Despite being initially considered one material, graphene is actually a family of carbon-based materials, similar to other carbon forms like diamond and graphite that possess distinct characteristics.
Graphene’s characteristics can be changed and manipulated as the number of layers increases, crystal structure and arrangement are altered, doping agents are added, and different substrates are utilized.
By adjusting or manipulating the graphene, it is possible to accentuate specific properties and combine it with other materials to produce a diverse range of materials, some of which may or may not be classified as “graphene”.
Graphene and nanotubes are the forms in which carbon exists at the nanoscale, while at the microscale, carbon can comprise of non-crystalline structures, termed amorphous carbon materials.
General Graphene Corporation has developed a unique method using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD), which allows for the growth of graphene and related carbon materials on different substrates, at both the nano and microscale.
Additionally, the company has observed that the carbon growth produced through this process at the microscale is more akin to a pyrolytic carbon film deposition, with thickness ranging from around 50 nm to 5µm.
These films exhibit graphitic behavior and have a unique set of properties:
- Opaque
- Resistance as low as 5Ω/sq
- Robust and abrasion resistant
- Uniform, conformal coating
- Stable at high temperatures (1,000 °C in an inert environment)
- Uniform, isotropic heat distribution
Conventional chemical vapor deposition techniques restrict the growth of graphene to certain metallic films that can function as a catalyst to split or crack the carbon source. In contrast, our modified chemical vapor deposition process allows for pyrolytic carbon films to be directly deposited onto a range of high-temperature compatible substrates, rather than being limited to a select group of catalysts.
Some potential applications of these pyrolytic carbon films include:
- Heat spreaders
- Heating elements
- Inert biocompatible coating
- X-Ray detection windows
Facilitating Progress through Innovation
General Graphene is of the opinion that graphene possesses similar enabling properties as a material (it is worth noting that carbon and silicon are neighboring elements on the periodic table).
Graphene possesses the capability to not only enhance present-day products and technologies but also facilitate the development of future products and technologies. Consequently, General Graphene’s main emphasis has always been narrow in scope: to fully leverage graphene’s potential, it is necessary to mass-produce it cost-effectively while maintaining consistent and reproducible quality.
Having accomplished that, General Graphene is now ready to spearhead the graphene revolution – with the ability to supply graphene in bulk quantities, at a uniform and reproducible quality, and at significantly lower prices than those offered by other players in the graphene industry.
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Originally posted on AZO Nano, an AZONetwork site. See the original article page here.