INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Identified applications are at varying stages of R & D maturity and time to commercialization
Project timeline to commercialization
Rubber w / o regulation
LiB anodes / Ultracaps .
Protective coatings
Composites
Nanofluids |
Conductive inks |
Plastics Rubber w / regulation |
2020 + |
2014- 2015 |
|
2015- 2020 |
|
Commercially ready projects
Medium-term business opportunities
Long-term business opportunities
Identified graphene applications and timeline to commercialisation
National Graphene Action Plan 2020
Methane gas , a by-product in palm oil production is the feedstock from which graphene is derived . As the one of the world ’ s largest producers of crude palm oil , the Malaysian Government wants to tap into the vast potential presented by graphene . The country ’ s emphasis is on the downstream segment , as defined in the National Graphene Action Plan ( NGAP ) 2020 unveiled by Pemandu , Agensi Inovasi Malaysia ( AIM ) and NanoMalaysia in 2014 . The plan outlines the country ’ s focus on the downstream value chain with five priority areas – conductive links , rubber additives , nanofluids ( drilling fluids and lubricants ), lithium-ion batteries and plastic additives .
According to the NGAP 2020 , graphene could generate substantial income for Malaysia through commercialisation of graphene-enhanced products . The projected GNI generated could reach RM20 billion by 2020 . If executed correctly , the downstream players investing in graphene R & D and developing proprietary products will capture this opportunity .
Malaysia will place initial focus of its graphene action plan on large domestic industries and areas targeted by the Government for innovation and growth . This includes rubber products , lubricants , plastics , batteries for electric vehicles , conductive inks for radio frequency identification ( RFID ) and photovoltaic cells .
Enhanced Rubber Products
The global rubber industry represents a RM 900 billion market , in which Malaysia is a leading global player in several product categories notably rubber gloves , industrial rubber products , condoms and tyres . When incorporated as an additive to rubber , graphene offers superior properties such as increased strength , excellent conductivity ( electric and thermal ), and better impermeability .
For gloves and condoms , graphene ’ s strength can be combined with the elasticity of latex to produce an enhanced material that is thinner , stronger and more impermeable . Graphene can
66 VOL 68 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016