New low-cost graphene production to revolutionise engineering applications

Industrial collaborators Blast Log Ltd, together with Garrard Jones Engineering Ltd, have developed a novel process using batch flash pyrolysis for the bottom-up synthesis of graphene at large scale. At the University of Leeds, we have already screened this material using state-of-the-art characterisation methods via Royce Institute pump priming funding and have determined that it consists of high quality turbostratic graphene. The project has set itself a clear goal to disrupt the current graphene market by producing graphene at a price which is an order of magnitude less than the current market costs. Current graphene prices range from $0.5-$1.0 per gram; we aim to produce graphene at a price of less than 6 pound per kilo. The aim of this studentship is to help optimise the production process and the graphene product and to determine whether it is feasible to develop the material into a commercial product and sell into the current market. Avenues that will be investigated include: as a concrete additive to significantly improve strength and durability (and thus lower carbon dioxide emissions), selling it direct to ready mix plants and other end users; as a motor oil additive by using the graphene product to create a stable dispersion in synthetic oil with the aim of demonstrating fuel efficiency increases and wear reduction effects and; as an additive to form a durable, hard wearing polymer composite materials for say automotive applications such as tyres. 

Further information about this project and how to apply can be found on our website.