Achieving the strongest, thinnest, and most conductive graphene would require manufacturers to grow a perfect single layer, which can be tricky. IDTechEx’s portfolio of advanced materials and critical minerals reports, including Graphene Market & 2D Materials Assessment and Carbon Nanotubes, dives into some of the most lucrative and feasible applications for carbon allotropes, including reinforced polymers and concrete from graphene, and carbon nanotubes in Li-ion batteries.
Hype vs reality for graphene applications
While thin, rollable screens might represent some of the hype within the graphene market, most electronic applications will prove difficult to achieve due to the particular superlative qualities of graphene necessary for such uses. Perfect, single-layer graphene in larger quantities than is currently feasible is necessary for electronic applications such as this, and once graphene layers become stacked, its sought-after qualities of strength and design flexibility begin to diminish.
Growing graphene, which can be described as carbon atoms arranged in a lattice structure, requires a gas deposit and a copper substrate, though difficulties arise when trying to relocate the final product. This means that most final products grown may end up becoming destroyed in some way, with only small areas or a few centimeters of single-layer graphene having been created, which in the current market is still in itself a notable achievement.
Polymer additives and graphene-enhanced concrete
Two of graphene’s main applications that require lower-grade materials include polymer additives and concrete, which may be more achievable applications than that of consumer electronics and are both high-volume markets, which is where the success for graphene in these fields has been derived.
Graphene can be used as an additive in a number of materials to improve electrical, thermal, or mechanical performance, making it a more favorable option than alternatives due to its unique qualities. Industries will, therefore, be able to use graphene to achieve higher performance levels with fewer additives. Graphene can also improve wear resistance and increase the lifetimes of certain industrial applications. It is also a more sustainable additive than carbon black, for example, as graphene is not derived from petrochemical feedstocks and can be considered green.
Concrete manufacturing companies are facing pressures to lower their carbon footprints, and IDTechEx reports that small amounts of graphene could have significant benefits in helping achieve this by strengthening the concrete and, therefore, increasing sustainability. One of the first commercially available graphene-enhanced construction materials appeared on the market in 2022, and companies have continued to release similar products, as outlined in IDTechEx’s report.
Carbon nanotubes and Li-ion batteries
Carbon nanotubes are another type of carbon allotrope with the same chemical formula as graphene but a different visible structure. They can be single-wall or multi-wall and can be used as a conductive additive in Li-ion batteries, with this application showing the way forward. Due to their well-suited function in this area, carbon nanotubes can be described as being a few years further ahead in commercialization than graphene applications due to their growth off the back of battery demand and the production that has followed from large players within the industry.
IDTechEx explores multiple applications for graphene within the wider market, alongside other carbon allotropes that have their own unique qualities in their report, “Graphene Market & 2D Materials Assessment 2024-2034: Technologies, Markets, Players”. In their other related report, “Carbon Nanotubes 2023-2033: Market, Technology & Players”, the wider scope of possibilities for carbon nanotube applications are unpacked, alongside forecasts for their uptake and future developments.
For the full portfolio of advanced materials market research available from IDTechEx, please see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/AM. Downloadable sample pages are available for all IDTechEx reports.
