First Graphene advances material processing understanding

Industrial materials producer First Graphene (ASX: FGR) has announced progress in its development of production processes used in making graphene oxide suitable for a number of industrial applications.

Conventional processing to create dispersible graphene solutions utilise strong acids.

First Graphene subsidiary 2D Fluidics Pty Ltd, Flinders University and the UK Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre have been studying more benign processes that synthesise graphene oxide directly from bulk graphite using hydrogen peroxide dissolved in water.

They have found that a re-treatment step under laser illumination produces oxidised graphene sheets from different starting grades of graphite.

They are now able to control feed rates and energy input to control surface oxidation, providing a consistent material that can be tailored to a range of applications.

First Graphene will now establish operating parameters to allow the scaling up of the production system for commercial production.

It will also focus on end use applications such as in electronic devices and anti-fouling coatings.

FGR managing director Craig McGuckin said: “We are on the right route towards fabricating a material which is comparable to the historical graphene oxide fabricated using the conventional…method.”

First Graphene has a 100 tonne a year production capacity at his Henderson, Western Australia plant and is commercialising applications for graphene in composites, elastomers, fire retardancy, construction and energy storage.

Picture: First Graphene/graphene wear parts

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