Synthetic barrier material and method of manufacture thereof

A method of manufacturing a synthetic barrier material, the synthetic barrier material comprising graphene nanoplatelets, wherein the method comprises:

• a) dispersing the graphene nanoplatelets in a photocurable resin, wherein the photocurable resin comprises styrenic, acrylic or vinylic monomers or oligomers thereof and a photo-initiator, and wherein the photocurable resin comprises epoxy diacrylate and glycol diacrylate;
• and
• b) applying an electric field to polarically align the graphene nanoplatelets in the photocurable resin, wherein the graphene nanoplatelets are in parallel alignment in the photocurable resin at a predefined spacing to prevent end-to-end contact between adjacent nanoplatelets;
• and
• c) applying a light source to cure the photocurable resin to obtain a light-cured photopolymer in which the graphene nanoplatelets have been dispersed and polarically aligned;
• wherein the graphene nanoplatelet has a thickness in a range of 5-10 nanometers and a diameter in a range of 15-50 micrometers, and the synthetic barrier material has a graphene nanoplatelets content in the range of 1 to 5% by weight relative to the weight of the synthetic barrier material, wherein the graphene nanoplatelets comprise a grafted functionalized alkyl silyl group, wherein the graphene nanoplatelets are aligned within the light-cured photopolymer at a predefined spacing, such that the graphene nanoplatelets form parallel, closely packed layers structurally separated by the light-cured photopolymer, thereby forming a brick-and-mortar architecture in which the graphene nanoplatelets act as the bricks and the light-cured photopolymer acts as the mortar.