Michigan State University researchers have discovered what they think is an ideal candidate: A nanomaterial (a nanometer is a billionth of a meter) that makes ordinary plastic stiffer, lighter, stronger and capable of conducting electricity and heat. The material is called xGnP, or exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets In sharp contrast to carbon nanotubes, a nanomaterial often mentioned for its strength and durability, the graphene nanoplatelets are two-dimensional, which yields different applications. One possible use is lightweight units for storing hydrogen, which could then be used in fuel cell-powered autos, says Lawrence Drzal, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at MSU and director of the school's Composite Materials and Structure Center. The molecules are only a few nanometers in thickness and several microns in size, which also makes the material especially applicable for coating surfaces. For example, the platelets can be arranged into stacks less than 10 nanometers in thickness but with lateral dimensions anywhere from 500 nm to tens of microns (for comparison, two nanometers is roughly equivalent to the diameter of a strand of DNA). Such a tailored particle could be compatible with water, resin or plastic systems. Here’s how the researchers create the material. They start with graphite and then run the material through a chemical process in which a high heat vaporization permits the formation of small graphene platelets. But where other approaches build materials bottom-up, forcing molecules to automatically arrange themselves into a specific formations, the Michigan team works top-down. That means starting with a much larger graphene molecule and breaking it down with chemical processes and vaporization. The main benefits of taking this top-down approach are that it’s less costly and requires less energy. The graphene nanoparticles are being manufactured by a Michigan State University spin off company, XG Sciences, and the intellectual property is owned by MSU with XG owning an exclusive license to manufacture this material. The researchers have not yet scaled up the manufacturing process for industrial level production volumes, but are confident low cost production prices will hold firm. The startup recently shipped out its first manufactured sample. Drzal says today carbon nanotubes cost about $100 per gram, a large sum compared to his own top-down process, which is expected to yield nano-platelets that cost $10 per pound.