Blackleaf

Blackleaf is a French company that makes graphene conductive inks and graphene additives. It makes them in France. Its aim is to help customers cut their carbon footprint and improve performance.

The company says it produces over 120 tonnes of graphene products a year, all made in France. It describes its production process as green and itself as a responsible manufacturer. Its research and development department has filed 8 patents since 2018. Blackleaf also builds custom products when a customer has specific needs.

Its inks are ready to use and easy to apply on many kinds of surface. They suit common application methods such as spraying, inkjet, robot coating, fluidised baths and screen printing. The inks can be used for heating, thermal or electrical conductivity, EMI shielding and lubrication. For composites, an ink adds a heating function that can de-ice surfaces or join pieces by soldering. For ceramics, it helps household heaters run lighter. For textiles, it creates heated zones in technical clothing. For batteries, it goes on the cathode for faster charging. For polymers, it can give EMI shielding for electric vehicle casings.

Its additives are designed to be easy to mix into many types of material. They add thermal and electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, lubrication or barrier effects. In polyamide, an additive makes electric cables stronger and adds anti-static properties. In epoxy, it gives the conductivity needed to dissipate static charge, for example on aircraft fuselages, paint films and floors. In grease, it lowers friction and extends part life. In concrete, it raises compression resistance by 10%, so structures can be lighter.

Blackleaf notes that graphene, a form of carbon discovered in 2004, is strong, light, conductive and flexible, with low friction. It says graphene is 200 times stronger than steel and 10 times more conductive than copper, and that hydrogen atoms cannot pass through it. Industrial uses include composites, batteries, filters, hydrogen fuel cells, lubricated seals and wearable technology.

Services

• Graphene conductive inks
• Graphene additives
• Custom solutions development
• Heating inks
• EMI shielding inks
• Anti-static epoxy additives
• Grease additives
• Concrete additives