What is graphene? Ordinary citizens may be at a loss as to this question. But there is a Liuyang native who has been with this new material for six years. From entering an unfamiliar industry to opening a new door to the industry, he was the first person in Liuyang to "eat crabs" in the field of graphene industrialization. His name is Liu Jianzhong, chairman of Hunan Xiangxian Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xiangxian Technology") in Liuyang High-tech Zone.

Graphene has excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, large specific surface area, high light transmittance and other excellent characteristics, and it is a "potential stock" in many application fields. In 2012, Xiangxian Technology, a “veteran”-level enterprise in Liuyang High-tech Zone (Due to company management needs, registered and established Hunan Jinyang Carbon New Material Co., Ltd. in December 2016), it resolutely chose to transform from copper processing to a new material graphene industry. After six years of research and development, Xiangxian Technology built a graphene material and lithium electronic anode material production line last year and officially put it into production. Now it has realized the quantitative production of graphene material products, and there are more than ten enterprises that have reached cooperation. Nowadays, the quantitative production of graphene material products has been realized, and more than ten enterprises have reached cooperation.

Several million yuan is invested in research and development every year

To achieve quantitative production of graphene products in six years

"Since 2012, several million yuan has been invested in research and development every year. It was not until the start of production last year that my anxiety came down." Liu Jianzhong said that the R&D test line for graphene materials had been built as early as 2014, but graphite The production line of olefin products was not put into production until 2018, and these years have been the input stage.

As a very "young" new material, the development of graphene materials and the establishment of a production line are not easy. "We are mainly based on independent development, supplemented by cooperative development with universities." said Wen Zhongqiang, deputy general manager of Xiangxian Technology. He has been with the company for more than two years, focusing on the research and development of graphene materials and related application products, and industry standards. Imperfection and lack of equipment and technology are big problems hindering their research and development.

"The research and development cycle of graphene is extremely long, and some indicators have not been able to be quantitatively tested until now." Wen Zhongqiang said that because this is an emerging industry, R&D talents and equipment are very scarce, whether it is international or domestic graphene industry. However, the standards of graphene are imperfect, and sometimes they cannot judge whether the materials developed are like this.

In the entire graphene R&D and application development, the most annoying thing is actually the process problem. "Ultra-high voltage equipment was used in the research and development process, but we did not find it after searching for a long time." Wen Zhongqiang said, because there is no "template" in the industry, no one tells you which equipment to use. What kind of process, so 60% of the energy of the R&D team is spent on process exploration, and the time spent on this is far more than the time for experimentation. In the past few years, the laboratory has become the second home of R&D personnel. ".

Continuously overcome the difficulties in R&D and equipment. In 2018, Xiangxian Technology's graphene product production line was successfully put into production, which means that the graphene products developed can be mass-produced. "The quality of the product is more stable, and it can also meet the needs of customers." Wen Zhongqiang said, this is not only a "reassurance" for everyone, but also makes them more confident in the graphene industry.

Wide range of applications

has reached cooperation with more than ten companies

Graphene is a two-dimensional material with a hexagonal honeycomb lattice composed of carbon atoms and a two-dimensional material with the thickness of only one carbon atom. It is almost completely transparent, but it is so dense that even the smallest gas atoms (hydrogen atoms) are difficult to penetrate. In the industry, graphene is known as the new material with the thinnest thickness, the highest hardness, and the best thermal and electrical conductivity found in nature so far. Its strength is 200 times that of the highest-strength steel and its thermal conductivity is 8 times that of silver.

followed in the footsteps of Liu Jianzhong and walked into the company's finished product showroom. Glass bottles of different heights and sizes were filled with graphene material products in powder, slurry and water emulsion form, and their application products were also displayed in front of the booth. Liu Jianzhong turned on the mural on the side and felt the heat from the mural in more than ten seconds. "By adding graphene conductive paste, it can achieve a good heat dissipation effect." Liu Jianzhong said that under certain conditions, it can replace air conditioners and become heating tools.

