Elastomers are widely used in applications such as tires, gloves, clothing, medical devices, etc. We have demonstrated that the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of elastomers can be enhanced by graphene. I will present the specific case of athletic footwear, where the rubber-graphene composite gives markedly improved grip on tough terrains while simultaneously improving durability. The graphene-enhanced athletic shoes from Inov-8 Ltd. have been available for purchase, worldwide, since July 2018. I will also talk about the future potential of graphene-enhanced elastomers and a new spin-out company Grafine Ltd. for this purpose.

planarTECH is a pioneer in the new world of 2D materials synthesis (graphene, boron nitride, molybdenum disulfate, etc.). Commercialization and mass production of these new materials is fast becoming a reality, and the mission of planarTECH is to stimulate the current boom in graphene and 2D material applications development by providing academic and corporate researchers with the highest quality samples (via partnership with grapheneplatform.com), growth and transfer training, and economical thermal CVD systems for materials synthesis.