Work performed and main achievements can be summarised as the following:
Identifed technical and environmental and economic sustainability requirements of the eleven use cases of the project as the initial engagement of the first phase of the project and forms the basis of the following work packages through identification of the requirements.
The majority of UCs in the project have viable pathways for recycling or reuse, contributing to improved circularity and supporting the sustainability goals of the project.
As part of its sustainability goals, the GIANCE project evaluated the safe integration of Graphene-Related Materials (GRMs) and other 2D nanomaterials across 11 use cases (UCs), with a particular focus on nanosafety and environmental impact. The results are potential risks associated with these materials, including their reactivity and interaction with biological systems, ensuring alignment with industrial safety standards.
The methodological approach includes material selection strategies, design for assembly/disassembly (DFA/DFD), design for recycling (DFR), and functional lightweight design. A conceptual study has provided a realistic manufacturing scenario and cost analysis, ensuring the feasibility and practicality of the proposed solutions. Furthermore, partners have contributed to the eco-design concepts related to optimizing advanced graphene-based materials (GRM-bM), feasibility, manufacturing technologies, and recyclability.
Regarding the production routes for GRM, a qualitative sustainability checklist was developed as an initial screening tool, addressing environmental, economic, and social aspects, with a strong emphasis on environmental performance.
Key findings indicate that energy consumption is the primary environmental hotspot across most GRMs, particularly for Graphene Nanoplatelets , Laser reduced Graphene Oxide, and Laser induced graphene. For these, the integration of renewable energy sources is highly recommended. In the case of CVD-based FLG production, significant impacts were observed across all environmental indicators. For graphene oxide (GO), water use and liquid waste generation are the main environmental concerns.
To enhance sustainability, several improvement measures were proposed, such as:
Using waste-derived carbon sources as precursors;
Prioritizing renewable electricity in energy-intensive processes;
Promoting process efficiency and greener applications in future developments.
These actions support the transition to more environmentally and economically sustainable GRM production pathways, especially in preparation for their use in demonstrators.
Technology readiness assessment has been completed by determining the TRLs for the UCs, eval-uation is based on the answers given to a set of questions for each level. The questions are broken into five categories: General, manufacturing, material – process, integration, legal/IP. These catego-ries are aligned with the scope of the technology development per GIANCE. These questions help to identify and articulate assumptions made prior to the development of requirements for the target-ed TRL. Technology development associated with an UC is identified early in the project life cycle and its maturity level needs to evolve to the targeted level through the project.
