GO Synthesis & Graphene Synthesis
Future development and commercialization of graphene-based technologies will require a robust supply chain and Zentek is actively exploring opportunities to ensure it is well positioned for future growth.
Zentek and the University of Guelph (Guelph) have filed a provisional patent for a novel electrochemical exfoliation (ECE) process to produce graphene oxide (GO) from natural graphite. The company has also signed an exclusive global license agreement with Guelph for the intellectual property regarding the ECE process that has been developed by Prof. Aicheng Chen and his team. Zentek is also working closely with the Chen Team to optimize and scale-up the ECE process to produce GO.
This process was designed to be scalable, low cost, low energy, and environmentally friendly to produce high-quality, few-layer graphene oxide at Zentek’s Guelph facility. In addition, Zentek and the Chen Team, are developing a proprietary chemical method to produce GO. This novel method, which has been tested at bench scale, has several advantages over the current improved Hummers’ method as it uses significantly less chemical reagents and takes less time. Zentek is also currently exploring possible solutions to produce graphene from natural graphite and its Albany Deposit.