In addition, the application of graphene materials in different products will also achieve different effects. Graphene modified batteries not only make the conductivity better, charge faster, but also increase the battery capacity; the graphene mask can achieve facial massage through electrical signals, while also feeding back relevant facial information to the user; graphene The anti-corrosion coating can not only achieve stronger adhesion to the steel structure substrate, but also greatly improve its anti-corrosion performance... its anti-corrosion performance is greatly improved

"After the product is produced, the company has to carry out inspections and tests on its own, and then take it to the customer for testing, and finally the cooperation can be confirmed. This cycle alone will take 6-8 months." Liu Jianzhong said that the company is currently in small batches. In the production of graphene application products, it has reached cooperation with more than ten customers, and it is expected to obtain certain benefits this year.

Due to its outstanding optical, electrical, and mechanical properties, graphene has important development potential in micro-nano processing, materials science, biomedicine, energy, and drug delivery. Many countries have adopted this revolutionary new Materials research has been elevated to a strategic height. Liu Jianzhong said that in the future, Xiangxian Technology will rely on the advantages of the carbon-based industry chain in Changsha to further realize the application of graphene in the industrial field and boost the development of the graphene industry.

Business feature

Aiming at the transformation and upgrading of new areas

From copper product processing "cross-border" to graphene industry

The leap from traditional manufacturing to high-tech new material industry is nothing but a "bold attempt" in Liu Jianzhong's view.

Liu Jianzhong, a native of Yongan, founded a business in Changsha in his early years, and later participated in the "Liuyang Foreign Entrepreneurs' Hometown Tour" organized by the Liuyang Municipal Party Committee and Government. He saw Liuyang's excellent development environment and the government's determination to support the development of the private economy, and he resolutely returned Township Development, Hunan Changtong Copper Co., Ltd. was established in Yong'an Town and became the first batch of enterprises to enter the park in the high-tech zone.

In 2012, due to the urgent need to improve the tertiary industry for the development of Liuyang High-tech Zone, Liu Jianzhong’s business site was adjusted from industrial land to commercial land. Liu Jianzhong moved the company to Pingtou North Road and changed the company’s name to Xiangxian Technology. "At that time, the market price of copper processing fluctuated greatly. It was the price before going to bed every day. It is possible for the price to rise by a few thousand yuan or fall by a few thousand yuan." The risk is high and the return is small, so when Liu Jianzhong felt the market development When the new wind direction, it decided to change career.

He has conducted discussions with academicians, experts and professors of Central South University, Hunan University and other universities on graphene material research many times, and went to Shenyang and other places for investigation. "Friends who are involved in this industry have advised me not to enter, saying that it is because of the large investment, long R&D cycle and slow return." After understanding the situation many times, Liu Jianzhong believed that graphene is a very promising emerging carbon material. It is widely used in new energy, electronic sensors, flexible electrodes, thermal management and other fields. He resolutely chose to cooperate with universities in the research and development of graphene materials. Since then, Changtong Copper has ceased to exist, and Xiangxian Technology has gradually become an important brand in the carbon-based industrial chain of Liuyang High-tech Zone.

Persisting in scientific research and innovation for six years, Xiangxian Technology now has seven invention patents and more than ten utility model patents, and has successfully transformed from a traditional manufacturing industry to a high-tech enterprise.

Industry Observation

The development trend of the carbon-based material industry chain is generally positive

In November 2017, the Changsha City Carbon-based Material Industry Chain Promotion Office (hereinafter referred to as the "Carbon-based Chain Office") was formally established and located in Liuyang High-tech Zone.

For more than a year, under the active promotion of the Carbon-based Chain Office, the development trend of the carbon-based material industry chain is generally positive. At present, there are nearly 30 upstream and downstream companies in the chain, and Tianyue's silicon carbide and other projects have successfully landed, which has strongly promoted the establishment of the third-generation semiconductor industry in Changsha.

"Xiangxian Technology is one of the key follow-up projects of the carbon-based industrial chain in the park, and an important part of the development of the carbon-based industry in Changsha." According to the relevant person in charge of the carbon-based chain office, there are currently 7 carbon-based industrial chains in the entire Changsha area. Key follow-up projects include Tianyue Silicon Carbide, Xiangxian Technology, and Qitai Sensing in Liuyang High-tech Zone. The development of these projects will further promote the realization of the industrial ecological construction of industrial chain, innovation chain, talent chain, policy chain and other multi-chain integration with Liuyang High-tech Zone as the core platform.