Researchers from Flinders University have teamed up with First Graphite to produce high quality graphene for industrial use.
The collaboration involves using a Vortex Fluidic Device (VFD) to produce the graphene. Graphene is used in a range of modern technology such as lithium-ion batteries, sensors and transparent-conducting electrodes for flexible solar cells.
The VFD will be used to manufacture the graphene sheets. It is a suitcase-sized piece of equipment that applies very high sheer forces to liquids fed into the system through spinning a tube at high velocity.
First Graphite plans to use the technique to scale up the process to a commercial level to export the graphene to high value markets.
The company’s managing director Craig McGuckin said graphene would eventually be used in most modern technology.
“What is required is creating high quality graphene from graphite, doing so quickly and efficiently and that is what we are trying to take up now,” McGuckin said.
“We see the VFD partnering with our own processes to assist greatly in creating different types of graphene for different uses.”
