Environmentally friendly and scalable processes for the production of graphene and applications in advanced functional materials and technologies

石墨烯将优异的导热性和导电性与轻质、柔韧和强度结合在一起。这种二维材料在高科技领域的许多先进应用和产品中具有巨大的潜力。尽管进行了密集的研究活动，但事实证明，在工业甚至中试水平上生产石墨烯是极其困难的。缺乏足够的数量，以及相关的高成本，限制了石墨烯产品的进一步发展。拟议的研究计划的长期目标是开发一种创新的、经济上可行的、环境友好的工艺，以生产可大规模生产的石墨烯纳米片(GNP)，这种石墨烯由几层到多层堆叠的石墨烯组成。这项研究将允许有针对性地设计具有所需性能的产品，使用预测性工具，允许调整GNPs的属性以满足特定应用的需求。由此产生的产品将在一系列创新产品中具有潜力，包括适用于热管理、润滑剂、储能设备、传感器等的聚合物复合材料。这项研究有以下短期目标：i)开发和优化一种新的环境友好型工业可行工艺来生产GNPs，重点是经济上可行的可持续和环境友好的解决方案，并最大限度地减少浪费。所得到的GNPs将用于复合材料和其他混杂材料，如第三部分)和第四部分所述。Ii)开发方便且经济实惠的散体表征方法来表征GNP的特性，并优化GNP分散体和复合材料的流变(流动)特性，以满足各种应用。三)合成具有优异机械性能的轻质热塑性聚合物复合材料，适用于汽车/发动机罩下应用和燃料系统，以及电子设备外壳等热管理系统。Iv)设计通过添加剂制造工艺加工的集成基板/石墨烯结构，用于创新应用，包括用于个人飞行器(PAV)的部件，以及适合于可穿戴传感器的透气、多孔结构。拟议的研究计划将培训12名高素质人员组成的多样化小组，掌握材料科学与技术、加工和可持续技术方面的广泛技能。除了为石墨烯制造提供实用、可靠和具有成本效益的解决方案外，我们预计这项研究将在与加拿大经济相关的行业取得突破，并将开发依赖于石墨烯材料的高度和一致可获得性的产品。这些成果将使加拿大制造商受益，为他们提供创新材料，以生产具有追求功能的高附加值产品。

Graphene combines exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity with light-weight, flexibility, and strength. This two-dimensional material has enormous potential in a multitude of advanced applications and products in the high-technology sector. In spite of intense research activity, production of graphene at an industrial, or even pilot-scale level has proven to be extremely difficult. The lack of sufficient quantities, and the associated high cost has limited further development of graphene-based products. The proposed research program has the long-term objective to develop an innovative, economically viable, environmentally friendly process to produce scalable quantities of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), which consist of few to multiple layers of stacked graphene. This research will allow the targeted design of products with desired properties, using predictive tools that will allow tuning the properties of the GNPs to meet the needs of specific applications. The resulting products will have potential in a multitude of innovative products, including polymer composites suitable for thermal management, lubricants, energy storage devices, sensors etc. The research has the following short-term objectives: i)Development and optimization of a new environmentally friendly industrially feasible process to produce GNPs, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions that are economically viable and minimize waste. The resulting GNPs will be used for applications in composites and other hybrid materials, as described in parts iii) and iv). ii) Development of convenient and cost-effective bulk characterization methods to characterize the properties of the GNP, and optimization of the rheological (flow) properties of GNP dispersions and composites for a variety of applications. iii) Synthesis of light-weight thermoplastic polymer composites with superior mechanical properties, suitable for automotive/under-the-hood applications and fuel systems, as well as thermal management systems, such as electronic device housings. iv) Design of integrated substrate/graphene structures processed by additive manufacturing for innovative applications, including components for personal aerial vehicles (PAVs), and breathable, porous structures suitable for wearable sensors. The proposed research program will train a diverse group of 12 highly qualified personnel in a wide-array of skills in materials science and technology, processing and sustainable technologies. In addition to providing a practical, reliable, and cost-effective solution for graphene manufacturing, we envision that this research will result in breakthroughs in sectors of relevance to the Canadian economy, and will develop products that rely on high and consistent availability of graphene-based materials. These outcomes will benefit Canadian manufacturers by providing them with innovative materials to produce high-value-added products having sought after functionalities.