Special Report: A worldwide licensing agreement with the University of Manchester will see First Graphene develop graphene-hybrid materials for energy storage purposes.

Advanced materials producer First Graphene (ASX:FGR) told the market this morning it would develop patented technology for the manufacture of metal oxide-decorated graphene materials using a proprietary electrochemical process. 

These new graphene-hybrid materials offer the makers of supercapacitors a new class of high-performance capacitor materials. 

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Supercapacitors offer high power-density energy storage, with the possibility of multiple charge and discharge cycles and shortened charging times, and the market is estimated to hit $3.1 billion by 2022, growing at 20 per cent per year.

The current supercapacitor market is hamstrung by the supply of high-performing materials, with the lead material today being microporous carbon nanomaterials with typical gravimetric capacitance of 50 to 150 Farads/g.

This is where First Graphene and the University of Manchester come in. FGR is a Tier 1 partner at the university’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC). 

Research conducted there shows that very high capacitance materials of up to 500 Farads/g are now possible.

These materials can be manufactured at commercial scale using First Graphene’s expertise in electrochemical materials processing. 

As the materials are grown in-situ through electrochemical processing, they have significant advantages over previous solutions that employed simple mixing of graphene and metal oxide materials. 

“This investment is a direct result of our presence at the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre and emphasises the importance of effective external relationships with university research partners,” Andy Goodwin, First Graphene CTO, said.

“The program is also well aligned with UK government grand challenges and we will pursue further support for the development of this business within the UK.”

James Baker, chief of Graphene@Manchester, said the partnership had the potential to be a game changer for supercapacitors.

“We are really pleased with this further development of our partnership with First Graphene. 

“The University’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre is playing a key role in supporting the acceleration of graphene products and applications through the development of a critical supply chain of material supply and in the development of applications for industry. 

“This latest announcement marks a significant step in our Graphene City developments, which looks to create a unique innovation ecosystem here in the Manchester city-region – the home of graphene.” 

 

This story was developed in collaboration with First Graphene, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.