Advanced Materials

ANSAN-SI, South Korea – October 30, 2026 -- A single 10-millisecond light pulse produced molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) gas-sensing material with a 23.6-fold stronger response to 5 parts per million of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) than material made by a conventional solvothermal method, according to researchers at Hanyang University-ERICA and KAIST.

Platinum-doped sensor reaches 100.8% response to NO2 at room temperature

Adding 1.2 weight% platinum raised the sensor response 22.8-fold. The response reached 100.8% at 400 parts per billion of NO2 at room temperature. The platinum-enhanced sensor detected NO2 at concentrations as low as 17.2 parts per billion.

The device was selective for NO2 against several other tested gases and held a stable response through 25 exposure-and-recovery cycles. After three weeks in ambient air, its response had declined by only 2.6%.

SALT LAKE CITY – October 29, 2026 -- Albany Engineered Composites, Hexcel and Nammo Composite Solutions will apply aerospace and defense composite technology to USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) equipment under a new partnership with 47G, targeting the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Utah.

Nammo to manufacture carbon-fiber cowlings for two-man bobsleds

Nammo Composite Solutions will produce carbon-fiber cowlings for the team's two-man bobsleds. Albany will work with USABS to manufacture next-generation composite bobsleds. Hexcel is contributing advanced composite materials expertise.

The partnership was announced at 47G's annual Zero Gravity Summit at the Salt Palace, held as part of Hard Tech Week.

Kuala Lumpur – October 29, 2026 -- CTruk Boats Sdn Bhd and Integris signed a memorandum of understanding at Defence Services Asia 2026 (DSA 2026) to co-develop lightweight composite armour for CTruk's new 40m Surface Effect Ship (SES) Fast Patrol Craft.

Integris to build configurable armour kits for the SES platform

Integris will develop tailored lightweight armour kits for the SES, optimised for long-term durability in demanding marine environments across the Asia Pacific region. The kits are configurable to end-user requirements, including protection levels, coverage areas such as the wheelhouse, engine room and weapon stations, and modular installation.

Durham – October 15, 2026 -- Vulcan Elements, a U.S. rare earth magnet manufacturer, will lead a three-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E to develop magnetic materials potentially more powerful than rare earth magnets, the company announced.

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Piotr Kulik will head the effort. The project was competitively selected for ARPA-E funding. Kulik is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Project targets magnets that exceed current performance limits with less rare earth input

The work covers discovery, modeling, synthesis and validation of new high-performance magnetic materials. According to the source, the research could yield magnets that surpass current limits on magnetic performance while reducing requirements for rare earth inputs.

Valley View – October 12, 2026 -- Peak Nanosystems has closed a further $25 million investment from Squadron Capital to fund larger-scale production of optical lenses and development-scale films for capacitors and specialty film applications.

All applications rely on Peak's proprietary nanolayer extrusion technology. The company is the parent of Peak Nano Optics and Peak Nano Films.

Peak Nano Optics has invested over $30 million in an Ohio foundry

The Optics unit has put more than $30 million into a development and production facility near Cleveland, Ohio. The site was commissioned in Q4 2020 and held its official grand opening in July 2021. Peak describes the facility as a first-of-its-kind Optics Foundry and the most advanced optical design and manufacturing facility in the world.

Valley View – – October 12, 2026 -- Peak Nano has secured R&D funding from the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub to develop nanolayered biodegradable multilayer polymer films for food, beverage and medical packaging, one of eight projects selected from more than 40 regional proposals.

Peak Nano targets hard-to-recycle multilayer barrier films

The Ohio company aims to replace conventional multilayer packaging film, which can contain many tightly bonded layers of polymers and additives that are difficult or impossible to recycle. Over time these materials fragment and shed micro- and nanoparticles into soils and waterways. Peak Nano says its alternative will keep barrier performance intact while being engineered for biodegradability.

Valley View, Ohio – October 12, 2026 -- Peak Nano has launched NanoPlex Films as a Service (FaaS), a design, prototyping and low-rate manufacturing platform that delivers working nanolayer film prototypes in as few as 6-10 weeks, compared with the multi-year timelines of new polymer development.

The platform targets medical, food and beverage packaging, power systems, electronics, aerospace, defense and industrial customers. It is built on Peak Nano's patented NanoPlex technology and what the company describes as more than 60 years of nanolayer systems formulation and processing expertise.

Sydney – October 05, 2026 -- First Graphene Limited has signed a three-year Development and Commercialisation Agreement with Turkish prepreg manufacturer Aeropreg to bring a graphene-enhanced carbon fibre prepreg to market, targeting aerospace, defence, automotive and marine applications.

Agreement pairs PureGRAPH additives with Aeropreg's resin and manufacturing base

Under the deal, First Graphene's proprietary epoxy concentrates will be used to integrate its PureGRAPH graphene into Aeropreg's existing carbon fibre prepreg production lines. The development program will first establish controlled, repeatable graphene loading levels before validating strength, durability and manufacturability of the resulting composite material.

Sydney – September 16, 2026 -- First Graphene Limited (ASX: FGR, FRA: M11, OTCQB: FGPHF) has secured its first production purchase order for PureGRAPH® from Australian polyurethane manufacturer Pacific Urethanes Pty Ltd, marking a new customer and a new commercial application for the graphene material.

Pacific Urethanes will incorporate PureGRAPH® into polyurethane formulations to boost fire-retardant performance

The order targets applications for the Australian mining and resources sector, where polyurethane is widely used for screening media, wear liners, slurry systems, conveyor components, pumps, piping, and chute liners due to its abrasion resistance and impact performance. Fire performance has been a recognised limitation of polyurethane, particularly in underground mining environments where fire, smoke and hazardous gases pose safety risks.