Maxwell Technologies is working with a European Union (EU)-funded technology development programme developing graphene-based materials.
A Swiss subsidiary of the ultra-capacitor company will integrate and evaluate graphene-based electrode material as part of the ElectroGraph programme.
Maxwell Technologies SA will receive approximately €325,000 ($440,000) over three years for its part in a multi-party collaboration led by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.
"The intention is to gain insight into the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using graphene as a commercial-scale electrode material," said Michael Everett, Maxwell's v-p and chief technology officer.
"This will be the first industrial evaluation of this material at the device level," said Everett.
The potential of graphene, a carbon-based material, is that it can increase both the energy density and power density of ultracapacitors.
Maxwell currently uses a formulation of activated and conductive carbons and other materials along with a proprietary, solvent-free, fabrication process to produce ultracapacitor electrodes for its industry-leading line of ultracapacitor products.
The research has received funding from the EU's Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013) under grant agreement n266391. For more information please visit
www.electrograph.eu