Being a very fine powder, the unrivalled properties of graphene have always been hindered by its handleability, especially for large scale industrial use. A new and exciting patent-pending technology from Stepan could soon make this problem a thing of the past by enabling the easy introduction of graphene into many application areas.
The breakthrough discovery, which includes a simple, cost-effective and scalable processing method, presents aqueous liquids, of less than 2000 cP viscosity, containing two components mixed together to induce a structuring effect throughout the medium. Upon introduction of the pure graphene powder, the graphene particles appear to be encapsulated and suspended evenly throughout the liquid. Early testing has indicated that suspensions of up to 20% by weight of pure graphene can be formed, with stability of up to three months for some systems. This can pave the way for the introduction of graphene into systems and application areas that would have otherwise been too complex.
The nature of the technology permits the formation of many different compositions of the aqueous structured liquids, meaning bespoke products can potentially be produced for specific applications. By replacing solid graphene with graphene in liquid form, the door can be opened to a whole plethora of different applications, thus allowing the true power of graphene to be fully unlocked.
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