Multi-functional graphene nanoplatelets for

enhanced thermoplastics

Robert Privette, Director Program Management

Hiroyuki Fukushima, Ph.D., Co-Founder , Technical Director
Agenda

• XG Sciences
• xGnP® graphene nanoplatelets
• Multi-functional benefits of xGnP® graphene additives in thermoplastics
• Compounding xGnP® graphene with HDPE
• Blow molding xGnP® graphene/ HDPE
• Improvement to HDPE properties achieved with xGnP® graphene
• Summary

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XG Sciences – Company Overview
• Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan
• 1,000+ Customers in 40+ countries
• World class Strategic Investors and Licensees:
– POSCO, Cabot, Samsung Ventures, Hanwha Chemical
• 25,000 ft2 Factory, ~100 Tons capacity
• Commercial Supplier of:
– Bulk xGnP® Graphene Nanoplatelets
• Multiple grades and sizes (<1 µm to ~100 µm), dry powders or dispersions
– Value-Added Product Platforms
• XG Polymer compounds
• XG Ink™ Conductive Inks & Coatings
• XG TIM™ Thermal Interface Materials
• XG Leaf® Sheets for Thermal and Electrical functionality
• XG SiG™ Silicon Graphene Composites for LiB Anodes

3
 LOCATIONS
2 manufacturing locations & global distribution

Offices / Production
Green Production
Distributors / Resellers

4
 Single-layer
Graphene • One-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms in an sp2 bonded,
honeycomb-shaped, 2-dimensional network
• High thermal conductivity
• High electric conductivity
• Excellent mechanical strength and flexibility
• Typically produced by vapor deposition on substrates –
challenges in cost, scale up, application flexibility
http://www.zeitnews.org

xGnP® Graphene XG Sciences produce high purity, low

defect, graphene nanoplatelets (≈2
Carbon Nanoplatelet
Nanotube to 20nm thickness) whose size, shape
& edge chemistry can provide
customized properties.

Grade H 50 – 80 m2/g 5, 15 or 25 mm diameters

Grade M 120 – 150 m2/g 5, 15 or 25 mm diameters
Grade C 300 – 750 m2/g small diameter particles

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WHY GRAPHENE
GnP can provide multiple properties in a single material composition

• 2010 Nobel Prize (Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov) Smart

Materials

• Thinnest known material (.345 nm)

• 200 times stronger than steel but 6x lighter (tensile 130 GPa)
• Impermeable to gases, corrosion resistant, fouling resistant
• Stiffer than diamond
• Conducts heat better than diamond (5000 W/m-k)
• Electrically conductive

Materials
Process
• Flexible & Stretchable Specialty
Products

• Transparent
• Flame Retardant

6
Manufacturing xGnP® Graphene Nanoplatelets

- Powder
- Wet cake
- Dispersions
- Formulated Inks
- Freestanding sheet

7
GRAPHENE ?
All things labelled graphene are not graphene

Single Layer Graphene 1 layer

Smart
Materials
Bi-tri Layer Graphene 2 – 3 layers

Multi- Layer Graphene 4 – 10 layers

Graphite 10 – 100’s layers

Materials
Process
Graphene Films multiple uniform layers

Specialty
Products

8
 PRODUCTS OFFERING SiG AN-S-101 / AN-SH 60, 70, 85,
Energy
Materials

110, 125, 150

64 Graphene Nano-Platelet Products
Powders

Grade R 30 – 60 m2/g
7, 10 or 25 micron diameters
Conductive Ink WG201 Aqueous Conductive Ink
Grade H 50 - 80 m2/g
SG201 Solvent Conductive Ink
5, 15 or 25 micron diameters
R7 Natural GnP Compound
Grade M 120 - 150 m2/g
5, 15 or 25 micron diameters

xGnP® Concrete Additive Qt, Gal, 24#(pail concentrate),

Grade C 300, 500, 650, 750 m2/g 42#(pail concentrate), Bulk
small diameter particles Concentrate, Ready-to-Use (Bulk)

300HP, 500HP, 650HP, 750HP

m2/g small diameter particles

650*(BAKED) - T
m2/g small diameter particles Intra-Process Materials L, H, M, R(300 um

Materials
Process
graphite), Graphite Fines

XG Leaf ® Grade B: 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, 70, 75, 80, 120,
240 um (11.5” x 23” Sheets)

Grade B: 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, 70, 75, 80, 120,
240 um (Rolled)

® Grade B: 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, 70, 75, 80, 120,
240 um (24’ x 24” Sheets)

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 ISO9001:2008 Certified

• XG Sciences is ISO9001:2008* certified

across all facilities and processes
– Scope: The development, manufacturing and
sale of graphene nanoplatelets and other
advanced materials
• Quality Management System includes:
– Manufacturing and Sales Processes
– Product Design
– Stage Gate Principles
– Customer Support Activities
– Corrective and Preventive Actions

* ISO 9001:2008 is established as the globally implemented standard for providing assurance about an organization’s
ability to satisfy quality requirements and to enhance customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships

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Multifunctional performance improvement
Flexural Modulus of N66 Composites
14000
xGnP-1

