Synthesis of Few-Layer Graphene from Lignin and Its Application for the Creation of Thermally Conductive and UV-Protective Coatings

Coatings based on graphene nanostructures exhibit high thermal conductivity and are capable of effectively protecting materials from the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation. However, due to the imperfections of the methods for synthesizing graphene nanostructures and coatings based on them, the practical application of such coatings remains unprofitable. This paper presents the results of a study of the thermal conductivity and UV-protective properties of coatings synthesized by chemically crosslinking few-layer graphene particles on ABS plastic substrates. Few-layer graphene particles synthesized under self-propagating high-temperature synthesis conditions were used as the starting material for the coating synthesis. The synthesized coatings were found to have a thermal conductivity of 244 W/(m × K) and are capable of effectively protecting ABS plastic substrates from the negative effects of UV radiation, allowing the products to maintain their required strength characteristics. The high productivity of the method for synthesizing few-layer graphene (up to 10 kg/month at the laboratory production level), as well as the simplicity of the method for synthesizing coatings based on it, allows us to hope for the cost-effectiveness of such coatings.