“I started to read publications about graphene with curiosity and interest,” said Marco Cattaneo, president of Momodesign, who was looking to “improve products in which safety is the most important aspect.”
By coating graphene onto the exterior shell of the helmet, Cattaneo claims it exhibits improved thermal comfort and safety. The graphene coating is said to allow better distribution of impact force, making the helmet less susceptible to damage compared to standard helmets, even in high temperature conditions. The thermal conducive properties of the graphene coating helps to dissipate heat quickly across the helmet and not only protects the inner materials from degradation caused by heat, but also provides a more comfortable user experience.
An initial run of 3000 helmets have been produced for sale in specialty markets and major motoring showrooms. The helmets are fabricated in a manufacturing plant in northern Italy, where the graphene-coating procedure has been integrated directly into the existing production line.
“We developed a process fully compatible with that used by Momodesign for their standard helmets,” said Vittorio Pellegrini, director of IIT Graphene Labs.
The helmet will be on show at the Graphene Flagship Pavilion at the Composites Europe show from the 29 November to 1 December in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Andrea Ferrari, the Graphene Flagship Management Panel’s science and technology officer stated: “Over the next few years we will see more and more products enabled by graphene reaching the market, thanks to the support of the Graphene Flagship.”
