GNPs

US-based Avadain has developed a novel graphene type, which it brands as Large, Thin, Defect-Free (LTDF) graphene, which is meant to position graphene around high value applications, including three strategic use cases: reducing dependence on foreign-sourced critical minerals, strengthening rare-earth-free iron nitride (Fe₂₁₆N₂) permanent magnets, and improving heat dissipation in high-power electronics.

LTDF graphene, SEM image

Why LTDF graphene's physics are different

Avadain says that graphene's performance ceiling is set by three parameters acting together: flake size, layer count and defect density. Most commercial graphene falls short on at least one of these, which is why products marketed as "graphene" often behave more like graphite or amorphous carbon in practice.

Large Surface Area: Every flake boundary acts as a scattering point for electrons, phonons and mechanical load, so larger, continuous flakes translate into fewer interruptions and performance closer to graphene's intrinsic limits. Graphene nanoparticles sit at the opposite end of that spectrum: Avadain says its LTDF flakes run in the 25-100+ µm² range, roughly five orders of magnitude larger than the sub-micron nanoparticles sold by many graphene producers, which tend to clump and form discontinuous conductive pathways.

Black Swan Graphene has announced the completion of a production capacity expansion at its facility located in Consett, United Kingdom. As a result of the expansion, originally outlined on June 3, 2025, the Company’s production capacity has more than tripled. The new large-scale production unit, centered on a recently acquired 3160 Ariete System manufactured by GEA Group AG (“GEA”), has completed calibration and commissioning, enabling continuous operation.

This milestone represents Black Swan’s fourth and largest scale-up and further solidifies the Company’s position as a leading industrial-scale manufacturer of high-quality Graphene Nanoplatelets (“GNP”). The installation of this 3160 Ariete System represents the culmination of 12 years of strategic collaboration with GEA, as this advanced industrial homogenizer has been specifically customized for Black Swan’s proprietary High-Shear Liquid-Phase Exfoliation Process. The Company now offers a fully integrated, in-house development and production platform.

Levidian, a UK-based advanced materials company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with J.O., a global carbon nanotube (CNT) mass production company, for graphene research, development, and production. 

Through this agreement, J.O. will expand its graphene business based on its CNT mass production technology, marking a full-scale entry into the next-generation advanced materials market. Levidian possesses modular LOOP technology that simultaneously produces graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and clean hydrogen by decomposing methane. This technology uses no catalysts or water, operates under low-temperature and low-pressure conditions, and produces graphene using a bottom-up synthesis method using methane as a raw material, ensuring consistent quality. 

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.

Researchers from China's Northeastern University, Shenyang Jusheng New Material Technology, Key Laboratory of Medical Image Computing, Shenyang Aerospace University and Australia's University of New South Wales have developed a polyurea-based nanocomposite spray sensing coating reinforced with covalently functionalized graphene nanoplatelets, offering a scalable solution for structural health monitoring in demanding environments.

Preparation and Main Properties of Graphene NanoPlatelet-functionalized Polyurea Coatings.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) in harsh and complex conditions remains challenging, as conventional sensors often lack conformability, mechanical durability, and long-term stability. In their recent study, the team outlines a new approach - a spray-applied polyurea nanocomposite sensing coating that integrates functionalized graphene nanoplatelets to combine robust mechanical performance with reliable, real-time damage and strain monitoring for infrastructure and automotive structures.

Researchers from Monash University and the University of Melbourne have developed a solvent-free, one-pot mechanochemical process that produces nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets (N-GNPs) using glycine, a naturally occurring amino acid, as the nitrogen source. This process combines graphite, glycine, and potassium hydroxide in a planetary ball mill, where glycine enables simultaneous exfoliation and nitrogen incorporation at ambient temperature and pressure, requiring no harsh post-treatment.

This addresses known challenges standing before the successful development of processable, high-performance graphene-based materials. Traditional methods for nitrogen doping - such as high-temperature chemical vapor deposition or toxic wet-chemical reduction - often compromise environmental safety or electrical performance. The new mechanochemical route achieves both: high yield (∼80%) and strong electrical conductivity (roughly 30% that of pristine graphite) paired with long-term colloidal stability across diverse solvents.

Perpetuus Advanced Materials has introduced an amine functionalized graphene material as a potential replacement for 6PPD (6-para-phenylene-diamine) antioxidants in tires. Using plasma-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), Perpetuus claims the masterbatches can entirely replace 6PPD in rubber formulations, thereby preventing the formation of harmful 6PPDQ by-products.

The masterbatch covers over 90% of the dry-mix ingredients used in tire production, replacing several process oils and additives, improving workplace air quality while keeping mixing simple, said the UK company.

Argo Living Soils has announced that, following its May 5, 2025 news release regarding the research and development ("R&D") agreement with Graphene Leaders Canada Inc. ("GLC"), Argo is now in discussions to expand its R&D agreement to include the development of graphene-infused asphalt solutions. 

The expanded agreement will leverage GLC's advanced graphene nanoplatelet ("GNP") dispersion capabilities alongside Argo's expertise in sustainable technology to explore the potential of graphene-infused asphalt for infrastructure applications. The focus will be on research and development to design and test graphene GNP formulations for asphalt, with independent testing planned to assess performance. 

Argo Living Soils (now Argo Graphene) has announced it has entered into a research and development (R&D) agreement with Graphene Leaders Canada (GLC), an Alberta-based company specializing in high-quality dispersions of graphene and carbon nanomaterials, to develop a graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) additive for ready-mix concrete. 

This collaboration, formalized through a Phase 1 project proposal, marks a significant step in Argo's expansion into the green concrete market through its subsidiary, Argo Green Concrete Solutions Inc., leveraging bio-graphene technology to create stronger, more sustainable concrete products.

Gerdau Graphene has launched “NanoCONS,” a new line of graphene admixture solutions designed for the construction industry, meant to enable concrete producers to leverage the physical properties of graphene to improve the mechanical performance of their concrete products. 

The integration of NanoCONS into cementitious materials may also reduce carbon emissions associated with concrete production: according to recent research on graphene-enhanced concrete, reducing cement content can lower concrete manufacturing-related emissions by up to 20%. NanoCONS can help reduce cement consumption without any loss of concrete performance, thereby contributing to more sustainable concrete production.