Member Article

University of Manchester to host commercial graphene workshops

The University of Manchester’s £61million National Graphene Institute will open its doors to some of the world’s leading companies next year to discuss the commercial opportunities presented by the material’s applications.

Graphene is pure carbon in the form of a very thin, almost transparent sheet, one atom thick. A hundred times stronger than steel for its weight, it is also a highly efficient conductor of heat and electricity - and because it is virtually two-dimensional it interacts in unusual ways with light and with other materials.

To coincide with Graphene Week 2015, the world’s largest academic research conference being hosted at the university, a series of graphene industry workshops will provide a commercial perspective of the material’s vast potential.

Organised by The University of Manchester and taking place from June 22 – 25, a series of talks will provide an introduction to graphene and other 2D materials.

The event will also be one of the first opportunities to see the world-class £61million National Graphene Institute which will be one of the biggest graphene research hubs in the world with industry working side-by-side with academics in Manchester.

A total of 120 people per-day will be able to engage with leading researchers and academics carrying out ground-breaking research in applications including composites and coatings, membranes, sensors, electronics, biomedical and energy.

James Baker, Business Director for the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester said: “Hosting Graphene Week 2015 is a fantastic opportunity for the academic world to gather in the home of graphene.

“These industrial workshops held alongside will allow world leading companies to experience the breadth of infrastructure here at the university and focus on the commercialisation of graphene applications.”

Each of the four days will have a different focus. As well as commercialisation progress, other areas that will be discussed in detail include; potential applications, the challenges of supply and scale-up and end-user requirements.

One of the other key areas which will also be revealed is the development of stringent standards and characterisation of graphene by The University of Manchester in association with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .