US-based Westlake Innovations Inc, a subsidiary of Westlake Corporation, has invested in Universal Matter Inc, which has pioneered and patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology that allows for industrial-scale upcycling of carbon waste streams into graphene and graphitised carbon. Terms were not disclosed.
First developed at Rice University, Universal Matter’s FJH technology creates graphene that is tunable across 1D, 2D, and 3D morphologies, granting properties that are critical for large industrial applications. The Ontario-based company’s vision is to become the leading supplier of sustainable graphene.
Westlake’s action builds upon the company’s commitment to helping develop a more sustainable future through continuous improvement its own manufacturing as well as strategic investments in innovative technologies and startup firms.
Universal Matter has also developed the ability to disperse the graphene in a variety of liquid or solid mediums, making it easier for customers to incorporate graphene into their downstream industrial products and achieve performance improvements for essential materials such as asphalt, concrete, rubber, composites, paints, and coatings.
“Graphene is a material with a number of potential performance and sustainability benefits that could apply across a number of Westlake’s Performance & Essential Materials and Housing & Infrastructure Products business lines,” said John Chao, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Westlake Innovations. “We look forward to working with Universal Matter and its management team as it moves forward on development and commercialisation of its flexible technology.”