Implementation of a Scalable Thermomechanical Graphite Exfoliation Method to Produce High Yields of Few-Layer Graphene

该研究项目将试图确定皇后大学开发的一种新的专有热化学剥离工艺的可行性，该工艺可以从高膨胀/高纯度石墨中生产出少层石墨烯纳米片。它将深入发展加工与性能的相互关系，目的是根据各种应用的需要优化产品。它还将调查产品后处理的稳定性，如果适用，它将提出方法，其中可能包括适当的表面处理，以使精细剥离的颗粒稳定地储存和运输。支持机构是ZEN石墨烯解决方案有限公司（ZEN），一家位于安大略省桑德贝的先进材料公司。ZEN旨在成为发现和开发石墨烯解决方案的全球领导者，用于需要很少层，高分散石墨烯的应用。目标应用包括石墨烯增强混凝土、沥青、塑料、钻井液、散热器、热涂层和先进电池。该项目产生的知识有可能以大幅降低的成本为加拿大各个工业部门提供新的增值产品，包括汽车、制造业和替代能源部门。除了新的投资和加拿大石墨矿床的开发之外，该倡议还将有助于在靠近康斯坦斯湖第一民族传统土著领土的地区创造就业机会，从而使当地居民受益。这种新型的、价格合理的多层石墨烯材料的可用性将使许多成熟的和新兴的工业部门受益。

This research project will seek to determine the viability of a new proprietary Thermomechamical Exfoliation process developed at Queen's University to produce few-layered graphene nanoplatelets from highly expanded/ high-purity graphite. It will develop in-depth processing-property interrelations, with the aim of optimizing the product according to the needs of various applications. It will also investigate the stability of the product post-processing and, if applicable, it will propose methods which might include suitable surface treatments to render the finely exfoliated particles stable for storage and transportation. The supporting organization is ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (ZEN), an Advanced Materials Company based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. ZEN intends to become a world leader in the discovery and development of graphene solutions for applications that require very few layer, high dispersion graphene. Targeted applications include graphene-enhanced concrete, asphalt, plastics, drilling fluids, heat sinks, thermal coating and advanced batteries.The knowledge generated by this project has the potential to provide new value-added products at a substantially reduced cost to various Canadian industrial sectors, including the automotive, manufacturing, and alternative energy sectors. In addition to the new investment and the development of a Canadian graphite deposit, this initiative will contribute to job creation in areas that are in proximity to the traditional Indigenous territory of the Constance Lake First Nation, thereby benefiting the local population. The availability of the novel, reasonably priced multilayered graphene materials will benefit many established and emerging industrial sectors.