Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Thomas Swan joins graphene development race

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Abstract:
The UK's leading manufacturer of high purity single-wall carbon nanotubes has announced a 4 year, Ł625K collaboration with the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) at Trinity College Dublin to develop a scalable manufacturing process for high purity graphene.

Thomas Swan joins graphene development race

Consett, UK, | Posted on April 4th, 2012

The 4 year collaboration with CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin, will focus on the industrial scale-up of consistent, high purity graphene production.

Graphene is the wonder material of modern science and was the focus of the Nobel Prize in 2010. It has unique properties and is both the strongest and most conductive material known to man. There are many potential applications for graphene including next generation electronic devices, mechanically strengthened plastics and new thermoelectric materials.

CRANN's research in the field of graphene production is led by Professor Jonathan Coleman, who was named as SFI Researcher of the Year in 2011 and is also recognised as one of the top 100 material scientists of the last decade. There is currently no method to produce high quality pure graphene on an industrial scale and the collaboration between CRANN and Thomas Swan aims to address this problem. CRANN has been identified by Thomas Swan as the leading academic research site globally for solution processing of graphene and the partner of choice around this challenging research area.
Thomas Swan, in addition to funding the research programme, will place an engineer to work with Professor Coleman's team for two years.

Commenting on the partnership, Harry Swan, Managing Director, Thomas Swan, said, "We are delighted to be working with CRANN and Trinity College Dublin on such an exciting project. Graphene is a fascinating material and our aim, as it was with carbon nanotubes, is to provide a stable and consistent source of true graphene to academia and industry as downstream research develops future commercial applications. CRANN and Professor Coleman's team at Trinity College Dublin were a clear choice as the centre of excellence for us to approach and I look forward to developing a scalable production route of true, high purity graphene. We are anticipating initial lab samples within the next few months and will invite interested parties to assess our material as soon as it is available."

Dr Diarmuid O'Brien, Executive Director of CRANN, added, "This collaborative research programme with Thomas Swan underlines the strength of our industry engagement programme, which is bringing significant non-exchequer funding into CRANN and research in Ireland. It clearly demonstrates how CRANN has become a global focus point for both academic and industrial partnership. This international success has been built on the back of continuous funding for research excellence from the Irish State through Science Foundation Ireland."

Professor Coleman added, "I am delighted with our partnership with Thomas Swan as it will lead to the commercialisation of my research and is a very fulfilling achievement after many years of work. This will ultimately result in the production of graphene on an industrial scale, which we believe can compete with silicon for use in electronics and can contribute to an explosion in the development of a range of new materials."

Graphene consists of a sheet of carbon atoms, just one atom thick or about one hundred-thousandth the width of one human hair. It is very strong and has excellent electrical conductivity which makes it a potential candidate for incorporation into a range of materials including thermoelectric devices, sensors and as a substitute for plastic in a range of products, from household goods to aeroplanes.

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About Thomas Swan & Co Ltd
Founded in the United Kingdom in 1926, Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. is a leading independent manufacturer of performance and speciality chemicals. The company manufactures over 100 products, from kilogramme to multi-tonne quantities, and offers an experienced and flexible custom manufacturing service. With offices in the USA and China and a global network of distributors, Thomas Swan exports to over 80 countries worldwide and is well placed to service the UK and international markets.

Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. was founded by ‘Tommy’ Swan at its present site in Consett, County Durham in the North East of England. From early beginnings as a road surfacing company, using the waste product (slag) from the local steel industry as a raw material, Thomas Swan has diversified into a wide range of performance chemical products and processes.

The development of a graphene manufacturing process is the latest venture for the company’s Advanced Materials Division which already manufactures industrial grades of single-wall carbon nanomaterials under the Elicarb® brand.

About CRANN:

The Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) is Trinity College Dublin’s largest research institute and a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) which partners with University College Cork. CRANN is focused on delivering world leading research and innovation – through extensive proactive collaborations with industry and through commercialisation of intellectual property. Since its foundation, CRANN has obtained €200M of competitive funding from Government, Industry, the European Union and Philanthropy. CRANN is comprised of a team of over 300 researchers, led by 20 Principal Investigators (PIs), each of whom is an internationally recognised expert in their field of research. It is interdisciplinary working in partnership with the Schools of Physics, Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Medicine and Engineering based at Trinity College Dublin as well as the School of Chemistry at University College Cork. CRANN is also co-host to CCAN, the Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology which facilitates industry collaboration to develop nano-enabled solutions for Irish-based companies.

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Contacts:
Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd.
Harry Swan
+44(0)1207 505 131

CRANN
Piaras Kelly/Grace Milton
Edelman
01 6789333
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