[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] South Korea has succeeded in registering an international standard with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for graphene, an advanced material that forms the foundation of competitiveness in the materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) industry in the 4th Industrial Revolution era.
The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 13th that the "Electrical Property Evaluation Method for Flake Graphene," proposed to the IEC, was finally approved as an IEC international standard after more than five years of effort.
Graphene is a nanomaterial composed of carbon atoms bonded in a honeycomb-shaped planar structure. It has electrical conductivity approximately 100 times better than copper, is 200 times stronger than metals, and more than 1,000 times lighter.
In particular, flake graphene can replace silicon and copper, and is attracting attention as a new high value-added material due to its applications in battery electrode coatings, heat dissipation materials, and ultra-light composite materials.
The electrical property evaluation method for flake graphene, registered as an international standard this time, includes detailed guidelines and examples regarding the amount of sample for electrode fabrication and measurement, sample preparation methods, and electrical conductivity measurement techniques.
This standard can be used as an objective specification for materials produced by companies or as a criterion for selecting products with desired quality in application fields such as batteries, semiconductors, and environmental filters, thereby expected to enhance the production and development capabilities of the SoBuJang industry.
The establishment of this international standard was achieved through the International Standard Technology Enhancement Project supported by the National Institute of Technology and Standards, with a consortium of five institutions including the Korea Basic Science Institute, domestic research institutes, and universities participating.
An official from the National Institute of Technology and Standards stated, "Following the registration of two IEC international standards in the field of nanomaterials such as graphene and silver nanomaterials last year, we have once again succeeded in adopting an international standard, contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of advanced materials in the domestic SoBuJang industry."
He added, "We are actively participating in various international standardization efforts in the nano manufacturing and graphene properties fields within the IEC's nano electrical and electronic technical committee, and will continue to lead in securing international standards going forward."
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