Graphene Flake vs Fake
Are you frustrated with the progress of your graphene research work?
Are you burning valuable resources to develop your graphene applications with little to no success?
If yes, you are not alone and it’s most likely due to no fault of yours.
In fact, chances are the high the “Graphene” that you have been using has no Flake… and is Fake.
Graphene Fact Checks on the Ground
A recent *study “The Worldwide Graphene Flake Production” published on Material Science in 2018, examining 60 reputable Graphene producers worldwide revealed that majority of these companies are producing less than 10% graphene content and that no company is currently producing above 50% graphene content.
Most companies produce average of 4 layers graphene with relatively small flake size (lesser than 5 μm).
The study clearly established the quality of the graphene produced in the world today is rather poor, and most producers are merely selling graphite microplatelets, not optimal for most applications.
*A systematic and reliable protocol developed to test graphene quality using electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
The Industry Challenge & Reality
A lack of standards for graphene has been stalling the development of graphene applications.
Producers are selling black powders as graphene for top dollar, while in reality they contain mostly cheap *graphite.
It’s difficult for users to assess graphene quality since it is not possible to do so with the naked eye as we are dealing with a nanomaterial. Only through nanotechnology tools and well-defined protocols as the ones established in the above-mentioned study can one determine the quantity and quality of the graphene produced.
Many companies are simply working with poor quality graphene sold in the open market and getting poor results.
This kind of activity gives a bad reputation to the whole industry and has a negative impact on serious developers of graphene applications.
*In terms of material properties, graphene and graphite are very different and cannot be interchanged in many important applications such as coatings, composites, and batteries.
The 2DM Graphene Solution
Standardization and following protocols for graphene characterization would support the growth of industry as a whole in the long run.
For your development work today, we strongly advise working with reputable and proven producers like 2DM who produces very high performance graphene. Furthermore, 2DM unique proprietary production process enable them to scale industrial production capacity according to your needs.
- < 10 layers
- Little or no metal contamination
- High purity of carbon, C > 95%
- Little or no oxidation
- Sustainable production process that is easy to upscale