Standardization - Page 2

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have set out to tackle the issue of a lack of graphene production standards, which leads to many cases of poor quality graphene from suppliers. The team developed a systematic and reliable method for establishing the quality of graphene samples from around the world. They were able to achieve this by using a wide range of analytical techniques and tested samples from many suppliers.

Upon analyzing samples from over 60 different providers from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, the NUS team discovered that the majority contained less than 10% of what can be considered graphene flakes. The bulk of the samples was graphite powder that was not exfoliated properly.

Graphene-Info has teamed up with world renowned laboratories to offer a unique graphene metrology service that provides characterization and analysis on graphene materials.

Dozens of companies are producing various types of graphene materials, which causes much diversification and confusion. Our metrology service offers graphene producers the chance to obtain valuable test results and post-testing analysis and interpretation, that assist in proving viability and quality of production. In addition, displaying critical data to customers like the material characteristics and potential applications is key to successful marketing and sales activities.

BSI, the UK-based standards body and global certification company, has published a new guide to the properties of graphene flakes, PAS 1201. The guide provides an explanation of the physical and chemical properties of graphene flakes, and advice on information manufacturers and suppliers of graphene should give to prospective users.

Dan Palmer, Head of Manufacturing at BSI, says: PAS 1201 sets out the information that any manufacturer or interested party needs to understand about graphene before introducing this material to the manufacturing process. Standardizing the information that is made available about properties of graphene flakes is important in order for the commercial opportunities of graphene in the UK to be realized.

A new consortium (called the Graphene REACH registration consortium) was launched in 2017 to handle REACH graphene registration in the EU. The consortium members, The Sixth Element Material Technology, NanoXplore and Applied Graphene Materials announced that the joint registration dossiers for graphene and graphene oxide have been submitted to the ECHA.

The consortium is also preparing a JRD for reduced graphene oxide, and hopes to submit it before the end of 2018. The consortium issues a callout for companies (whether graphene producers or importers) to join the consortium or buy a letter of access to the new registrations.

In November 2017, after years of work, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released its first graphene standard, the ISO/TS 80004-13:2017. The effort was led by the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

We recently discussed this interesting and important development with the NPL's Dr. Andrew J. Pollard. Dr. Andrew leads the NPL Surface and Nanoanalysis Group's research into the structural and chemical characterization of graphene and related 2D materials, and he is also a member of the ISO working group 'Measurement and Characterization' within the 'Nanotechnologies' Technical Committee (TC229), and a UK nominated expert for the international graphene standards.

Hello Andy, and thank you for this interview. We know that NPL pioneered the effort in the new ISO standard, can you tell us why do you believe such standards are of vital importance?

As a new material that has spawned an emerging industry, graphene has the potential to improve many of the products we all use every day. However, for industry around the world to be able to develop innovative products with this two-dimensional material, they need to know what the properties actually are of the materials they are using.

The first UK-China Graphene Standardization Cooperation Working Group Conference, recently held in Chongqing, China, brought news of an agreement to collaborate on developing and submitting a co-authored International Organization for Standardization (ISO) proposal by February 2018. This joins other recent graphene standardization efforts, like NPL & NGI's good practice guide for graphene metrology and NPL's first ISO (International Organization for Standardization) graphene standard.

Research institutes across the world are pursuing the commercialization of graphene. However, the lack of well-established international standards could slow down the speed of adoption, lead to costly duplication and competition that hinders trade. This collaboration on graphene standards will aim to reduce technical barriers to trade and joint R&D in an area that is a strength for both countries with huge market potential.

The National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester has joined forces with the NPL to develop a guide, as part of NPL's good practice guide series, that conveys "a detailed description of how to determine the key structural properties of graphene, so that the graphene community can adopt a common metrological approach that allows the comparison of commercially available graphene materials. This guide brings together the accepted metrology in this area".

The guide, titled Characterization of the Structure of Graphene, follows last month's release of the NPL's work on the first ISO (International Organization for Standardization) graphene standard. It describes the high-accuracy and precision required for verification of material properties and enables the development of other faster quality control techniques in the future. The guide is intended to form a bedrock for future interlaboratory comparisons and international standards.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) recently published the world's first ISO (International Organization for Standardization) graphene standard. The standard will aim to provide consistency across the emerging world-wide graphene industry and accelerate graphene's commercial exploitation.

The new international standard defines the terminology used to describe the many different forms of graphene and related 2D materials, supporting companies in the testing and validation process. This will provide clarity among manufacturers, suppliers, NGOs and academia, helping to unlock new applications, drive down manufacturing costs and open up industrial-scale use of graphene in various applications.

Graphene has become a well-known material, and its remarkable properties are attracting many R&D efforts across all sorts of applications and industries. Graphene is the world's strongest, thinnest and most conductive material, with fascinating thermal properties. However, despite graphene's massive potential, bringing it out of the lab and into real-world products is not without its challenges, and there are quite a few things to be aware of when attempting to make such a move. This article will touch upon the major issues one should take into account when considering the use of graphene in any form of product. It is the result of repeated interactions with researchers and companies working on graphene applications.

The theory-lab-industry route, or unrealistic expectations

In theory, graphene is a material unlike any other, with properties that can fill the pages of science-fiction novels. The significant amount of lab work that has taken place in recent decades shows that graphene is truly amazing, and incredible things have been achieved using it. But one must remember that laboratory conditions allow for meticulous, time-consuming projects, use of best-quality materials and limited reproducibility.

Saint Jean Carbon, a carbon science company engaged in the exploration of natural graphite properties and related carbon products, has announced that it has produced two samples of single layer graphene (1) dispersion 20 mL, 0.1%, with pure 100 mL water and (2) a 50 mg of powder.

The material is said to have been produced without any chemicals or any mechanical systems that would harm the high order of carbon structure and wettability. The material has been sent to National Research Council and will be used to help set the national standard for graphene production and quality.