Universal Matter receives support from NETL

Earlier this year, Universal Matter acquired Applied Graphene Materials' assets for $1.3 million and then AGM changed its company name to Universal Matter GBR. Now, Universal Matter received support from The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Carbon Ore Processing Program through a cooperative agreement. 

The company has demonstrated a novel graphene production technology called Flash Joule Heating (FJH), which can transform carbonaceous material feedstocks, including coal and coal-wastes, to high quality graphene.

Joe Stoffa, NETL’s technology manager for the Carbon Ore Processing Program, said that producing high-quality graphene on a large scale at a low cost could enable several disruptive technologies. “Universal Matter’s FJH process can convert diverse carbon sources into graphene with tunable characteristics for an almost unlimited number of applications,” Stoffa added. “Universal Matter’s scale-up of FJH graphene production is key because it means the nation’s carbon ore resources can have a significant additional application beyond their traditional use in power generation and metallurgy.”

Universal Matter was formed in 2019 to commercialize technology developed by Rice University. In the same year, NETL began working with Rice University researchers on the development of FJH of coal and coal-derived carbons.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.