Sep 29, 2015 | By Kira
Graphene 3D Lab has filed a non-provisionary patent pertaining to a new method for the preparation and separation of atomic layers of graphene nanoplatlets (GNP), which would dramatically increase the potential for large scale production of high grade graphene, one of the most groundbreaking and highly-sought out materials in 3D printing manufacturing. The new process is energy-efficient, non-chemically invasive, and will significantly lower the cost of preparing and separating GNP.
3D printed graphene battery by Graphene 3D Lab
Discovered in 2004, graphene is considered a sort of ‘holy grail’ in 3D printing and manufacturing materials. Made from carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal sheet only one atom thick, graphene offers extraordinary properties: it has the highest strength of any isolated material (200x stronger than steel), is very light and flexible, an efficient conductor of heat and electricity, and is compatible with human tissue. Its applications range from medicine, advanced energy, electronics, aerospace design and many others.
Despite these groundbreaking characteristics, however, the manufacture of high quality graphene has been restricted to manually intensive, high-energy and toxic chemical processes, limiting its use to certain R&D labs. Graphene 3D’s new process, however, promises to make the material more accessible and affordable for mainstream manufacturers, including 3D printing services.
The honeycomb structure of graphene
"The business implications associated with this filing are significant and near term. The extraordinary qualities of graphene has positioned it as one of the most sought after materials in research and development since its discovery in 2004," said Elena Polyakova, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Graphene 3D Lab. "However up to now, the high-cost of quality material has generally restricted its use to R&D labs. We are changing that and look forward to offering these benefits to our client base and to others who will now utilize graphene into mainstream manufacturing".
The Calverton, New York-based Graphene 3D Lab is already well-known for the development of proprietary graphene-based nanocomposite materials for 3D printing, including their Conductive Graphene Filamentwhich was commercially released earlier this year. The company is a worldwide leader in the manufacurting and retailing of graphene and other advanced materials, with clients such as NASA, Ford Motor, Apple, Samsung, Harvard and Stanford.
Accompanying the patent application, Graphene 3D has produced a bench-top working prototype of their manufacturing and classification technology. “Over the next 12 months we intend to manufacture and put in place a scaled-up operation,” said Daniel Stolyarov, Co-Chief Executive Office. “We expect our unique combination of high-quality, low-cost graphene will significantly impact the commercial marketplace, and will allow an ever widening variety of manufacturers to consider incorporating the extraordinary qualities of graphene in wide range of materials from batteries to consumer electronics to plastics.”
As the most sought-after and groundbreaking material, the wide-spread commercial availability of high grade graphene is sure to impact 3D printing manufacturers, allowing more and more companies to innovate and experiment with its properties, potentially leading to new scientific advancements and discoveries across all sectors.
Posted in 3D Printing Materials
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