Mar 27 2015
This represents NPL's first formal steps into the development of graphene in China and is expected to lead to growing collaboration between the three parties, who are aiming to cooperate on measurement, testing and development of standards for graphene and other two-dimensional materials.
Adhesion map of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide
This could include exchange of staff and expertise and potential sales of NPL's proprietary measurement capabilities to the rapidly growing Chinese advanced materials industry.
The agreement recognises NPL's leading international role in this area. NPL is already well placed to provide measurement services and standards for graphene and other, even newer, 2D materials. NPL has established strong relationships with: the University of Manchester; the National Graphene Institute; members of the EU's Horizon 2020 Graphene Flagship consortium; the Graphene Stakeholders Association (GSA); and various international committees focusing on graphene standards.
China's National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently published a plan to upgrade capability for critical materials. According to the plan, 20 key new materials, including graphene, should be produced stably and applied on a large scale in 2016. The Fengtai Science Park aims to make a new technological breakthrough in the field of graphene within a year or two and establish the park as an industry base for new materials with global influence in three to five years.