The Seven Ways Graphene Can Change the World
Although the word graphene has only been used since 2004, the substance itself has been around since the 1960s, but no one knew what to do with it. The scientific community was aware of graphene's amazing properties, but they had no idea how to use it or what to use it for; until 2004, when researchers Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the Nobel Prize in Physics for isolating graphene from graphite in an experiment so simple you can do it at home.
4 Things That You Should Know About Graphene
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. It is an allotrope of carbon, like diamond and graphite, and was first isolated in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov.
Graphene is the thinnest material known to man and is also the strongest, with a tensile strength 200 times that of steel.
Graphene is also the best conductor of heat and electricity, making it ideal for use in electronic devices.
Finally, graphene is flexible, transparent and can be produced cheaply and easily. Those are seven reasons why graphene could change the world.
1) Graphene is a new kind of battery - Batteries made from pure graphene will have unprecedented power density and charge rate.
2) The most efficient solar cells - Researchers at MIT have developed solar cells from grapheme which convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently than ever before. These cells are also cheaper to produce than other technologies currently on the market.
3) Flexible electronics - Scientists at Rice University have created conductive ribbons from graphene that are cheap and easy to produce, but are highly sensitive to mechanical strain so could lead to innovative wearables in the future. 4) Graphene earphones - In 2013, a team of researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing unveiled their latest creation: wireless earbuds embedded with graphene transistors. They were able to achieve this due to the flexibility and light weight of graphene transistors. 5) Super tough composites - Japanese scientists at Osaka University found that combining graphite oxide with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), they could create strong and lightweight polymers, opening up the possibility for stronger plastics and fibers. 6) Stronger batteries - A study conducted by Stanford researchers showed that coating lithium-ion batteries with two layers of atomically thin sheets of graphite (graphene nano-sheets), increased the life span up to 800% compared to conventional batteries.
High Conductivity
One of the most impressive properties of graphene is its high electrical conductivity. In fact, graphene is the best conductor of electricity that has ever been discovered. This makes it ideal for use in electronic devices and circuits. And because it's only one atom thick, this material will also allow for faster processing speeds and smaller circuit boards. Flexible: Not only is graphene strong enough to be fashioned into a single sheet of paper with just your hands, but also it's very flexible too.
Graphene-coated smartphones would be a lot more durable than those without a coating due to its flexibility. And by utilizing this property, we could one day see foldable smartphones with screens as thin as a piece of paper! Temperature Resistant: With an ability to withstand heat up to nearly 2200 degrees Fahrenheit (1200 Celsius), graphene's excellent thermal stability means it can be used in environments where conventional materials might not stand up well at all. Applications include creating lighter, stronger rocket nozzles, which are subject to enormous temperatures when launching from Earth; temperature-resistant wiring inside automobiles or other vehicles; or even something like a robot skin that's resistant to fire. Transparent: The transparency of graphene opens up many possibilities for using it in electronics applications. For example, imagine a mobile phone screen made out of this material—it would allow you to answer calls while looking through the screen instead of having a separate window on top. Plus, thanks to its transparency, solar cells made from graphene could harness light from any direction! That's right - horizontal, vertical, and even the dark side of the moon. Lightweight: Imagine being able to carry around anything you need in life with just one finger - like lifting up a child or petting a cat. Thanks to graphene's unique strength-to-weight ratio (in some cases over 200 times stronger than steel yet much lighter), these things may become possible! Additive Manufacturing: Additive manufacturing allows engineers to create 3D objects from a digital file by layering materials together successively until they form the desired shape. Because of graphene's unique chemical structure, it could open new doors for this process by making printed parts 100% pure carbon - including their electric circuitry. Self-Healing Material: What if a scratch on your phone screen healed itself, like a scar on human skin? A major challenge for researchers working with graphene was to find a way to make it bend without breaking. Now, researchers have found a way to fix cracks caused by bending using gold particles. When the cracks are heated, the particles melt and fill them in. This could potentially lead to self-healing touchscreen displays!
Graphene Flagship Project
One of Europe's most ambitious research projects comes from the European Union Graphene Flagship initiative. Aiming to revolutionize both industry and society, this €1 billion project brings together universities, research institutes, private companies and public organizations across 22 countries.
Strong
Graphene is the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material. Here are seven ways it could change the world 1) It will allow for more durable phones: Unlike current materials, graphene isn't brittle so you don't have to worry about breaking your phone when you drop it.
