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IDTECHEX Research says graphene will need to overcome two main barriers in order to have practical commercial applications.
Despite the relatively short history of graphene, it has come a long way towards commercialisation. Manufacturers are installing production capacities around the globe, while many are moving up the value chain beyond simple powders to offer formulations and master-batches.
With high frequency application still some years away, many graphene makers are looking for more realistic goals, as the market settles and players begin seek commercial applications for graphene.
IDTechEx Research analysed the market and technology for graphene and has published its findings in “Graphene Opportunities 2013-2018”.
The two main obstacles to the commercial growth of graphene are the market confusion (and thus risks for the end user) and the well-entrenched incumbent solutions, which cannot be easily budged by graphene replacements.
The market confusion stems from the fact that there is no single graphene on the market. Instead, there are many graphene types. Each type is a departure from the ideal form and offers a different package of material properties, suited for different end uses.
The variety of manufacturing techniques available for graphene also adds to the overall confusion, since each technique produces a somewhat different graphene type with a different price point.
According to IDTechEx Research, while these factors allow suppliers to differentiate their offerings, they should collectively establish clear guidelines to help end users evaluate the graphene types and production techniques against their application requirements.
Additionally, graphene has yet to identify unique applications – it is instead looking to replacing existing incumbent solutions with solutions which are only a little bit better and/or a little bit cheaper.
CVD graphene, for example, is positioning itself to replace ITO, but it is more expensive and has a higher sheet resistance. Graphene powders are attempting to replace graphite or black carbon in composites as additives, but they are more expensive and the potential reduction in wt% may not be enough to create large and rapid market shares.
Graphene competes with activated carbon in supercapacitors, and while it can offer a comparative performance advantage, its premium price will initially confine it to niche and low-volume corners of the business.
According to IDTechEx, the graphene industry needs more imagination and novel product concepts for graphene, or it might end up having to price graphene to cost, and not to value.