Graphene - Monitoring Technology to Keep Client Products Competitive

rverhelst2
Jan 19, 2015
5 min read

As a builder of brands and business strategies to help companies bring products and technologies to market, RVA also drills down into the actual core engineering of the components, if for nothing else than to remain fully versed in the competitive landscape. This in-depth analysis allows us to concentrate on developing engineering solutions for our clients, one of the areas of high interest involves spending time and working with leading experts in the battery industry to better understand the next realistic breakthrough in technology that can eventually improve the performance and pricing of rechargeable cells. The relationship is obvious in the fact that so much of today’s product technology runs on portable power.

If you have spent some time on our website, you will see that we have initiated a concentrated educational effort in learning as much as we can about the trending use of graphene as a component in the next generation of batteries. We know that many companies including the joint efforts of Panasonic and Tesla are actively seeking research results from this chemistry development, as it has been suggested that including a graphene component in even an 18650 cell could improve energy density (longer distances and higher performance) as well as the overall life cycle. What Graphene Is The material graphene, is a thin layer of pure carbon. It is a single, hexagonal honeycomb lattice made of a tightly packed layer of carbon atoms. You might be surprised to know that carbon is the second most abundant mass within the human body and the fourth most abundant element in the universe (by mass), after hydrogen. We also know it is strong. More than 100-300 times stronger than steel and it can be made incredibly stiff. What We Know Graphene layers which are only 1 atom thick, remain stable even in air, temperature and other variables. Graphene has been referred to as a potential scaffolding for the construction of other compounds to where layers allow potentially even greater applications. While high quality graphene is an amazing conductor, its major drawback is the lack of a switch to turn it off. Therefore, using graphene in future development of nano-electronic devices, an additional compound needs to be introduced to provide a band gap, but this has the potential of reducing the performance of the graphene. Research teams have been developing working solutions so that eventually, this graphene compound may replace silicone in electrical systems. Graphene has strong potential in Biological Engineering but the development, testing, clinical trials and regulatory issues will most likely push this use into the late 2020s, but the commercial potential has been projected to be valued at more than $11 billion annually when it gets there. There are new opportunities in Optical Electronics to where graphene could be used in commercial applications such as touchscreens, displays and organic light emitting diodes. The benchmark for materials that are successfully used in these technologies require the ability to transmit more than 90% of light and still offer conductive electrical properties with extremely low resistance.

Graphene is almost completely transparent and in tests has shown the ability to transmit up to 97.7% of light. Evaluation of its benefits in the use of flexible e-paper is being conducted and is showing promise. Within a lithium battery, graphene is being tested as an anode to offer potentially greater storage capacities and longevity. Simultaneously, graphene is being tested in the development of supercapacitors for rapid charging and discharge and may provide benefits to low energy applications. With the trends going towards wearable technology, graphene enhanced photovoltaic cells may end up in clothing which would allow the powering of medical monitoring devices and the recharging of traditional devices such as cell phones in minutes while walking to work. We also know that the initial development of quality graphene is extremely expensive and inconsistent for commercial use. Though research, that is changing and with financial incentive, is rapidly moving forward. Making graphene involves the use of toxic chemicals to grow as a monolayer. In 2012 studies provided a way to reuse the board the material potentially an unlimited number of times, helping to reduce the toxic waste. As featured in another article we have posted on the website, we are going back to school through the global mooc consortium edX where we will be attending an “Introduction to Graphene Technology” from Chalmers University in Sweden starting in May 2015. This is free and all interested parties can join in virtually. What This Means For The Industry Obviously, we have a number of motivations behind our interest in development of US based Intellectual Property surrounding rechargeable lithium cells. With our investment in the support of the State of Nevada and the potentially explosive growth of this emerging industry, there is a real need for public/private research that capitalizes on the use of minerals drawn from the mines here in the US. Additionally, we need to focus on real manufacturing job training to fulfill the key career opportunities within these new corporate residents in Nevada. Graphene has proven to boost the energy capacity and the charge rate in lithium batteries. It also extends the longevity. Currently, silicone based materials can store large amounts of energy, but the capacity diminishes dramatically during every recharge. In experiments with graphene tin oxide replacing the anode, the batteries delivered higher volumes of energy (projected to be multiplied by a factor of 10) and there was no reduction in storage capacity during the recharge phase.

This same wonder material will allow the reduction of time to recharge to where larger volumes of electricity can be driven into the cell at once, potentially reducing charge times to minutes and/or seconds instead of hours depending on the size of the battery. Who We Are Watching The Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering & Technology has developed a method to produce round Pom Pom-like graphene spheres into microparticles by spraying graphene oxide droplets into a hot solvent. This creates a 3-dimensional surface which when used in an electrode within a battery provides more surface area for increased charge transfer. In the latest development, a multinational research team has figured out how to overcome a major obstacle in the path of lithium-sulfur energy storage, by using graphene as a “bridge” between different components. University research centers at Cambridge, Beijing Institute of Technology, University of Arizona and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are all working on a graphene-sulfur based material which double the cycle life of traditional lithium-ion cells. The University of Exeter, has developed GraphExeter which amounts to a sandwich style of layers of graphene and ferric chloride, which when combined offer impressive durability and performance. With our fascination for all things printed in 3D, we are following the Graphene 3D Lab who have developed a prototype of a 3D printed battery. The system relies on the individual printing of the different components — anode, cathode, electrolyte, etc. Eventually, though, the use of a “true multi-material 3D printer” would allow for the printing of the whole battery all at once. Finally, with our emphasis on Nevada, we are monitoring National Graphite Corporation, the company that 100% owns the Chedic Graphite mine near the state's capital of Carson City. They are working with US laboratory facilities of American Graphene LLC near Phoenix Arizona.