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BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Is Graphene Green? This question comes up an increasing amount. Green drivers and ESG investments are an obvious focus across the supply chain, but where does graphene fit into this discussion? IDTechEx explore the answer below.
The short answer – no
As assessed in IDTechEx’s latest report, “Graphene Market & 2D Materials Assessment 2023-2033“, the capacity for graphene easily exceeds 12,000 tpa. Nearly all of this comes from a graphite feedstock and uses a top-down approach, with liquid phase exfoliation and oxidation-reduction being dominant. Each process will have a different impact, given the energy efficiency, water requirements, and chemicals used, but given the feedstock and general approach, IDTechEx do not think it is possible to call graphene a “green material”.
The long answer – no, but…
Despite the above, there are several arguments to be made for graphene’s green credentials.
- A lower footprint and lower loading than incumbent additives. This has been claimed by some companies, in which they state that against their petrochemical counterparts, such as carbon black, they have a lower CO2 footprint per tonne, and the higher performance results in lower loading.
- Can alternative feedstocks be used? This is a growing trend with several companies emerging to utilize waste, by-products, or renewable materials, and in several cases, coupling this with hydrogen production. Most of these are at an early stage in their commercial journey and will face challenges with the business model and product consistency, but it…
Full story available on Benzinga.com
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