Graphene production

United Utilities has joined forces with climate tech company Levidian to demonstrate the potential of using biogas produced from wastewater to create hydrogen and graphene at its wastewater treatment works.

The trial is taking place at Manchester Bioresources Centre, part of Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works, where modern-day sewage treatment processes were initially developed back in 1914. Levidian’s LOOP device uses electromagnetic waves to split methane gas into hydrogen and carbon, capturing the carbon in solid form as graphene. The lower carbon blend gas is then fed into United Utilities’ onsite generator where it is burned to help power the site.

Researchers from Rice University and US Army Engineer Research and Development Center have developed an innovative solution to a pressing environmental challenge: removing and destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called “forever chemicals”. The team's method not only eliminates PFAS from water systems but also transforms waste into graphene

PFAS are synthetic compounds found in various consumer products, valued for their heat, water and oil resistance. However, their chemical stability has made them persistent in the environment, contaminating water supplies and posing significant health risks, including cancer and immune system disruptions. Traditional methods of PFAS disposal are costly, energy-intensive and often generate secondary pollutants, prompting the need for innovative solutions that are more efficient and environmentally friendly.

California-based turquoise hydrogen start-up Graphitic Energy has commissioned a pilot methane pyrolysis plant at the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in San Antonio, Texas. The plant is expected to convert natural gas into hydrogen and graphene through the end of 2025.

The plant will reportedly be able to produce “several hundred” kilograms of hydrogen and up to 1,000kg of graphene per day during 24/7 operations. The firm’s process operates at less than 800ºC and uses a fluidized bed to improve heat transfer and limit the size of the reactor. The company said the technology can be “sited anywhere natural gas or LNG are available, without the need to source renewable electricity or perform geological CO2 sequestration”. It claims that the process can scale to produce 100,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year in a single process train.

Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, University of New South Wales and University of Milan have a reported a reproducible and scalable method for producing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets from commercial carbon fibers. The process involves exfoliating carbon fibers with nitric acid, which reportedly provides high yields of one-atom-thick sheets of graphene oxide with characteristics comparable to commercial GO sourced from mined graphite.

The GO production process, from commercial carbon fibers to graphene sheets. Image from: Small

The team explained that the proof of concept was carried out with carbon fibers derived from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a widely available polymer that undergoes high-temperature oxidation and graphitization. The method could be duplicated with other raw sources, such as raw sources such as biomass or forest industry sidestreams.

Researchers from Graz University of Technology, University of Florence,  Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna have demonstrated an innovative process that enables certain common dyes - found in standard marker pens - to be converted into laser-induced graphene (LIG).

The study focused on Eosin Y, a widely used xanthene dye, which exhibited excellent stability and structural properties ideal for laser conversion. While most existing LIG production relies on polymer precursors such as polyimide, this research shows that non-polymeric materials like dyes and inks can also serve as effective precursors. 

UK-based Levidian is considering using flare gas from a UAE natural gas firm’s field operations to produce graphene and hydrogen. Dana Gas has revealed it had made an undisclosed investment into the British tech firm and had been working to deploy its LOOP technology across its field operations.

The LOOP technology uses electromagnetic waves to ionize methane into plasma to separate hydrogen and carbon in the form of graphene. It turns out that since September, the two companies have been finalizing the engineering and design of a pilot plant that could be deployed into Dana Gas’ operations later this year.

ADNOC Gas and Baker Hughes have installed Levidian’s LOOP technology at the Habshan Gas Processing Plant. The Gulf operator claims it marks the first-ever deployment of the technology at an operational gas processing site.

Carbon will be captured from methane, the main constituent of natural gas, and transformed into graphene, as part of a pilot trial. The LOOP unit is capable of producing more than 1 tonne per annum (tpa) of graphene and 1 tpa of hydrogen, making it a dual-purpose innovation aligned with global energy transition goals. Future industrial-scale installations are expected to deliver 15 tpa.

The Advanced Carbons Company (TACC), a wholly owned subsidiary of HEG, has entered into a Non-Binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ceylon Graphene Technologies (CGT) with regard to advancing graphene technology and unlocking its vast potential for diverse applications.

CGT, a LOLC company based in Sri Lanka, is a global expert in graphene production. Leveraging Sri Lanka's premium vein graphite, renowned for its purity and backed by its expertise in material science, CGT aims to be at the forefront of delivering innovative and high-quality graphene products. TACC, part of the LNJ Bhilwara Group, is known for its expertise in synthetic graphite and commitment to sustainable, green technologies. 

Researchers from Khalifa University of Science and Technology have demonstrated the production of few-layered graphene sheets with high lateral sizes (4–5 μm) through a state-of-the-art solar irradiation-driven liquid-phase exfoliation technique.

In this method, the sunlight is directly used on the intercalated graphite flakes for just 0.5 s to achieve the graphite expansion. Using focused sunlight makes this solar expansion technique sustainable with zero energy demand (0 J) - the total energy spent to produce 1 kg of graphene through this technique is only around 2.135 MJ. 

Israeli-based 2D Generation (2DG), which specializes in graphene-based solutions for semiconductors, has been acquired by ASX-listed Adisyn (ASX:AI1), a provider of tech services for SMEs in the Australian defense sector that has expanded its focus to the semiconductor industry through this acquisition.

Adisyn is also one of the founders of Connecting Chips European Union Joint Undertaking, a collaboration that includes industry leaders like NVIDIA, Valeo, and Applied Materials. This acquisition not only brings Adisyn cutting-edge technology, but potentially opens the door for the company to enter the semiconductor space.