Graphene finds users in California

The IDTechEx Show! is back in Santa Clara, California, on November 18-19, 2015. For the fourth year running, IDTechEx Show! will include the leading commercialization-focused exhibition and conference on Graphene and 2D Materials. This is the event where companies unveil their latest technologies or launch their products, where technologists announce their latest commercially-relevant results, and where suppliers and end users from a variety of industries directly connect.

 

I have been following and analysing the graphene industry for many years, and have helped organize 7 international graphene conferences around the world, and yet I feel that this is the most exciting conference programme so far. I will describe our programme below and very much hope to see many of you at our conference.

 

Before delving into our conference details, please remember that our graphene event is co-located with seven other highly synergetic end user industries. This year we are expecting more than 3,000 attendees and some 200 exhibitors. This model has been successful in the past as testified by our attendee feedback

Graphene target markets have been diverging for many years since graphene finds a new use every day in some lab around the world. There is however some convergence happening now on the commercial side, and energy storage is emerging as a strong focus area. After all, batteries and supercapacitors are large consumers of advanced carbons, including carbon nanotubes.

 

 

The Graphene & 2D Material Event brings together companies doing the best work in this field. At our conference, you will hear from the likes of Cabot Corporation - the number one black carbon suppliers - on their graphene additive products aimed at Li ion batteries. You will hear from SiNode Systems, a young company working on their advanced Si-graphene composites aimed at Si anode batteries. This is interesting because graphene may help solve the big challenge of Si anode batteries: lifetime.

 

Lithium sulphur is another promising post-Li battery technology that also has a lifetime issue. Here too, graphene (or even graphene oxide) might help alleviate this challenge. This is why we will have the likes of Oxis Energy and Sion Power speak at our conference.

 

You will also hear from Thales - the $13billion defence company - on their exciting progress on graphene-based supercapacitors. Graphene may help narrow the energy density gap between supercaps and Li batteries although technical challenges remain.

 

 

You will also hear from IIT - a leading Italian institute carrying exciting commercially-focused research on the best graphene morphology for energy storage applications. This is important work because it will help shed light on what graphene type and production methods works best for what application.

Graphene is also finding a range of promising niche new applications. Again, our event will bring some of the most promising near-commercial work to you. At our conference, you will hear from G2O Water, a company that is using graphene oxide coatings as an anti-fouling layer to improve the performance of ultra-purification membranes. You will hear from the US Army on the use of graphene as chemical vapour sensors, which exploit the immense surface-to-volume ratio of graphene. You will hear from XG Sciences on thermal applications of graphene, an area where graphene has a distinct advantage over the likes of CNTs. You will also hear from Imagine Intelligence Materials on the use of graphene in sensing technical textiles. You will also hear from Vorbeck, a pioneer in this industry and one of the first to bring real products onto the market based on their conductive inks.

Dispersion is a major challenge with graphene. It was also a persistent challenge with CNTs, and in fact one that greatly slowed down CNT's commercial progress. This issue is already being addressed now, and at our conference you will hear from Haydale on its increasingly popular functionalisation process that is finding use in graphene and CNT dispersions. You will hear from NanXplore Inc on their progress in offering graphene-polymer composites and will also hear from an independent, unbiased leading research group from the University of Oklahoma on the challenge of dispersion.

Graphene can be produced using many ways, but now companies are getting serious about lowering production cost and/or improving graphene quality. These are perquisites for success because graphene stills only has a substitution go-to-market strategy. At our conference, you will hear the latest from Talga Resources who has aggressive scaling and pricing plans, hoping to make graphene affordable for more applications; you will hear from Perpetuus Carbon Technologies on their 100 tpa plasma production process and its control over graphene morphology; and you will hear from Garmor Inc, Nanocarbon, and Forest Products Laboratory on their novel production methods.

The graphene centre of gravity may move to far Asia, particularly China. Several Chinese firms have already been established with strong capital backing and ambitious production scales. China has already put great distance between herself and others in the patent competition. A notable company from China is The Sixth Element. You will hear on their latest progress on their 100 tpa plant and also their application pipeline. You will also hear from Nanjing JCNANO Technology on the general progress of the graphene industry in China.

 

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me on khasha@IDTechEx.com to learn more about our conference and our remaining exhibition opportunities (less than 2% of the exhibition floor is now available). Register by October 23 for a 15% attendee discount.

 

See you soon.