A FAMILY-OWNED chemical firm is playing an integral role in putting the UK at the pinnacle of the global science market.

Thomas Swan and Co, in Consett, County Durham, is supporting multi-million pound work on graphene, which it expects to deliver new jobs.

The company, which started life converting steel industry slag waste into road surfacing material, is working with the Government on revolutionary projects to strengthen the evolution of the wonder material.

Graphene is an ultra-light carbon material, which experts say could support the weight of a ten-tonne truck, despite being as thin as a human hair.

To meet industry demand, Thomas Swan has scaled up its Elicarb graphene plant to make up to 1kg of graphene every day, and bosses aim to make the region a centre of excellence after meeting experts from the £60m Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC).

The development will be based at the University of Manchester, and a team visited Swan’s site for insight into how to best design the GEIC building.

The partnership comes after the firm secured four high-profile projects from the Government’s Innovate UK body to help develop ways of using graphene with partner companies and universities.

Andy Goodwin, Thomas Swan’s advanced materials commercial director, told The Northern Echo it was all about finding a perfect balance for the substance.

He said: “The graphene industry is very significant for the UK and the challenge is getting the right graphene for the right application.

“Graphene could be used in things like batteries, touch panels and printable electronics, and we expect to find it is a good fit in some areas, but not so in others.

“There is a significant will in our leadership to grow through product innovation.

“The company employs 165 workers and we have eight on the graphene side.

“We expect that to grow and it will need to as we build the business.”

Highlighting a previous deal with Trinity College Dublin to develop a process for making graphene on an industrial scale, Mr Goodwin said the company was always looking to strengthen its presence in the sector.

He added: “It’s all about building a relationship and collaborating with centres of excellence in the UK.

“They have got some things that they are bringing forward, and we have some things too.

“The infrastructure we have in place is already giving us an advantage and we will continue to look for opportunities to work with experts to bolster what we can deliver.”

Graphene was first identified at the University of Manchester more than ten years ago.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is due to open this year at the University of Manchester, employing up to 120 workers who will research graphene’s potential uses.

The GEIC will compliment its work by fast-tracking ideas from the drawing board to the market.