•
xGnP-15

Part mass reduction (low density) 12000

10000
CF
VGCF
CB
Nanomer I34.TCN
Cloisite 93A

• Increased stiffness (high aspect ratio) 8000

[MPa]
6000

•
4000

Increased toughness (engineered adhesion) 2000

•
0

Improved appearance (nanosize, scratch resistance) 0 5 10

[Vol%]
15 20 25

• Electrical conductivity (ESD, electrostatic painting, EMI) 1.E+00

1.E-01
Electrical Conductivity of Nylon 66 Composites

1.E-02

• Thermal conductivity (reduced CTE, higher Tult) 1.E-03

1.E-04
1.E-05

S/m
•
1.E-06

Reduced flammability (less combustible material) 1.E-07

1.E-08
In-situ Gr.
xGnP-1
xGnP-15
1.E-09 CF

•
VGCF

Barrier to permeants (platelet morphology) 1.E-10

1.E-11
0 5 10 15
CB

20 25
[Vol%]

1.071
Permeability of Nylon 6 Films Thermal Conductivity of Nylon 66 Composites
3.19661 2.396592 4.5
51.56378 3.062669 1.0611
4
3.192134 2.83434 2.382352
4.5
3.5
1.576644
4 3.078792 Control N6
1.0755
3
[cm3/m2*day*atm]

3.5
3.198848 2.85568 3v%xGnP-15um/N6
2.348176

[W/mK]
3.184282 3.09842 3v%xGnP-1um/N6 2.5
3
1.584684 3.206308 1.143 2.332512
3v%CF/N6
2.88284 2
2.5 3v%GF
3.168694 3.101925 3v%VGCF/N6 1.5
2
1.598352 3.231672 1.0737 2.309728
3v%Nanomer®/N6
2.9391 3.108234 3v%Cloisite®/N6 1
1.5
3.176488 3.198848 2.290504
0.5
1
1.605588 1.0728
2.98275 3.122254 0
0.5
3.185148 3.201832 2.267008 N66 20v% 20v% 20v% 20v% 15v% 10v%
0
1.614432 3.160108 1.0944 xGnP-1 xGnP-15 In-situ CF VGCF CB
5 10 15 3.21153
20 3.007
25 30 35 2.247072
40
3.096816 [Hour]

Used with permission of Prof. L. Drzal, Michigan State University 11

Multifunction enables a broad range of applications

M-Grade

C-Grade

H-Grade

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Platelet orientation

Effect of platelet
Compression orientation
vs Injection [xGnP-25]

Compression Molding 6.0

W/m-K
Conductivity [W/mK]
5.0 Compression molded
xGnP-25/PC (Compression)
Injection
xGnP-25/PCmolded
(Injection)

Conductivity,
4.0
Random Orientation
3.0

Injection Molding 2.0

Thermal
Thermal
1.0

0.0
Highly Aligned Orientation 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Filler Loading [wt% ]
xGnP® loading (wt %)

Used with permission of Prof. L. Drzal, Michigan State University 13

CASE STUDY: AUTOMOTIVE

Smart
Materials

Materials
Process
Specialty
Products

14
PERFORMANCE DATA: AUTOMOTIVE

Smart
Materials

Materials
Process
15
Compounding of xGnP® graphene into HDPE
• Marley HXM 50100 HDPE:
– xGnP® C-300
– xGnP® R-25
• Master batches
– 24%
– 22%
• B&P BP-50 twin screw extruder, strand, pelletize
• Gravimetric feed

Water bath, pelletizer

19 L/D
40 L/D

Used with permission of B&P Littleford LLC 16

Compounding of xGnP® into HDPE

Used with permission of B&P Littleford LLC 17

Blow molding xGnP® graphene/ HDPE

Operational benefits demonstrated through processing.

Used with permission of Gemini Group 18

Testing
• 3 specimens were cut from each bottle.
• ~ 0.5 inches wide and 5 inches long.
• The specimens were evaluated in
accordance with ASTM D790, Procedure
B at ambient laboratory conditions of 23
± 2 °C and 50 ± 10% relative humidity
using a 50 lb. load cell.
• A span to depth ratio of 16-to-1 was
utilized with an outer fiber strain rate of
0.1 in./in./min.

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 Flexural property improvement
xGnP® Flexural Modulus, Standard Improvement
xGnP® Grade Sample Name Concentration ksi Deviation, ksi over virgin, %
None Virgin 0 113 16 0%
R-25 R-25 1% 125 25 11%
R-25 0.25% 120 21 6%
C-300 C-300 DM 1% 120 9 6%
Combination C-300 DM/ R-25 1% 122 29 8%
C-300 DM/ R-25 0.5% 118 19 4%

Flexural Modulus % Increase over Virgin HDPE

126 12%
124
122 10%
Flex Modulus, ksi

120
118 8%
116 6%
114
112 4%
110
108 2%
106 0%
Virgin C-300 DM/ R-25 - C-300 DM - C-300 DM/ R-25 - 1% Virgin C-300 DM/ R-25 - 0.25% C-300 DM - C-300 DM/ R-25 - 1%
R-25 - 0.5% 0.25% 1% R-25 - 1% R-25 - 0.5% 1% R-25 - 1%

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Summary
• xGnP® provides multi-functional performance improvement to
thermoplastics when used as an additive in low concentrations
• Two grades of xGnP® graphene were compounded into HDPE to
produce 22 and 24% weight master batches.
• The HDPE master batches were used to successfully blow mold
bottles with varying graphene concentration.
• 11% improvement to flexural modulus was measured with xGnP®
graphene concentrations of 1%
• In addition manufacturing efficiency can be improved through
xGnP® enhancement of thermal conductivity:
– Reduce energy input required to melt plastic and tool wear
– Accelerate part cooling and reduce cycle time

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More than 85 MSU published technical articles
on xGnP® graphene in polymer composites and
more from Univ Manchester, UK

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For more information or to discuss the benefits of using
xGnP® graphene in your application please contact:

Rob Privette:
r.privette@xgsciences.com, +1 (517) 999-5444

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