Visually, being graphite a book, graphene is the page.
Graphene is a monolayer of carbon atoms organized in a honeycomb structure.
Graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester (UK).
Graphene is known as the wonderful material: it is the lightest, the strongest and the best heat and electricity conductor material ever known. Thanks to its outstanding characteristics and its ability to operate as a super-additive, it enhances the properties of the materials to which it is added or gives them new characteristics: a PLUS.
G+® Graphene Plus is the purest and the most crystalline form of Pristine Graphene Nanoplatelets: every gram of Graphite is directly transformed into a gram of Graphene Plus through a waste-free process entirely based on physical processing, without any use of chemicals or solvents.
Therefore, G+® is certified as totally safe, skin-friendly, non-toxic and non-cytotoxic.
G+® Graphene Plus is Directa Plus’ graphene. It is unique, patented, made in Italy and completely sustainable. It is made up of Pristine Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs).
We have developed a unique and innovative technology capable to produce GNPs that are able to perform in different applications. In fact, our Graphene Plus can be easily integrated into a wide range of products and industrial processes.
Versatility, sustainability and high performances are the strengths of our G+® patented technology, which sets Directa Plus apart from all other graphene producers worldwide
Due to various production processes and distinct physical/chemical characteristics graphene materials differ from one another. Among different graphene materials G+® is the safest choice because:
G+® Graphene Plus is obtained by purely physical treatments of natural graphite, thus avoiding any chemical treatments with organic solvents or acids, and just exploiting water, temperature and pressure to reduce the graphite thickness to the nanometric level. Many competitors use chemicals and often also nanometals within the production process. These additives cannot be completely removed from the final graphene enhanced product, thus potentially representing a health hazard.
G+® Graphene Plus is made of graphene nanoplatelets with a lateral dimension (X-Y) in the micrometer range. Only the thickness (Z) is nanometric. This is a key feature to properly categorize graphene morphology. Many competitors produce graphene particles which are nanometric in all the three dimensions (lateral sizes X-Y and thickness Z): such particles are strictly defined as nanoparticles and behave differently than particles with just one dimension in the nanometric range, especially in terms of biological interactions.
Every gram of Graphite is transformed into a gram of G+® Graphene Plus.
There are different types of production processes that can be used to produce graphene: bottom-up and top-down approaches.
Directa Plus uses a top-down method to produce G+®, a process that does not involve the use of chemicals nor solvents and is only based on physics.
The process starts from natural graphite. The first step of the process is a plasma super expansion in which we use only high temperature at 10,000°C, the temperature of the surface of the Sun, which results in a super-expanded graphite.
The second phase is the exfoliation of this super-expanded graphite in water, where graphene sheets are separated.
Lastly, during the drying step, super fine powder made out of Pristine Graphene Nanoplatelets is obtained.
Low energy consumption and low waste generation make the entire procedure environmentally friendly. Therefore, Directa Plus can proudly claim that its production process is sustainable and safe for the environment.
Thanks to our modular production process, we are able to produce different standardized grades of pristine graphene nanoplatelets G+® materials:
G+® products are Pristine Graphene Nanoplatelets, obtained through a proprietary and patented process based on the physical transformation of natural graphite.