The face mask sector is hot right now. Even China can’t make enough face masks to meet their own demand. As countries begin to ease the COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdowns literally billions of people will require face masks. Many airlines are already making face masks mandatory, and this could soon spread to other forms of mass transport.

Even better than standard face masks are new high tech face masks designed to kill the virus, using antiviral nano-particles embedded inside the protective material.

Two companies are combining their expertise to produce new high tech face masks and other protective clothing that they hope will kill the virus. They are ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (TSXV: ZEN) and Graphene Composites Ltd. (GC). They have teamed up to develop a COVID-19 virucidal graphene-based composite ink for face masks and other protective clothing.

An agent that kills viruses, a virucidal ink that can be embedded into all types of personal protective equipment (PPE) could have immense benefits for the world right now. Imagine owning a mask that not only blocks the virus but can kill it. The medical world will love it, as it will give them the much needed protection they deserve, as they battle on the front lines of this severe pandemic that has now infected over 3.7 million people, killing ~258,360.

The plan

ZEN has synthesized a ‘silver nanoparticles functionalized graphene oxide ink’ that has been documented by previous researchers to kill earlier versions of coronavirus. Silver is well known to be a potential virucidal agent. Testing will be conducted at Western University’s ImPaKT Facility Biosafety Level 3 lab in Ontario, Canada.

Once testing is completed (and assuming successful), the virucidal graphene ink would then be incorporated into fabrics to be included into masks and filters designed by GC.

The CEO of ZEN, Francis Dubé, stated:

“We are pleased to be collaborating with GC and be on the forefront of a new innovative technology that could contribute to combating the deadly COVID-19 virus. The development of this potential COVID-19 virucidal graphene ink is coming at a crucial time to provide effective PPE supplies for the safety of frontline workers and hospital staff.”

The CEO of GC, Sandy Chen, stated:

“Combining the deep nanomaterials expertise of GC and ZEN with a truly collaborative approach has enabled us to do a year’s worth of R&D in a matter of weeks. Quickly developing and deploying our virucidal/germicidal ink would make a significant difference in slowing the rate of infection – thus saving many lives.”

Competitors

Given the newness of the COVID-19 pandemic there is so far little competition when it comes to virucidal protective clothing using graphene. One Israeli company is reportedly using a virucidal embedded into masks that consists of zinc oxide and copper oxide nano-particles.

ZEN’s graphene has a huge range of potential uses

ZEN is already making great progress in the production of graphene with a huge range of potential uses such as: Tyre strengthener, aluminum/rubber/plastics enhancer, a cement additive/enhancer, diesel and jet fuel additive, graphene batteries, graphene based clothing and so on.

ZEN has unique graphite from which they make graphene

ZEN Graphene Solutions also have their own unique source of graphite at their Albany Graphite Project, which is highly suitable for graphene production. The unique Albany Graphite Project provides the Company with a potential competitive advantage in the graphene market as independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada have demonstrated that ZEN’s Albany PureTM Graphite is an ideal precursor material which easily converts to graphene, using a variety of mechanical, chemical and electrochemical methods.

ZEN’s new graphene research and development facility at Guelph, Ontario, Canada

ZEN has recently opened their new graphene research and small scale production facility in Canada, with a goal of scaling up graphene production to meet consumer demand. Graphene product sales were launched in early March 2020. The research and engineering team will also be developing and testing custom functionalized graphene formulations as requested by industrial collaborators for product performance enhancement.

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Closing remarks

ZEN is one of the most innovate companies out there, with a focus on using graphene to disrupt and improve various industries. Their latest collaboration with Graphene Composites Ltd. is most exciting, as virucidal protective clothing can be a game changer right now in the fight against COVID-19.

Furthermore ZEN already has their own high quality Albany graphite source, and has started scaling up graphene production at their facility in Ontario Canada. This makes them a vertically integrated growing graphene producer, all for a market cap of just C$32 million.

In an InvestorIntel interview during PDAC last week, Tracy Weslosky secures an interview update with Chairman, CEO and Director Dr. Francis Dube on ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (TSXV: ZEN), an emerging graphene technology solutions company with a focus on the development of graphene-based nanomaterial products and applications.

