Graphene thermal conductivity - introduction and latest news
Graphene thermal conductivity
Thermal transport in graphene is a thriving area of research, thanks to graphene's extraordinary heat conductivity properties and its potential for use in thermal management applications.
The measured thermal conductivity of graphene is in the range 3000 - 5000 W/mK at room temperature, an exceptional figure compared with the thermal conductivity of pyrolytic graphite of approximately 2000 W/mK at room temperature. There are, however, other researches that estimate that this number is exaggerated, and that the in-plane thermal conductivity of graphene at room temperature is about 2000-4000 W/mK for freely suspended samples. This number is still among the highest of any known material.
Graphene is considered an excellent heat conductor, and several studies have found it to have unlimited potential for heat conduction based on the size of the sample, contradicting the law of thermal conduction (Fourier's law) in the micrometer scale. In both computer simulations and experiments, the researchers found that the larger the segment of graphene, the more heat it could transfer. Theoretically, graphene could absorb an unlimited amount of heat.
The thermal conductivity increases logarithmically, and researchers believe that this might be due to the stable bonding pattern as well as being a 2D material. As graphene is considerably more resistant to tearing than steel and is also lightweight and flexible, its conductivity could have some attractive real-world applications.
But what exactly is thermal conductivity?
Heat conduction (or thermal conduction) is the movement of heat from one object to another, that has a different temperature, through physical contact. Heat can be transferred in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation. Heat conduction is very common and can easily be found in our everyday activities - like warming a person,s hand on a hot-water bottle, and more. Heat flows from the object with the higher temperature to the colder one.
Thermal transfer takes place at the molecular level, when heat energy is absorbed by a surface and causes microscopic collisions of particles and movement of electrons within that body. In the process, they collide with each other and transfer the energy to their neighbor, a process that will go on as long as heat is being added.
The process of heat conduction mainly depends on the temperature gradient (the temperature difference between the bodies), the path length and the properties of the materials involved. Not all substances are good heat conductors - metals, for example, are considered good conductors as they quickly transfer heat, but materials like wood or paper are viewed as poor conductors of heat. Materials that are poor conductors of heat are referred to as insulators.
How can graphene,s exciting thermal conduction properties be put to use?
Some of the potential applications for graphene-enabled thermal management include electronics, which could greatly benefit from graphene's ability to dissipate heat and optimize electronic function. In micro- and nano-electronics, heat is often a limiting factor for smaller and more efficient components. Therefore, graphene and similar materials with exceptional thermal conductivity may hold an enormous potential for this kind of applications.
Graphene's heat conductivity can be used in many ways, including thermal interface materials (TIM), heat spreaders, thermal greases (thin layers usually between a heat source such as a microprocessor and a heat sink), graphene-based nanocomposites, and more.
Hollow graphene aerogel fibers mimicking polar bear fur enable improved thermal management and wearable electronics
Researchers from Lanzhou University, University of Science and Technology Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a new class of hollow graphene aerogel fibers (GAFs) inspired by the ultra-efficient thermal insulation of polar bear hair. By translating nature’s design into a scalable, coaxial-extrusion-spinning process, the team achieved a multifunctional fiber that sets records for both electrical conductivity and thermal insulation, paving the way for next-generation smart textiles.
Each fiber features a hierarchically porous, hollow structure, closely mimicking the air-trapping tubes of polar bear fur. During fabrication, graphene oxide (GO) nanoplates in the outer spinning channel self-assemble under shear stress into an arch-like microstructure, while a removable core material shapes the central cavity. After a hydrothermal reduction and high-temperature annealing - up to 2000 °C - the resulting structure combines low density with tunable electro-thermo-mechanical properties.
Perpetuus reports positive outcomes of GNPs-enhanced cooling fluid test
UK-based Perpetuus Advanced Materials has reported a reduction in operating temperature using low loadings of plasma treated, surface engineered graphene nanoplatelets (SE-GNPs) homogeneously dispersed into a standard propylene glycol water cooling fluid.
In a series of controlled laboratory experiments, the addition of 0.1% SE-GNPs (functionalized with oxygen groups) to a 25% propylene glycol, 75% water solution produced a consistent temperature reduction of approximately 6°C compared with the base fluid alone. The results were repeatable across multiple test runs. The experiments were conducted in a static test configuration designed to isolate material behavior and confirm result consistency. Further validation under forced flow conditions and application specific cooling geometries is currently underway.
QUT researchers secure funding to turn waste into graphene cooling materials
The Australian Economic Accelerator Ignite program has granted funding to seven Queensland University of Technology (QUT) research teams, totaling in more than AU$2.7 million (around US$1.9 million). The projects are part of a AU$725 million national investment to fast-track high-impact research with strong potential for real-world application.
One of these projects, led by Dr. Zengji Yue from the QUT School of Chemistry and Physics, brings together several QUT researchers with industry partners Elumina Global and Auziq. The research aims to develop a new way of making graphene heat-dissipating materials for batteries and electronic devices, using waste materials such as leaves, grass, wood, sawdust, and even food waste.
