Graphene has many properties that interest end users. For example, graphene provides incredible strength. It is also a highly conductive material, which lends use for functional inks.
 
Haydale Ltd. is focusing its efforts on optimized graphene inks that can be gravure printed for biosensor devices, printed electronics, flexible displays and smart packaging. Headquartered in Ammanford, South Wales, Haydale Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Haydale Graphene Industries Plc.; Haydale is growing, and just announced a new 230 square meter dedicated manufacturing area at its South Wales, UK facility.
 
The company reports that its graphene inks offer improved performance compared to typical carbon-based inks, due to its ideal viscosity and solid contents that allow for excellent coverage and conductivity. The graphene inks will be printed using roll-to-roll cost effective high-speed rotary printing.
 
“We are a nanomaterials development and production company, providing solutions for industry by developing bespoke application specific advanced materials,” said Ray Gibbs, CEO, Haydale Ltd. “Haydale has developed a patent pending proprietary scalable plasma process –HDPlas – to functionalize graphene and other nanomaterials.
 
“Haydale inks contain HDPlas functionalized nanomaterials, which enhance dispersion into a matrix e.g. resin – it is this dispersion that can lead to improved performance, including but not limited to, greater sensitivity, improved response time, bio compatibility, electrical conductivity,” Gibbs added.
 
HDPlas provides Haydale with a rapid and highly cost efficient method of supplying tailored solutions to both raw material suppliers and product manufacturers.
 
“Strategically, Haydale is not a manufacturer of the raw nanomaterial; we source the most appropriate feedstock and use our patent pending surface treatment process to improve properties to massively enhance dispersion, which enables the full potential of graphene and other nanomaterials to be realized commercially,” Gibbs added.
 
Aside from its commercial projects, which are all under NDA, Haydale is participating in consortiums, including the BIOGRAPHY project, which is backed by M-ERA.Net, a EU funding network. Working with Fraunhofer IBMT, Sauressig, AiCuris and cellasys, Haydale supplies a biocompatible, electrically conductive graphene ink for roll-to-roll gravure printing on large-area polymer foils. BIOGRAPHY’s goal is to develop graphene-based biosensors targeted for healthcare and environmental protection applications.
 
There are hurdles associated with graphene technology, and Gibbs reported that Haydale has overcome these challenges.
 
“First, the potential of graphene is precluded by the inertness of the raw material, which prevents graphene nanoparticles from dispersing homogenously within a target matrix,” he said. “Haydale’s low temperature plasma functionalization process coats the surfaces of the nanoparticles, giving them surface energy and encourages even dispersion within the target matrix and the formation of strong atomic bonds.
 
“Second, existing functionalization techniques tend to rely on thermal and chemical shocking to achieve better dispersion,” Gibbs added. “However the aggressive chemical and thermal agents can cause damage to the graphene nanoparticles, degrading the performance of the end product. Haydale’s low temperature plasma process uses a wide range of non-aggressive, exotic functionalization chemicals which do not damage the graphene, and which can be tailored to provide optimal results for the intended application.”