Dr. Dube started, “Graphene is a new wonder material. It is 200 times stronger than steel, conducts heat 10 times more than copper. Conducts electricity 1000 times better than copper.” He continued by saying that graphene can be produced by breaking graphite in layers or by a process called Carbon Vapor Deposition (CVD). The CVD process is very costly. With the graphite deposit at the Albany project, ZEN Graphene can make graphene on an industrial scale with industrial pricing. ZEN Graphene has also launched a webstore, first in Canada, to sell its Albany PureTM graphene products. He also provided an update on the grand opening of a facility at Guelph University. The facility was opened on March 3, 2020, and will be used for graphene materials production and development.

To access the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

“We can get graphite to 99.8% purity. Now, we need to take that very high-end graphite and turn it into graphene. We are working with some of the best teams in Canada, a bunch of different universities to do those things. The first agreement that we signed was with a university in Canada. That agreement is to do graphene production. This process uses heat, pressure and grinding to break the graphite into smaller bits and pieces. Basically, bringing it down to five to ten layers graphene. We can do kilograms of this material already. The process is patented and developed. We are going to keep trying to improve on it but it is already a very well established patent. The next one is with Prof. Chen at the University of Guelph. They are working on two different processes. A chemical process and an electrochemical exfoliation process where we are trying to make graphene oxide. This product is high end. We are getting down to one to three layers product. It is functionalized with oxygen groups in there. This will have very high value in the marketplace. The third one is with UBC Okanagan. We are doing a lot of research with them. We are doing graphene oxide. We are also doing graphene quantum dots which is really the very high-end stuff. This sells for four thousand dollars a gram on the marketplace. They are also doing things with batteries, with aluminum, with coatings…” States Dr. Francis Dube, Chairman, CEO, and Director of ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (TSXV: ZEN), in an interview with InvestorIntel’s Tracy Weslosky.

Dr. Dube went on to provide an update on the grand opening of the Guelph Facility for graphene materials production and development. He said that the company is currently sourcing and purchasing the necessary equipment to build a small-scale pilot plant to produce products like Graphene, Graphene Oxides and Graphene Quantum Dots. Dr. Dube also said that the Graphene Quantum Dots market is expected to be a $30 billion market by 2030. He said that ZEN Graphene is in a unique position to dominate the market because it has a high-grade source material and a great team of scientists.

To access the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

“We have a unique source of graphite in Ontario that is like no other on earth. It is a very large resource. We will have decades of production from it. The other side what is really exciting is, we have got 10 different universities in Canada researching in applications for our graphene. What we are able to do with graphene is exploding. We have got the complete vertical integration from the ground to the final integration product into consumer use.” States Francis Dubé, Co-CEO of ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (TSXV: ZEN), in an interview with InvestorIntel Corp. CEO Tracy Weslosky during PDAC 2019.

Tracy Weslosky: We are here at PDAC and I was just mentioning you were a shareholder. You liked the company so much you stepped in as co-CEO. Is that correct? 

Francis Dubé: It is correct. Again, I have always loved the asset. Been involved for over 5 years and I just really got involved last year. Cannot wait to get this company launched again and we are doing fantastic things. PDAC is really well timed for us to do it this year.

Tracy Weslosky: Of course you have got the electric car, the battery materials with graphite, but you also have graphene.

Francis Dubé: Graphene is actually where our entire focus is on because of the applications that are coming to us. Every week right now there is a new application for graphene so the market is in front of us. It is a new revolution and we are at the right time and the right place right now. We cannot be more excited about where we are at….it is like the new plastic, the new steel. It was discovered in 2004. The guys got Noble Prizes for it for physics in 2010 and since then it has just taken off. Ford is using it now. We are starting to see a real industrial revolution based on this material. The sky is the limit with what this thing can do really.

Tracy Weslosky: Why ZEN Graphene? What is the competitive advantage?

Francis Dubé: There are two things. We have a unique source of graphite in Ontario that is like no other on earth. It is a very large resource. We will have decades of production from it. The other side what is really exciting is we have got 10 different universities in Canada researching in applications for our graphene. What we are able to do with graphene is exploding. We have got the complete vertical integration from the ground to the final integration product into consumer use. We are very excited about that. It is a great opportunity for us….to access the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.