New Metrology Service to Advance the Commercialisation of Graphene
This month the team at William Blythe saw the launch of the latest addition to the UK's powerhouse in 2D materials advancements with the new graphene characterisation service. Created by the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) and the National Graphene Insitute (NGI), this service aims to act as a key link between research and industrialisation by providing an independent and trusted analytical service by two of the world leading institutes in graphene metrology. Hosted at the House of Commons, the prestige of this event further supports the importance that graphene will play in the development of solutions to global challenges in the future. On display were graphene containing products demonstrating its wide applicability into industry including composites for lightweight aircrafts, energy storage devices for automotive electrification and even energy saving lightbulbs.
Whilst it is very positive that graphene is beginning to enter the market at such an early stage since it’s discovery, the variability of graphene materials should always be considered when planning a research program. Many physical and chemical properties such as lateral sheet size, oxygen content and number of layers can have a large influence on the unique properties of graphene, such as its electronic conductivity and strength. Techniques like AFM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy are key in probing these parameters, and it’s these that are expected to be included within the service. When amalgamated, this data can then be used to determine whether a certain graphene material is suited for a specific application, for example a highly pure and pristine graphene can be crucial for electronic applications. The Graphene Characterisation Service is expected to be a first point of contact for the independent verification of the characteristics for a commercial graphene material, and more can be found out by following visiting NPL's website. If you’d like to explore which type of graphene is favourable for your application, then please do get in touch.