There are already a diverse number of applications for graphene and the graphene market will be real and significant. Currently graphene sells for $100 to $200 a gram but the market is counted in terms of kilograms. That size of the market is projected to increase rapidly as graphene is industrially produced. However, neither are guaranteed. The following questions need to be answered: what is the profit in making graphene and what is the market size.
What is the profit? It is important to recognize that graphene production techniques and processes are public domain. This means that no company or, no select group of companies, is going to dominate the market through trade secrets and patents although they could through the control of the resources that make the graphene.
On the low end of the graphene market is bulk material used as a filler to provide strength and conductivity in future day-to-day composite products probably using additive manufacturing techniques (3D printing). The current market for carbon fiber composites was $16,479.4 million in 2013, and is expected to grow at a rate of 12.8% annually from 2014 to 2019 with bulk carbon costs on the order of half a dollar per gram. Graphene could replace these products if sold at lower costs. The prime candidate for lower quality bulk graphene is cheap readily available amorphous graphite as graphene is easiest to make when the distance between the graphene layers of the graphite are wider and the crystals are smaller. Thus, the cost of bulk graphene will quickly come down to the cost of the raw materials, the cost of production and a small profit margin. With the winners being dictated by those with the cheapest graphite, labour and energy costs. Profit margins on the bulk material are likely to be minimal but significant profits will be made through large volumes. As China and Mexico are the sources of most the amorphous graphite they will probably also be centers for bulk graphene production.
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