Production

A family of materials

Graphene is part of a whole family of materials, each with distinct properties and applications. The Graphene Flagship is focused on scaling-up production, whilst maintaining quality.

How is graphene produced?

Liquid Phase Exfoliation

Graphene oxide is the product of liquid phase exfoliation by which monolayers or few layer flakes of graphene are exfoliated from graphite in a liquid medium. Graphene oxide is an important material for a range of applications in biomedicine, energy storage, nanocomposites and others.

Chemical Vapour Deposition

Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) graphene is produced through a process by which carbon atoms are evaporated and then deposited on copper foil. CVD graphene can be used for applications like transparent and flexible electronics as well as anti-corrosion coatings.

Mechanical Exfoliation

Graphene crystals are grown on a variety of substrates for varying applications. Graphene grown on insulators, such as SiO2, typically produces a film with small crystallites, whereas growth on the close-packed surfaces of metals yields highly crystalline films. These crystals can be grown on wafers for electronic applications.

Scaling up production

The Graphene Flagship’s principal mission is to take technologies based on graphene from the laboratory to commercial applications. The full-scale application of graphene in commercial products is still several years in the future, which means there is time for Europe to secure a major role in this ongoing technological revolution in a market that is expected to exceed €100M by 2020 and reach up to €550M by 2025.

Limitless layers, limitless possibilities

It all began with a chunk of graphite and some sticky tape. Just over 15 years later, this simple – yet adventurous – experiment has led to a vast family of layered materials. Combining them together, like ingredients in a sandwich, opens the door to limitless possibilities.

Click here to read more about the history of graphene production.