Standardisation
The further commercialisation of materials and technologies based on graphene and related materials, as well as the establishment of robust, underlying value networks, remain a challenge. Industry has identified that the lack of standardised materials, processes and characterisation methods are important factors that slow down innovation in the field.
The Graphene Flagship Standardisation Committee seeks to overcome this challenge.
Why standardise graphene and related materials?
Firstly, which of the properties of graphene, or a related layered material, do I need to know and control in order to reliably achieve the desired function in my application? And secondly, which supplier can guarantee that their raw material meets my specifications in every single batch of production?
The first question is often surprisingly hard to answer. For example, in the case of polymer composites where graphene is used as a filler, factors like flake size, surface functionalisation, lattice defects, aggregation behaviour, the method of material processing and many more have a decisive impact on the performance of the composite.
Additionally, finding a supplier who can meet all these specifications can also be a challenge. Standardisation lays the basis for solving these issues: it will help us to enable better quality control, improve reliability and establish more trust in our communities. Furthermore, standardising graphene and layered materials will lower the barrier to entry for innovation, commercialisation and industrialisation in the field.
Our mission
Our work on standards in the field of graphene and layered materials focuses on:
- Characterisation methods
- Sample preparation
- Data analysis
- Terminology
We have 35 projects leading to standards or technical specifications. Various measurement and characterisation methods are being addressed, including:
- Level of disorder, number of layers (Raman)
- Specific surface area (BET)
- Structural properties (TEM, SEM, AFM)
- Electrical properties (various methods)
Within accompanying projects (such as EMPIR and VAMAS), interlaboratory comparisons and round-robin tests are being conducted, and new methods are being developed.