Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Graphene is a versatile carbon-based nanomaterial that is the thinnest and toughest material. Single-layer graphene is ~200X stronger than steel, tougher than diamonds, more conductive than copper, and 1000X lighter than paper [3]. As a result, graphene becomes an ideal filler for high-performance multifunctional nanocomposites for various applications, including medical devices, building materials, consumer goods, electronic devices, energy storage, sensors, biomedical applications, the military, and aerospace sectors, etc. Universal Matter Inc. (UMI) has recently developed a novel "Flash Joule Heating (FJH)" process to produce high-quality, sustainable graphene. UMI utilizes waste carbon feedstocks, such as recycled plastics and waste biomass, which are upcycled into graphene via a low-energy and low-water consumption process; their process dramatically reduces emissions and enables a sustainable transition towards the crucial circular economy. The project focuses on validating and optimizing turbostratic graphene-reinforced plastics (both thermoset and thermoplastic carriers) using Lambton College's pilot extrusion facilities. The company will benefit from the scientific and technical advances arising from this collaboration to scale production and move up to full production and validation. The primary goal of this project is to develop next-generation extruded plastics containing optimized levels of UMI's unique graphene-based performance enhancers. This project is expected to result in generated patents, revenue growth, and significant job creation. At the demonstration plant stage, UMI will need to hire up to 5 full-time and 100 full-time employees for a full-scale commercial production facility.