Graphenel: pioneering graphene production in Viet Nam

• Author: Catherine Jewell
• Position: Information and Digital Outreach Division, WIPO

Graphenel JSC was established in 2011 by Tuan Le (left) and Jat Le (right). Its main areas of focus are the use of graphene in bioelectronics, cement and batteries. “We are particularly excited about the battery industry and are keen to educate that market about graphene and to develop and commercialize good graphene-based batteries for a greener society,” says Jane Phung, International Business Development Manager at Graphenel JSC. (Photo: Courtesy of Graphenel JSC)

What are the origins of the company?

The company was set up by Tuan Le, our CEO, and Jat Le, our Chief Project Officer, in 2011. They studied together, majoring in chemistry and nanomaterials. After graduation, they started a business, NanoLife, which focused broadly on nanomaterials. Then, when graphene and its amazing properties came into focus, they began working exclusively on it and re-branded the company as Graphenel JSC.

At the time, graphene was scarce, and its manufacture was costly. So, my colleagues decided to find a more cost-effective way to develop graphene. After around seven years of research and a lot of trial and error, they came up with a novel process for manufacturing graphene. In broad terms, we refine animal fat − such as that used to produce cosmetics − to mass produce graphene in a cost-effective way. In general, it takes around 1 kg of refined animal fat to create 1 gram of graphene, and a single production cycle, which produces 6 kilograms of graphene, takes around two days.

Tell us more about your business model

Unlike other countries with established graphene markets, few people in Viet Nam are familiar with graphene and its amazing properties. So, to develop our business, we have been relying on our networks to help spread the word in the market about what we are doing. We sell our graphene products to researchers working on new materials. They have been very helpful in referring us on to other companies they work with. This has allowed us to promote broader understanding of the value that our materials can add and to expand our client list.

We also recently launched a new cooperation program, where we co-develop new materials and products using graphene with universities, research institutes and small companies. Program partners agree to use our graphene products as input materials. It’s a win-win situation; they benefit from our products and expertise to advance their research, and we create an opportunity to commercialize any marketable outputs that flow from the research project. We anticipate the program will accelerate the product development process and our journey to market.

So far, we have agreements in place with two universities and one private company.

A number of products are in the pipeline, which we hope to introduce to the market by the end of 2022.

Is there a big demand for graphene in Viet Nam?

In global terms, it’s not so big, but there is certainly enough demand for us to generate revenue. Of course, going forward, our aim is to increase our market share at home and in Australia and France, where we have clients, as well as in other export markets.

With graphene...