Above: Metalysis’ single monolayer Graphene platelet, courtesy of the University of Sheffield.
 
Single layer (monolayer) sheets of Graphene have been synthesised at the Company’s industrial processing facilities in the Dearne Valley, as well as bilayer and low multi-layer amalgamations. A collective of scientists continues to focus on differentiating and separating the single atom width, highly lucrative sheets. This comprises research teams from the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, the University of Kent and Camborne School of Mines. Metalysis filed for its Graphene breakthrough in February 2016.

 
Among its attributes, Graphene is super strong, lightweight and highly conductive, exhibiting metallic-like properties in 2D form. Graphene is expected to revolutionise a host of future applications across a wide range of sectors including light materials (aerospace and automotive), semiconductors, energy electrodes, nanotechnology and printable inks.
 
While Graphene is traditionally known to incur high costs of production, Metalysis is able to produce the largely industrially inaccessible material at no additional production cost to its conventional operations. The Company is now focused on further process optimisation.
 
Subject to further detailed due diligence and market outlook, Metalysis will pursue commercial opportunities within the Graphene space during the coming calendar year.
 
Graphene production at Metalysis represents a valuable opportunity to pursue additive revenue to the core Titanium and Tantalum metal powder production business which primarily serves the 3D printing industry.

Dr Dion Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of Metalysis, said: “We are pleased to announce another exciting achievement on behalf of our technical team. Our proven technology can synthesise Graphene monolayers with no operational or production cost impacts on our core metal powder business.
 
“Producing Graphene could enable Metalysis to add new, lucrative markets to those it is already serving; markets in which our arrival could be highly disruptive when global product demand is considered against the sheer amount of Graphene we could produce in conjunction with our Gen 4, and later Gen 5 modular expansions. Gen 5, by way of illustration, envisages scaling up production capability for highly profitable niche multi-metal powders to thousands of tonnes per annum.
 
“We look forward to further optimising our process for Graphene production, and exploring opportunities for commercial collaboration within the coming calendar year.”