Graphene-enhanced wallpaper trial launched in Fareham military homes
VIVO Defence Services, which provides maintenance services on behalf of the MOD’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation to more than 27,000 military homes in southeast and southwest England, is conducting data-monitored testing at two military housing sites in Fareham, Hampshire, over the next six months. If successful, the technology, developed by British company NexGen Heating, could be rolled out across additional homes managed by VIVO across the region.
The technology uses electric graphene heated paper - a toughened white wallpaper that can be attached to walls or ceilings. In this trial, it is being installed on the ceilings of the two Fareham homes. The graphene paper can be painted over, and uses an energy-efficient, low-voltage system that emits low-temperature far-infrared waves of directional, radiant heat, replicating the comfortable warmth of sunlight. This enables it to warm up objects and people rapidly - in just a few minutes - rather gradually heating the air as traditional radiators or wall-mounted heaters do. As a result, families only need to heat the spaces they are using, helping to reduce energy costs.
Kivoro and Graphite India Limited enter exclusive partnership to commercialize graphene-based heat transfer additives in India
Graphite India Limited (“GIL”), one of India’s oldest and largest graphite materials companies, and Kivoro, a corporate spin-off of Graphenea and an innovator in graphene-based industrial additives, signed an Exclusive Distribution and Commercial Partnership Agreement to bring Kivoro’s graphene-based Heat Transfer Additive (HTA) technology to the Indian corrugated paperboard industry.
Under the agreement, GIL becomes the exclusive distributor of Kivoro’s Heat Transfer Additive across the Republic of India, focusing on deployment within the corrugated paperboard sector - a fast-growing, efficiency-driven industry where thermal performance improvements can significantly reduce energy consumption and costs.
Haydale reports accelerating commercial momentum
Recent reports suggest that Haydale Graphene is accelerating commercial momentum as it moves closer to full-scale product roll-out, highlighting new distribution arrangements and its first orders in the United States.
Haydale reportedly a distribution agreement with Interfloor, Europe’s largest underlay manufacturer, enabling the commercial launch of a new integrated flooring range incorporating Haydale’s JustHeat heating system ahead of its previously guided timetable in the first half of 2026. Under the agreement, Interfloor would gain non-exclusive rights to distribute JustHeat as part of its new flooring portfolio and will act exclusively with Haydale as its heating technology partner. In turn, Haydale will source all underlay for its own installations from Interfloor, which would also become the recommended supplier to Haydale’s expanding network of third-party channels.
Haydale launches graphene heat-transfer fluid
Haydale Graphene Industries has announced the launch of a graphene-enhanced heat-transfer fluid - the second key pillar in the Company's long-term commercialization strategy.
The patented graphene-enhanced fluid extends Haydale's HDPlas® plasma-functionalization technology into the multi-billion-pound global cooling and thermal-management market, directly addressing one of the most critical physical constraints on modern computing and digital-infrastructure growth: heat dissipation.
Haydale and Affordable Warmth Solutions launch winter heating program
Haydale has announced it has entered into two new contracts with Affordable Warmth Solutions ("AWS"), the community interest company established by National Grid to reduce fuel poverty and improve energy outcomes for vulnerable households.
The contracts - one funding the purchase for winter roll-out of Haydale's JustHeat system to vulnerable households and another supporting a grid stability trial - have a total value of approximately £450,0001 over the next five months.
Multilayer graphene tape delivers efficient cooling and electrical insulation in compact devices
Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai Electric Power Generation Equipment have developed a multilayer graphene-based thermally conductive and electrically insulating tape (MTCEIT) that achieves a combination of lateral heat spreading capability and dielectric integrity for compact, high-power electronic systems.
The continuous miniaturization of integrated devices, accompanied by exponentially increasing power densities, imposes stringent requirements on thermal interface materials (TIMs) that must efficiently dissipate heat while providing strong electrical insulation within submillimeter thickness constraints. Conventional polymer composites and ceramic-filled films struggle to meet these competing demands, typically exhibiting in-plane thermal conductivities below 70 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ once their thickness exceeds 200 µm. To overcome this limitation, the MTCEIT integrates graphene paper - a stacked and compressed assembly of two-dimensional graphene sheets - as a high-efficiency lateral heat spreading layer.
Senergy launches new products enhanced with First Graphene's PureGRAPH materials
It was reported that Ireland-based Senergy recently released a range of products including on-roof solar thermal, integrated solar thermal and automotive technologies making use of First Graphene’s PureGRAPH materials. According to a recent statement by First Graphene, Senergy’s polymer heat exchange materials incorporate PureGRAPH.
First Graphene CEO Michael Bell said Senergy’s commercialization of several new material technologies represented “another demonstration of how our product can be used to improve performance across a range of applications. While the Senergy’s orderbook for PureGRAPH is not yet significant, their aspiration to rollout solar thermal technology to 250,000 homes means demand is set to lift.”
