Versarien plc (LON: VRS), the advanced materials engineering group, has today announced that the Company’s subsidiary Gnanomat S.L. has been awarded a patent by the Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas, the Spanish patent office, covering a method of obtaining nanomaterials composed of carbonaceous material (e.g. graphene) and metallic oxides.
Versarien acquired 62% of GNA, based in the Parque Cientifico Madrid, Spain, in September 2018. GNA is using Versarien’s graphene products in an environmentally friendly, scalable production process for energy storage devices that offer high power density, almost instant recharging and very long lifetimes for use in electric vehicles and portable electronics products.
The patent covers a key element of this production process, allowing GNA to combine materials such as Versarien’s graphene with metallic oxides in a liquid medium at moderate pressures and temperatures. These compounds can be produced in industrial quantities and the patented process allows the physical and chemical properties of the nanomaterials to be fixed by controlling the synthesis parameters. The Company believes that the nanomaterials obtained following this methodology provide good energy storage properties in a reproducible way.
It is the intention of GNA to extend this patent to cover territories including, amongst others, further European countries, the USA, Canada, China, Korea, Japan and India.
Roberto Clemente, GNA’s CEO, commented: “The award of this patent is a key step to protect GNA’s technology and the future commercial rights of its products. This milestone is part of our strategy to protect all of our key intellectual assets and we anticipate more patents will be developed and incorporated in due course.”
Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien plc, commented: “We have been very pleased with the acquisition of GNA and the progress they have been making in recent months. The award of this patent is a key milestone as we continue to develop technology that we believe will enable the development of commercially viable graphene enhanced batteries and other energy storage devices.
“The incorporation of graphene into energy storage devices has the potential to radically enhance their capabilities, meeting the ever increasing demands to improve power density and reduce charging times for everything from hand held devices to electric cars. This is just one example of Versarien’s presence at the leading edge of developing commercially relevant graphene based technology.”
