"WHEN THE PRICE IS COMING DOWN, THE POTENTIAL MARKETS ARE HUGE"
Hello Kajsa, and welcome to 2D fab! Tell us about your background and experiences.
– I hold a M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and have spent the last nineteen years working as production engineer and in different managerial roles. Prior to joining 2D fab, I worked as production manager for Expancel at Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel). As a person I am curious. I love to learn and in teams optimize productions to achieve the best results possible. That is also what I look forward to the most at 2D fab, we don't just manage products, we also develop them!
What are your responsibilities at 2D fab?
– As Production Manager I will keep developing our manufacturing process, together with Roland and the rest of the team of course. I have only been working here for a week, so what my exact duties are, remain to be seen. Right now, I spend most of my time overseeing the final assembly of our new production plant.
In your view, what are the greatest challenges and possibilities in graphene commercialization?
– The greatest challenge right now is the price. Graphene is too expensive. This makes potential customers and partner less eager to buy graphene and develop new products. But the price is coming down, and when it does the potential markets are huge. I especially believe in graphene in batteries and composites. Graphene can for example be used in cars, making them lighter and more energy efficient.
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Graphene offers large potential for future batteries
3 advantages in graphene enhanced plastic composites
Pilot runs at 2D fab's new premises show great result
Hello Kajsa, and welcome to 2D fab! Tell us about your background and experiences.
What are your responsibilities at 2D fab?
In your view, what are the greatest challenges and possibilities in graphene commercialization?
Read more
3 advantages in graphene enhanced plastic composites
Pilot runs at 2D fab's new premises show great result
3 ADVANTAGES OF GRAPHENE ENHANCED PLASTIC COMPOSITES
The history of plastics is long, but it would take until 1907 before the first fully synthetic plastic material was patented. Ever since, plastics has developed and found its way into an infinite range of products.
Today it is possible to mix plastic composites with graphene, giving the material new and better properties. We have listed three advantages of plastic composites containing graphene.
1. New applications
When graphene is mixed with other materials its properties are transferred, creating a unique cocktail within material technology. For example, graphene has very good thermal and electrical conductivity. Transferring these properties to plastic composites pave the way for many new applications.
2. Improving properties
By adding graphene in plastic composites, you can improve the properties the material already has. For example, graphene can increase a material’s strength and improve resistance to supersonic impacts, the latter being important in ballistic applications, such as body armor systems and shields.
3. Good processability
The production is compatible with existing manufacturing processes, so there is no need to make major changes to current production line e.g. injection molding or extrusion of thermoplastics. The process also increases productivity and cause less tool wear, due to graphene contributing to better thermal conductivity and being a very gentle additive compared to others commonly used, e.g. fiber glass.
Read more
2D fab and SAAB has developed new components for the aviation industry
2D fab in collaboration to develop next generation of composites for bulletproof products
Pilot runs at 2D fab’s new premises show great result
GRAPHENE OFFERS LARGE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE BATTERIES
SIO Graphene recently cohosted “Graphene Battery Workshop” where research and industry within the graphene and battery sectors met to discuss what impact graphene can have on next generation batteries. One of the invited speakers was 2D fab's CEO Sven Forsberg.
The demand for energy production and storage increases as the global population grows. In order to reach the goal of a fossil-free society batteries and supercapacitors need to become more sustainable. Researches from around the world participated at “Graphene Battery Workshop” – arranged by SIO Graphene, Uppsala University and Battery 2030+ – to discuss graphene’s role in sustainable future batteries.
Matching graphene and silicon
There are a number of ways to apply graphene in batteries. For example, researchers at Chalmers are working with lithium-sulphur batteries, using a catholyte with the help of a graphene sponge. 2D fab’s approach on the other hand is to use graphene as a means to change the energy carries from graphite to silicon as anode material in lithium-ion batteries. This allows greater energy capacity possibilities since silicon can store more energy than graphite can.
– Silicon offers very low electrical conductivity. This, however, is not a problem since graphene has very high electrical conductivity, compensating for silicon’s deficiencies in this area, Sven Forsberg explained at Graphene Battery Workshop.
Another known problem with silicon in batteries is that silicon undergoes major volume changes during charging and discharging. Graphene is likely to be the solution to this as well, since its strong structures minimizes the effects of silicon’s expansion.
