionally, the Graphene Flagship will also exhibit innovations from international partners IIT, Leonardo, CNR, Nanesa and Bruno Baldassari, in Italy, Avanzare, Grupo Antolin and AIRBUS, Spain, and Aixtron, based in Germany and the UK.
The products include graphene-coated copper wires, for better conductivity and corrosion resistance, low-weight fire retardants, loop heat pipe systems, aircraft parts and graphene-enabled masterbatches and dispersions, ideal for composites and polymers with improved properties and performance.
“The potential applications of graphene and layered materials in aerospace are countless,” Elmar Bonaccurso, the Graphene Flagship aeronautics champion, said. “We’re really looking forward to the exhibition at ILA Berlin, one of the world’s leading tradeshows in the field, to showcase our latest products and prototypes, some of which have been developed through thriving collaborations between academic and industrial partners in the Graphene Flagship.”
“Our project has fostered cross-collaborations with key players in the aerospace industry for years,” added Kari Hjelt, the Graphene Flagship head of innovation. “It’s fantastic to showcase some of our most exciting results at ILA Berlin, including the outcomes of our Spearhead Projects GICE and AeroGRaFT, which promoted high-TRL applications ready to hit the European market soon.”
Although just one-atom thick, graphene is the strongest and lightest material known to mankind. These properties make it especially attractive for the aerospace industry, with applications that range from resilient aircraft parts to 3D-printed devices for zero-gravity environments.
Since its inception in 2013, the Graphene Flagship has invested in aeronautics and space. Among other things, its collaborations led to lighter leading-edge parts for aircraft and the first ever trip of 2D materials to space.
Graphene – as well as other layered materials – improves the mechanical properties of components, enabling lighter aircraft, while improving functionality. This results in significant fuel savings, reduced costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Moreover, graphene provides promising opportunities for human space exploration. The possibilities include 3D-printed batteries and parts, new biomaterials for better wound healing, graphene-enabled cooling systems and solar sails, key to fuel-free propulsion systems. Some prototypes have already been tested in different zero-gravity parabolic flight campaigns and sounding rockets, in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
After promising preliminary results, the Graphene Flagship awarded two Spearhead Projects to research and innovation in aerospace: GICE and AeroGRaFT, coordinated by industrial leaders at Airbus and Lufthansa Technik, respectively. Both will exhibit their latest innovations at ILA Berlin, looking for new collaboration and commercialization opportunities.
GICE, led by Airbus, is developing an ice protection system that benefits from graphene’s unique thermoelectric properties – it generates heat with little power input, all while being easily incorporated into flexible plastic composites.
AeroGRaFT has worked on new filter units that will improve the air quality of aircraft and spacecraft. In this case, graphene enables self-cleaning functionalities, as well as additional sensing and monitoring of environmental conditions during operation.
Additionally, the Graphene Flagship will also exhibit innovations from international partners IIT, Leonardo, CNR, Nanesa and Bruno Baldassari, in Italy, Avanzare, Grupo Antolin and AIRBUS, Spain, and Aixtron, based in Germany and the UK.
The products include graphene-coated copper wires, for better conductivity and corrosion resistance, low-weight fire retardants, loop heat pipe systems, aircraft parts and graphene-enabled masterbatches and dispersions, ideal for composites and polymers with improved properties and performance.
“The potential applications of graphene and layered materials in aerospace are countless,” Elmar Bonaccurso, the Graphene Flagship aeronautics champion, said. “We’re really looking forward to the exhibition at ILA Berlin, one of the world’s leading tradeshows in the field, to showcase our latest products and prototypes, some of which have been developed through thriving collaborations between academic and industrial partners in the Graphene Flagship.”
“Our project has fostered cross-collaborations with key players in the aerospace industry for years,” added Kari Hjelt, the Graphene Flagship head of innovation. “It’s fantastic to showcase some of our most exciting results at ILA Berlin, including the outcomes of our Spearhead Projects GICE and AeroGRaFT, which promoted high-TRL applications ready to hit the European market soon.”
