The University of Manchester and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have announced an agreement to speed up the commercialization of graphene and move the material into practical applications.
Under this agreement, both organizations will jointly develop graphene metrology, which is critical for the widespread adoption of graphene, with an aim to set up a Joint Centre of Excellence. The outcome of this landmark partnership will place the UK at the forefront of graphene standards.
By working with academics...companies can be confident in approaching graphene applications with the best possible understanding through comprehensive standards, characterisation and testing.
James Baker
Business Director, National Graphene Institute
The deal was inked at Graphene & 2-D Materials Conference - a two-day event hosted by NPL day event and which aims to explore the viability of transferring material from the research environment to practical applications. In addition, leading organizations such as the US Naval Research Laboratory, Nokia and IBM will be delivering keynote presentations at the event.
Graphene has a unique combination of properties, which make it suitable for a range of applications such as flexible electronics, optoelectronics, energy storage, bioelectric devices, and ultrafiltration.
The National Graphene Institute's facility in Manchester, expected to be completed in early 2015.
Although graphene has been used for some time, no specific standardization exists that could validate the properties and quality of this material. As a result, graphene has not been utilized to its full potential. However, drafting such international standardization is a long process and could take a number of years.
To this end, The University of Manchester and NPL are planning to close this gap in standardization and speed up the development of graphene-enabled technology by leveraging the material’s metrology and characterization and ultimately create it in a repeatable and consistent way.
James Baker, Business Director at the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester said:
"With this new partnership, The University of Manchester and NPL are showing joint determination to lead the way in graphene applications. Industry leaders need to be confident in the material they are dealing with. By working with academics at the University of Manchester and at the National Graphene Institute, companies can be confident in approaching graphene applications with the best possible understanding through comprehensive standards, characterisation and testing.”