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Ford Launches Dedicated Graphene Research Team In Brazil

Back in May, Ford Brazil announced that it would be expanding its existing Development and Technology Center in Bahia and adding 500 jobs to that particular facility in an effort to transform it into a regional engineering hub for exporting projects and knowledge across the automaker’s global operations. In July, it consolidated the Brazilian Development and Technology Center to focus on exporting various engineering services, as well as working on multiple global projects such as EV design and multimedia systems. Now, Ford has created a graphene research team in a collaboration between its Development and Technology Center and UCSGRAPHENE, the first and largest industrial-scale graphene plant in Latin American installed by a university.

As Ford Authority reported back in 2018, The Blue Oval already utilizes graphene – a relatively new nanomaterial that’s 200 times stronger than steel – under the hoods of passenger vehicles like the Ford F-150 and Ford Mustang to reduce noise. Now, the automaker intends to utilize this material to revolutionize the performance of EV batteries, electronic devices, and various other automotive components as well.

In addition to being strong and lightweight, graphene has high thermal and electrical conductivity, and it can be formed into very thin layers and the combined with other materials. Ford’s new graphene research team – which consists of more than 20 people – aims to use it to improve cooling in EV batteries, as well as create better materials for noise insulation, anti-corrosion coatings, and graphene-reinforced aluminum alloys.

“UCSGRAPHENE brings together the expertise of the University of Caxias do Sul achieved in 18 years of advanced research in nanomaterials,” said Diego Piazza, coordinator of UCSGRAPHENE. “The partnership of UCS with Ford is a historic moment, because it allows the generation of knowledge connected to an innovation ecosystem capable of developing numerous potentialities.”

We’ll have more on Ford’s operations from around the world soon, be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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