Graphene

[storminnorman]

Fair bit about this in the papers today, interesting to read about the methods that led to the discovery (and the characterful pair involved)

As a complete layman I understand (I think) what it is, how it is made and the small-scale applications. However I was a bit stumped as to how it has the potential to be the "material of the future" sort of thing. It's been a few years since the discovery, what is preventing widespread use? (Although I did read that Lockheed was investigating using it to filter sea water into drinking water, wow)
Does it have the capability for large-scale use, for example like carbon fiber? what are the costs involved and the sustainability of materials involved?

Very interesting, would appreciate a better mind than me to explain it!

[annodomini2]

They said this about aluminium and titanium when they were discovered.

It's called that as they don't understand most of it's capabilities.

As it's new and not being mass produced, it's expensive and hence not in wide use.

[nobrakelights]

I've not seen today's news, but last I heard is that they couldn't make it stick together more than once or twice, that was the hard bit otherwise it had potential!

Don't they grow it like a plant, or was that something else?

[tapkaJohnD]

Enormous article about graphene on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene#Mechanical_p...

This link takes you straight to "Mechanical properties", as this is the strongest material yet known. The paragraph is followed by one on 'Applications'; for example, if, when, graphene can be industrialised it could replace the rare, expensive and in short supply elements that are used on touch screens. Great profits to be made from applications, so it will happen.

The laser was originally described as "a solution looking for a problem" as no one knew how to use them. Look at lasers now! More famously, it is alleged that Benjamin Franklin, when asked why a hot air balloon was an important invention, and certainly when Faraday first lectured on the discovery of the Halogen elements, they replied by asking "Of what use is a new-born baby?".

We'll think of something, Professor Faraday!
John

[Baron Greenback]

Researchers produce ultra-light aerogel using Graphene the carbon sponge developed by Gao's team is the record holder of lightest material, with 0.16 mg/cubic centimeter, lower than the density of helium. This new material is amazing. Their aerogel is extremely elastic, bouncing back when compressed. It can absorb up to 900 times their own weight in oil, only oil not water. In addition, the aerogel can absorb organics at a high speed: one gram of such aerogel can absorb 68.8 grams of organics per second. It can be useful in dealing with oil spills at sea. "Maybe one day when oil spill occurs, we can scatter them on the sea and absorb the oil quickly. Due to its elasticity, both the oil absorbed and the aerogel can be recycled." Apart from that, the aerogel may also be made into ideal phase change energy storage insulation material, catalytic carrier or efficient composite.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-ultra-light-aerogel.h...
edit
http://phys.org/news/2013-01-tiny-miracle-graphene...
soaking up radioactive waste/cockups for clean up!

Edited by Baron Greenback on Wednesday 27th March 14:49

[prand]

Incredible sounding stuff, I can imagine we'll be seeing some very special materials being produced from it over the next 20 years. Hasn't this been developed in the UK (Something to do with Manchester University?) What are the chances of the UK cashing in on such a revolutionary, flexible material?

[Krikkit]

prand said:

Incredible sounding stuff, I can imagine we'll be seeing some very special materials being produced from it over the next 20 years. Hasn't this been developed in the UK (Something to do with Manchester University?) What are the chances of the UK cashing in on such a revolutionary, flexible material?

Two chaps at the condensed matter group won the Nobel for their part in developing it, and they've just secured £23m for a new Research centre. I think the uses could well be a bit overblown yet, but I'm very much hoping to be proved wrong!

[prand]

Krikkit said:

Two chaps at the condensed matter group won the Nobel for their part in developing it, and they've just secured £23m for a new Research centre. I think the uses could well be a bit overblown yet, but I'm very much hoping to be proved wrong!

Good to know UK still can drive innovation (unless its all like the cold fusion nonsense a few years back). Would be very disappointed if this is all just quantuum theory and never result in practical applications.

[RealSquirrels]

There are already prototype devices based on graphene, touch screes etc.

Whilst the initial discovery was made in the uk, a lot of the applications based research has been done in the Far East and they probably have a lead now.

[V8LM]

RealSquirrels said:

There are already prototype devices based on graphene, touch screes etc.

Whilst the initial discovery was made in the uk, a lot of the applications based research has been done in the Far East and they probably have a lead now.

True. Sad, isn't it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-2097...