Super-elastic graphene oxide foams

 

1 Minute read

Partner with us to accelerate the development of graphene oxide foams, through licensing or direct investment. Graphene oxide foams offer commercial appeal as a potential alternative to graphene.

The technology

Highly porous graphene oxide foams are produced using a new fabrication method. They can sustain loads more than 50,000 times their own weight, over 1000 loading cycles. This facilitates their broad commercial application.

Market need

Graphene is a tough, flexible and light material that conducts heat and light. It can be used for conductors, composites, sensors, coatings and catalysts.

Manufacturing processes cannot mass-produce graphene materials in an efficient and cost-effective way. This means that the commercial adoption of graphene is limited.

Graphene oxide has lower manufacturing costs, and higher stability and functionality. This makes graphene oxide a potential alternative to graphene. However, there is a need to address the brittleness of graphene oxide materials.

Technology status

University of Melbourne researchers have completed proof-of-concept studies of graphene oxide foams. These studies show improved physical properties of graphene oxide foams compared to graphene oxide. The foams are flexible and ultra-light. They also have high sensitivity to pressures applied over a broad range of frequencies.

The University is looking for a partner to exploit these properties. Possible uses include medical sensors, separation membranes, and for bioengineering applications.

The University has filed a patent application. The application details the composition and structure of the graphene oxide foams, and the method to produce them.

Graphene oxide foams flyer (PDF 282.8 KB)

Contact
Shereen Tan
Email
tan.s@unimelb.edu.au
Phone
+61 3 8344 2538

First published on 24 July 2020.


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