(November 6, 2015) A
major showcase of companies developing new technologies from graphene and other
two-dimensional materials took place this week at the Cambridge Graphene
Centre.
More than 40 companies, mostly from the UK, are in Cambridge
this week to demonstrate some of the new products being developed from graphene
and other two-dimensional materials.
Graphene is a two-dimensional material made up of sheets of
carbon atoms. With its combination of exceptional electrical, mechanical and
thermal properties, graphene has the potential to revolutionise industries
ranging from healthcare to electronics.
Cambridge Graphene Technology Day (Photo: Francis Sedgemore/Cambridge
Graphene Centre)
On Thursday, the Cambridge Graphene Technology Day – an
exhibition of graphene-based technologies organised by the Cambridge Graphene
Centre, together with its partner companies – took place, showcasing new
products based on graphene and related two-dimensional materials.
Some of the examples of the products and prototypes on
display included flexible displays, printed electronics, and graphene-based
heaters, all of which have potential for consumer applications. Other examples
included concrete and road surfacing incorporating graphene, which would mean
lighter and stronger infrastructure, and roads that have to be resurfaced far
less often, greatly lowering the costs to local governments.
“At the Cambridge Graphene Technology Day we saw several
real examples of graphene making its way from the lab to the factory floor –
creating jobs and growth for Cambridge and the UK,” said Professor Andrea
Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre and of the EPSRC Centre for
Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology. “Cambridge is very well-placed in the
network of UK, European and global initiatives targeting the development of new
products and devices based on graphene and related materials.”
Cambridge Graphene
Technology Day
Cambridge has a long history of research and application
into carbon-based materials, since the identification of the graphite structure
in 1924, moving through to diamond, diamond-like carbon, conducting polymers,
and carbon nanotubes, with a proven track-record in taking carbon research from
the lab to the factory floor.
Cambridge is also one of the leading centres in graphene
technology. Dr Krzysztof Koziol from the Department of Materials Science &
Metallurgy sits on the management board of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training
in Graphene Technology. He is developing hybrid electrical wires made from
copper and graphene in order to improve the amount of electric current they can
carry, functional graphene heaters, anti-corrosion coatings, and graphene inks
which can be used to draw printed circuit boards directly onto paper and other
surfaces.