Haydale awarded Innovate UK Grant to develop image-based characterisation of 2D materials

Developing imaging techniques to characterise 2D materials

Haydale, the global technology solutions company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded funding of £258,547 by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to develop imaging techniques to characterise 2D materials, including graphene, to improve the compatibility and material selection processes. The project started at the end of January and is expected to run for 42 months.

Horizon Europe’s new research project ACCORDs (Green deal inspired correlative imaging-based characterisation for safety profiling of 2D materials) will use imaging tools to create a visual reference of the structure and morphology of 2D materials aimed at making the selection of the right nanomaterials quicker and easier for companies using them in production. It will be the first time that an extensive programme of works will look to standardise the characterisation of 2D materials with the aim of adoption by standardisation bodies such as ISO.

Haydale is one of ten partners in the consortium and will provide the project with unfunctionalised and HDPlas functionalised nanomaterial powder, masterbatch, laminate, ink and coated substrate samples.

Current methods for characterising 2D materials for use in application are time consuming. The programme will have access to graphene in every format from raw material to finished product to develop new techniques not used before to image a range of nanomaterials. The project looks to simplify the process of materials selection to give companies working with nanomaterials a simple visual reference tool, which will save time and money and enhance production output for all industries.

Led by the University of Ljubljana, the project started on 30th January with a two-day inaugural meeting for the consortium partners held at the university in Slovenia.

Haydale UK Site Director, John-Mark Seymour said: “Haydale will be instrumental in helping to develop imaging techniques never used before to characterise 2D materials for their use in a wide range of applications. We work with nanomaterials daily and have characterised over 250 types of graphene and so we are delighted to be sharing our expertise and working with the other consortium partners to deliver this important research project for our industry.”