Graphene production

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is offering Italian materials manufacturer BeDimensional €20 million (almost USD$22 million) in venture debt financing to expand production of Few-Layer Graphene (FLG) and Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride (FLhBN or FLB).  

EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and BeDimensional Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Pellegrini announced the financing accord at the inauguration of the company's plant in Genoa. BeDimensional plans to build a second plant in Italy to scale-up production of FLG and FLB by 2027.

A research team from the University of Córdoba (UCO) has developed a new prototype that could lead opens the door to the large-scale production of graphene. This new method, which has already been registered for evaluation as a patent and is based on a previous patent by the same team, increases the production of graphene by more than 22%, with the process maintaining the high quality that characterizes graphene synthesized with this technology.

The work is based on plasma technology, a partially ionized gas often referred to as the fourth state of matter. One of its great advantages, highlighted the study's lead author, Francisco Javier Morales, is that "it is a highly energetic medium that is capable of breaking down organic molecules very easily." Specifically, the team used this plasma torch to break down ethanol and rearrange the molecule's carbon atoms, resulting in the creation of graphene.

Imperial College London has spun out a company called 2D Nano, led by Dr. Andrius Patapas, Professor Omar Matar, Professor Camille Petit (Department of Chemical Engineering), and Dr. Jason Stafford (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham), to pioneer the production of advanced materials like graphene, boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, and more. 

Recently, 2D Nano reportedly secured £2 million in funding from private investors, allowing the Company to scale up production of 2D materials to several tonnes per year. Their internal research and development suggests this can lead to the manufacturing of graphene-enhanced products in excess of 100,000 t/y. The Company is particularly focused on deploying its materials in high-demand sectors such as concrete, coatings, and energy storage, where significant sustainability benefits can be realized. 

Researchers from Nagoya University, Osaka University and National Taiwan University recently developed a method for the high-speed, large-area deposition of two-dimensional (2D) materials, including oxides, graphene oxide, and boron nitride. This innovative technique, known as the "spontaneous integrated transfer method," was discovered by chance; however, it could significantly improve the production of nanosheets.

Traditionally, methods like chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique have been employed for nanosheet fabrication. However, these methods have significant disadvantages, including difficulties in achieving uniform, large-area deposition and complications in the substrate transfer process. Aiming to develop a more effective deposition technology, the research team discovered a fascinating phenomenon completely by chance: when nanosheets get wet, they spontaneously align themselves on the surface of water, forming dense films within a mere 15 seconds. This process, termed the "spontaneous spreading phenomenon," suggested a more effective deposition technology.

In 2015, scientists at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, and collaborators from institutions in Australia, Singapore, Japan, and the US developed a technique for growing graphene from tea tree extract. Now, scientists from James Cook University developed a process to synthesize graphene from tangerine peel oil, which they then used to recover silver from waste PV material. To demonstrate the quality of the recovered silver and the synthesized graphene, they made a dopamine sensor that reportedly outperformed reference devices.

The team synthesized “freestanding” graphene using non-toxic and renewable tangerine peel oil that can reportedly be used for the recovery of silver from end-of-life organic PV devices. The researchers said that their process result in high-quality graphene and demonstrated a remarkable ability to selectively recover silver from photovoltaic waste. One of the most surprising findings, according to the team, was how selective the graphene was in targeting silver.

Khalifa University of Science and Technology’s Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D), through its commercial arm spinoff company INTRATOMICS™, and LOLC Advanced Technologies Australia, a subsidiary of the Sri Lanka-based LOLC Group, have announced their collaboration following an agreement on the development of graphene-related products for precision applications.

The joint production of graphene in commercial quantities and development of advanced materials manufacturing marks this phase of the partnership as INTRATOMICS™ and LOLC Advanced Technologies Australia consolidate their roles in this agreement following the earlier MoU signed in August 2023.

It was reported that Global Green USA, the American affiliate of nongovernmental organization Green Cross International, is formally endorsing and entering into a strategic partnership with Astera and the Carbon Conversion Group Inc. (CCG) as they look to convert industrial plastic scrap into high-grade graphene.

The firms say the partnership seeks to drastically reduce the landfill burden and carbon emissions. California-based Astera and CCG, a plastic recycling technology company that specializes in transforming industrial and commercial plastic scrap into synthetic graphene, graphite, hydrogen and other commodities based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will use technology that supports local industries, reduces reliance on imported graphene and aligns with the U.S.’ commitment to sustainability and reduced global supply chain vulnerabilities. 

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Inovartic Investment, a technology innovation company, to establish a facility in Abu Dhabi that will produce graphene and graphene-enhanced products.

The strategic collaboration marks a step towards enhancing advanced material manufacturing in the region and beyond and is aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a global hub for cutting-edge industries and technological innovation.

Malaysian energy company PETRONAS has launched its third graphene-based solution, ProTough+,  under its Advanced Materials portfolio to capture new growth opportunities in line with its Energy Transition Strategy.

ProTough+ is an additive that enhances the strength of composite materials by improving their mechanical properties to achieve component light weighting, which is key in manufacturing and delivery of lower carbon solutions such as hydrogen mobility. Tests conducted on carbon fiber reinforced polymers enhanced with ProTough+ reportedly demonstrated an increase of more than 35% in tensile strength. This allows stronger composite parts to be manufactured with less materials, thus supporting fabrication of products that are lighter and more economical. 

Researchers at Fraunhofer FEP have developed a PECVD process that enables deposition of graphene at high process speeds and on a wider range of substrates at lower temperatures.

As part of the funded EU project NewSkin, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has developed the innovative PECVD process that enables the deposition of graphene at high process speeds and offers higher production throughputs and a wider range of substrates at lower process temperatures. The researchers will present the process at Manufacturing World Tokyo from June 19 - 21, 2024 at booth No. E 53-11 in Tokyo, Japan.