Turquoise Group wants to turn up the volume for graphene

Since first being created in 2004 and a resulting rush of excitement involving its conductive, strength and other properties,  assessments on the rate of progress for nanomaterial graphene have varied.

Those who follow the adoption of new materials will tell you that these things always take time, and if you look properly, you’ll see that progress is well underway.

Andre Geim, who with Kostya Novoselov first made graphene (the University of Manchester pair both won a Nobel Prize for their efforts in 2010) pointed out last year that its already showing its usefulness. The applications are generally hidden – for example in roads and EV batteries – but they are there. 

“Ten years ago, people sold tiny pieces of graphene – no wider than a hair – but now people can make square kilometres of it,” Geim told the Times Higher Education’s World Academic Summit regarding another example of progress.

The many challenges to adoption include standardisation within the graphene family of materials. The focus of Turquoise Group, which launched commercial sales of graphene in multilayer powder form this month, is squarely on the volume issue.

While many graphene businesses have identified the real margins as lying in developing downstream applications with and for clients, the Brisbane startup is chasing scale. 

“I think it’s kind of a symptom that the upstream costs are high in terms of producing graphene,” Samuel Taubert, the company’s CEO and Managing Director, tells @AuManufacturing of the tendency of hopefuls towards applications development.  

“As a company we’re focussed on of course keeping the low prices upstream and selling the raw product, the graphene powder, for now. We’re not looking at developing graphene products. Maybe down the line sometime, but it’s definitely not a core strategy…”

According to Taubert, they are currently able to make hundreds of kilos a day, and offer this at $US 20 per kilo for bulk orders.

He adds that another point of difference versus many (but not all) graphene startups is the commercial rather than academic background he shares with Turquoise Group’s other two co-founders. 

As with fellow Brisbane company Graphene Manufacturing Group (which got started in 2016), there is a heritage in the oil and gas sector, as well as a use of plasma technology to create graphene out of methane feedstock.

Taubert gives very little away about their proprietary synthesis method (which also produces hydrogen as a commercial byproduct) though says GMG uses a microwave plasma method, which is “completely different” to their technology. 

Industrialising Turquoise Group’s method, which makes use of a three-phase AC plasma torch from France’s Plenesys, received a boost in January this year. The company was awarded a $945,000 Industry Growth Program grant from the federal government for a nine-month test program to build a first commercial-scale plant.

Currently, TG is looking to launch a commercial pilot project in late-2027, and recently began a capital raising initiative to fund this. It is planned to be “a similar scale to current facility”, says Taubert, though adds that the company’s process is modular and another module could be added if necessary. 

At this early stage, the leading application for graphene appear to include batteries and composites, with composites expected to grow the fastest in the next decade or so.

These are the kinds of markets Turquoise Group is interested in.

“Concrete is one that I’m passionate about. It’s one that has enormous potential to change the world, in my opinion, when it comes to decarbonisation. But it does require a lower cost point for graphene,” adds Taubert.

“Really we’re focussed on bulk markets, primarily composite and coating type of applications. So smaller, niche markets we’re not focussed on at this point, we’re really looking at those high-demand potential markets.”

In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations, Taubert shares a little about the company’s story so far, the immature markets for green hydrogen and graphene, and why they’ve elected for an “aggressive pricing strategy” rather than partnering with clients on applications development.

Episode guide

0:25 – Career background, mainly in the oil and gas industry

1:55 – Why hydrogen and graphene? And the similarities/differences in commercialising both.

2:50 – Their proprietary process.

4:04 – Can much more detail be shared? Not really. “It’ll have to remain a secret for now.”

4:55 – Fellow Brisbane company Graphene Manufacturing Group.

5:35 – Anticipated volumes and what stage they’re currently at.

6:07 – Financing. “We’re definitely not a subsidiary of Pure Hydrogen.”

6:50 – The economics of what they’re doing.

8:45 – A point of difference is no real interest in developing downstream applications.

9:57 – One graphene isn’t good for all applications, and graphene is a family of materials.

10:33 – Multilayer graphene powder for bulk markets. Niche markets aren’t so interesting.

11:27 – Markets that are interesting for TG.

13:08 – Capital raise for the next plant plus other near-term plans.

14:27 – Some current difficulties the industry faces.

Picture: supplied

Further reading

Turquoise Group begins bulk graphene sales, aims to have commercial pilot project online “by the end of 2027”

Turquoise Group produces hydrogen from methane

Brisbane company takes delivery of equipment to produce “turquoise hydrogen” and graphene