S. Herrera
Cerebral Energy,
United States
Keywords: graphite, HOPG, single crystal, ultra-pure, low cost, graphene production, electronics, batteries, fiber-reinforcement, high tension cable, light weight
Summary:
Over the past three decades, graphene has struggled to fully realize its reputation as a “wonder material,” largely due to high production costs and the difficulty of manufacturing it at scale. Conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and annealing methods can yield high-quality graphene but remain prohibitively expensive. Producing premium graphite typically requires high-temperature furnaces with substantial energy inputs, followed by crushing, acid washing, and exfoliation to obtain micron-scale graphene. Natural graphite offers large flake sizes—in the jumbo regime according to ASTM standards—but suffers from impurities that demand extensive purification. Our process overcomes these challenges by producing graphite with flake sizes comparable to natural graphite and purities equivalent to synthetic graphite—combining the advantages of both. Remarkably, this process can utilize nearly any carbon-rich waste stream, including large ash and petroleum coke deposits abundant throughout the United States. It achieves this using a proprietary catalyst that eliminates harsh chemicals and dramatically reduces energy consumption. The method enables the continuous production of single-crystal, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at a rate of one square meter per second. The resulting large-area graphite can be exfoliated into graphene sheets several meters in length. The ability to produce graphite of this quality and quantity has far-reaching implications for electronics, energy storage, and structural materials. Replacing traditional conductive materials such as copper in printed circuit boards could enable electronic devices to operate orders of magnitude faster—critical for latency-free sensors in automated systems. Graphene’s exceptional strength-to-weight ratio also offers a transformative opportunity for building materials, enabling composites that are significantly lighter yet far stronger and more durable than conventional options. Furthermore, this advancement opens the door to lightweight, flexible electronics long envisioned but not yet realized. Ultimately, our process provides the scalability needed to transition these innovations from concept to mass production.