Albany Graphite
Naturally Pure Graphene
Graphene Precursor Material
Two factors set ZEN apart from the rest: ZEN wholly-owned unique source of high-quality graphene precursor material, the Albany Graphite Deposit, and ZEN’s expert network of partners.
ZEN’s wholly-owned Albany Graphite Deposit is the source of highly sought-after graphene precursor material. ZEN uses exfoliation to create its graphene.
There are two ways to produce graphene: bottom up or top down.
Producing graphene from the bottom up involves “growing” graphene by depositing carbon molecules on a substrate through chemical vapour deposition (CVD). For most commercial applications, this process has proven to be costly and time consuming.
Producing pure graphene from the top down occurs through a process called exfoliation—the most efficient method to date. It uses graphite to split the naturally occurring layers of carbon molecules.

ZEN’s Albany Graphite Deposit
ZEN’s Albany Graphite Deposit is uniquely suited to the exfoliation process and offers distinct advantages over previously tested precursor materials.
One key advantage is the deposit’s unique flake size, which averages 15 um to 20 um (microns). Ubiquitous sedimentary graphite deposits typically produce flakes 1,000 times larger, averaging about 2.5 millimeters. Starting with a smaller flake requires significantly less energy to produce the ideal crystal size.
Two other factors contribute to ease conversion from natural graphite to graphene material: (1) the turbostratic nature of the material (i.e., the arrangement of the sheets of carbon molecules) which are stacked irregularly. (2) ZEN’s slightly larger D-spacing (for example, the distance between layers).
Graphene Produced from ZEN’s Albany Deposit vs. Others
Character | ZEN Graphite | Others |
---|---|---|
Flake Size | 15 Microns | 2,500 microns |
D-Spacing | 0.3363 Average | 0.3357 Average |
Ease of conversion from graphite to graphene |
Up to 1,500% easier | - |
Ease of Dispersion | 2X - 10X better | - |
Consistent Average Layers | 2-5 Layers | Highly variable |
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is actively exploring these opportunities while seeking out new applications for this “magical” material.
2018 was the year of market development at ZEN Graphene Solutions. The company plans to focus its efforts on the five market opportunities promising the greatest return.
High-quality graphene’s potential to improve existing products has generated significant buzz inside these five market “verticals.” Interest is high among researchers now gaining a fresh understanding of that potential.