Silverson Mixers Pave the Way for Scalable Graphene Production
New Research Highlights the Role of High Shear Mixing in Commercializing Graphene
Scientists at the forefront of graphene production research have identified mixing as a critical stage in scaling up this revolutionary nanomaterial from lab trials to commercial production. To tackle this challenge, they turned to Silverson Machines, a leader in high-shear mixing technology.
Scaling Graphene Production
Silverson’s L5M-A High Shear Laboratory Mixer played a significant role in groundbreaking research published in Nature Materials, titled “Scalable production of large quantities of defect-free few-layer graphene by shear exfoliation in liquids.”
Conducted at Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, the study demonstrated that high-shear mixing enables large-scale exfoliation of graphene from graphite while maintaining its structural integrity. Researchers selected Silverson mixers for their proven performance in dispersing carbon nanotubes and seamless scalability from lab to full production.
“Previously we had used Silverson mixers to disperse carbon nanotubes, which had proved to be very effective.”
The Graphene Revolution: Stronger, Lighter, and Thinner
Graphene, first isolated in 2004, has fascinated scientists and industries alike with its unparalleled strength, electrical conductivity, and extreme thinness—just one atom thick, one million times thinner than a sheet of paper. Its potential applications span a wide range of industries, including:
- Electronics – Ultra-light, highly conductive components
- Smart Packaging – Advanced materials with embedded sensors
- Bioengineering – Biomedical applications, including drug delivery
- Supercapacitors & Batteries – Energy storage solutions
- Advanced Composites – Stronger, lighter materials for aerospace and automotive
However, scaling graphene production for commercial applications has been a major challenge. Early research showed that graphite could be exfoliated into graphene by mixing, even in a kitchen blender. But achieving industrial-scale, defect-free production required specialized mixing technology.
“Scale-up can be a tricky problem for manufacturers. You need to be able to replicate your lab results on a large scale in production, and many specialized laboratory mixers have no production-scale counterparts.”
“At Silverson, we’ve designed, engineered, and constructed our laboratory mixers to the same tolerances as our production units. In fact, our entire range of mixers produces comparable rotor tip speeds and shear rates. And because of this, our machines produce scalable results.”
Silverson Test Labs: A Key to Success
To ensure successful scalability, the research team worked with Silverson’s Applications and Testing Center in Chesham, England, where they conducted trials on various production-scale Silverson mixers to:
- Exfoliate graphite into defect-free graphene
- Achieve uniform dispersion in solvent systems
- Scale up production from lab to industrial levels efficiently
“The availability of the test labs at Silverson’s site, where we were able to test the scalability of the process, was a key advantage for the development of the process.”
A Breakthrough in Scalable Graphene Production
The successful trials at Silverson’s facility demonstrated that high-shear mixing is a viable, industrially scalable solution for graphene production. The research team was able to develop industrially scalable methods for producing defect-free graphene using Silverson technology.
Snowball added:
“By coming to our Applications and Testing Center, the team was able to not only test the full range of our machinery but also tap into our scale-up knowledge. This is an area in which Silverson has a great deal of experience and has conducted thousands of applications research trials. We’re proud to be part of this successful project.”
Advancing Graphene Commercialization
The research conducted at Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with Silverson Machines, marks a significant step in bringing graphene from the lab to large-scale commercial applications. As industry demand for high-performance nanomaterials continues to grow, Silverson’s expertise in scalable high-shear mixing will remain at the forefront of innovation.