Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)

Research is required to optimize the exfoliation of high-quality Canadian natural graphite from the recentlyx000D
discovered hydrothermal deposit in Albany, Northwestern Ontario, with special emphasis to its thermalx000D
properties. The exceptional quality of this deposit makes its products uniquely suited for markets at high addedx000D
value, in which high crystallinity and low defectiveness of graphite are critical. Using massively availablex000D
natural graphite will lead to significant impact in terms of quality-cost optimization in a number of graphitex000D
products, including batteries, thermal pastes, and heat spreaders because, so far, many of such markets havex000D
only been reserved to synthetically produced graphitic materials. Zenyatta Ventures Ltd, the company that hasx000D
been developing the Albany deposit, has determined that the market penetration of several products will bex000D
dramatically enhanced if their graphite is exfoliated into graphene platelets. Specifically, platelets of graphenex000D
(a single-layer of carbon atoms) and few-layer graphene (2-10 layers of carbon atoms) possess a thermalx000D
conductivity that is significantly higher than thick graphitic stacks. In this project, Zenyatta will work inx000D
partnership with the team of Prof. Fanchini, Canada Research Chair in Carbon based nanomaterials at Westernx000D
University, an academic researchers experienced in graphene laminates and their thermal properties. Thex000D
short-term objective is to gain insight into, and to optimize, the structure-thermal performance relationship inx000D
graphene-based platelets exfoliated from Albany graphite. Long-term objective of the project is to demonstrate,x000D
using natural graphite, thermal conductivities >2 10+2 W/m/K, approaching or exceeding those of state-of-thex000D
art metallic heat spreaders. If successful, the project will dramatically enhance the marketability of Albanyx000D
graphite, which, on its turn will lead to a significant increase in occupational and economic perspectives for ax000D
remote area in Northwestern Ontario, in which such development is much needed.