This project will demonstrate the utilization of wood biomass feedstock to produce graphene products through a less expensive, more environmentally friendly process

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $175,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to Acadian Research & Development LLC, a company based in Laramie, WY. The grant will fund research from July 2023 through June 2024 to develop a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly process to produce graphene products from wood biomass feedstock. The project aims to convert wood biochar into graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and graphene nanosheets, which have numerous applications in areas such as battery manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, concrete, optics, filtration, and composites. The research focuses on using a single reagent in the synthesis process to reduce costs and increase the availability of these important materials, while also helping to utilize an estimated 82-88 million dry tons of woody biomass available annually in the United States.

The wood feedstock is first pyrolyzed to biochar, then our synthesis process converts the biochar to graphene oxide, a viable product. Further treatment produces reduced graphene oxide and graphene nanosheets, also viable products. Graphene materials are useful in a number of applications such as battery manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, concrete, optics, filtration, and composites, but these materials can be prohibitively expensive. Graphite can be used to produce graphene, but the process often uses multiple harmful reagents, and the lack of domestic graphite production equates to reliance on foreign supply. The development proposed in this project uses a single reagent, can reduce synthesis costs, and increases availability of these powerful and important materials while helping to utilize the estimated 82-88 million drytons of woody biomass available annually in the united states.biochar will be produced from pine wood at various temperatures and processed to synthesize the graphene products. Materials will be characterized at every step to track product evolution and determine optimal biochar characteristics. This project aligns with USDA strategic goals and research priorities through development of value-added products using forest resources to expand markets for emerging technologies, as well as climate change mitigation through retention of feedstock carbon in final products.