University of Adelaide receives funding to develop graphene-based advanced materials Tuesday, 10 May 2016

The University of Adelaide has been awarded $2.6 million in federal funding to develop graphene-based advanced materials that are expected to benefit a range of industries.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon. It is the the thinnest, strongest and lightest material currently known. 100 times stronger than the strongest steel, graphene also has the highest surface area — the surface area on one gram of graphene is equivalent to the size of a football oval. It is stretchable, flexible, and thus far appears to be non-toxic for medical use.

Graphene is also very electrically conductive, and has unrivalled thermal properties, giving it great potential for use in electronics and energy storage.

With the $2.6 million in federal funding, the university will establish the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Graphene Enabled Industry Transformation.

An additional $2.6 million will fund eight industry and government-linked projects, giving the University of Adelaide a total funding of almost $5.3 million for graphene-related research and development.

In approving the funding, the Australian Research Council acknowledged the importance that advanced materials, particularly graphene, play in maintaining competitive advantages for industrial transformational progress, and thus high-margin advanced industries.

Professor Dusan Losic, Director of the new ARC Research Hub says graphene has the potential to change the industrial world.

"Our new national research hub will develop advanced materials, provide fit-for-purpose products and innovative solutions to a range of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, mining and minerals technology and services, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, and defence,” Professor Losic explained.

Besides engaging in research and development of advanced graphene-based materials, the new research centre will aim to support Australian businesses who wish to embrace cutting-edge innovation and high-return technologies, and leverage national and international investments to overcome fundamental scientific barriers, and develop fit-for-purpose graphene products with and for its industry partners .

While the University of Adelaide will lead the new ARC Research Hub for Graphene Enabled Industry Transformation, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of South Australia are also collaborative partners in the program.

The Graphene Research Hub will also have other national and international collaborators from Australia, China, the USA, UK, France, and Spain, including Archer Exploration; Mount Sylvia Diatomite; Ziltek; Qingdao Huagao Energy Technology; Ionic Industries; Defence Science And Technology Organisation; and Tata Steel. Relevant industries include mining and minerals, steel manufacturing, defence and nanotechnology.

You might also like:

Graphene solar panels work rain or shine

How to print metal in mid-air

Glow-in-the-dark cement could illuminate dark highways

Smart textiles change colour on demand