2) It will make batteries last longer: Theoretically, graphene batteries can charge in seconds and last up to a week before needing a recharge - that's a big improvement over current battery technology! 3) It will lead to less expensive solar cells: Solar cells made from graphene instead of silicon would be cheaper because they require less processing, which would bring down the cost of electricity. 4) More efficient smartwatches: These devices use very little power but with improved touchscreens using graphene they'll be able to run all day on just one charge 5) Renewable energy storage : When paired with solar panels or wind turbines, the electrical energy created by these sources could be stored in giant sheets of graphene and then transferred as needed. 6) More efficient water filtration systems : Researchers found that tiny pieces of broken graphene mixed into water filters greatly increased their effectiveness at removing bacteria 7) A cure for cancer? One lab has successfully tested how to kill brain cancer cells using an electron beam treatment that takes advantage of graphene's unique propertiespropertiespropertiesproperties
Stretchable
Graphene is an incredibly strong and lightweight material. It's also flexible, which makes it ideal for a number of applications. For example, graphene could be used to create stretchable electronics. This would be perfect for wearable devices, as they would be able to conform to the contours of your body. Additionally, graphene-based electronics could be used in medical implants and prosthetics, as they would be able to move and flex with the body. Graphene has also been shown to allow air and water vapor through when applied to various membranes. There are other potential uses for graphene that haven't even been explored yet.
What do you think about these possible uses? Do you have any ideas about how this can change the world? Let us know! Post your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter using #7WaysGrapheneCanChangeTheWorld. What do you think about these possible uses? Do you have any ideas about how this can change the world? Let us know! Post your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter using #7WaysGrapheneCanChangeTheWorld.
Transparent and flexible
Imagine a world where your phone screen is made of graphene. Not only would it be practically unbreakable, but it would also be flexible, meaning you could fold it up and put it in your pocket. And since graphene is transparent, you'd be able to see right through it. A new type of television? Who knows what's possible with this one-atom thick material!
Graphene has many properties that make it an ideal candidate for electrical and thermal conduction. It conducts electricity better than copper and so can be used for wiring or as an insulator for circuits because electrons move through the material unimpeded by other obstacles.
It's also very strong, which means it could replace metals like steel when making things like cars or planes. When combined with carbon nanotubes, they can produce materials stronger than steel while being light enough to allow planes to fly more efficiently on less fuel - which means more profit for airlines! Graphene will not only revolutionize transportation, but it will help keep us cool too. It can work like a solar panel, says Andre Geim, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of graphene at Manchester University. If you have something that is white or shiny on top of graphene, part of the energy from sunlight goes into heating the object; part goes into charging nearby molecules (on the surface) to such high energies that they escape from the sheet.
This means we'll be able to turn any surface into a passive cooling device. What does this mean for air conditioning? We'll have no idea until someone invents it! With these groundbreaking qualities, there are endless possibilities for how graphene can change our world.
Anti-corrosive
One of the most amazing properties of graphene is its anti-corrosive abilities. This is because graphene is impermeable to water and other liquids, meaning that it can't rust or corrode. This makes it an ideal material for everything from food packaging to ship hulls. It could also be used in pollution control as a coating on car exhaust pipes or industrial chimneys. The US Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to develop ways of using graphene for this purpose. Graphene's ability to conduct heat and electricity may make it useful in developing more efficient power grids.
Graphene sheets are transparent and highly conductive - two qualities which make them perfect for use in touch screens. Researchers at MIT have already designed touchscreen displays made of graphene; Samsung Electronics is among those conducting research into commercialising such products. They've created small touchscreens with flexible plastic substrates and electrodes consisting of graphene oxide.
Touchscreens built with graphene would be much thinner than current versions, have a higher resolution, offer better sunlight readability and consume less power. With these attributes they would be ideally suited to devices like tablets and smartphones.
Graphene may also find its way into solar panels: by allowing more light to pass through without losing any of the energy content, it could make photovoltaic cells much more efficient. However, before we see graphene enter our homes in roof tiles and window panes, manufacturers will need to overcome some practical hurdles, including cost. And though graphene can withstand high temperatures, it cannot withstand prolonged exposure to high levels of radiation. For now, we'll just have to be satisfied with cheaper substitutes.
Affordable
Graphene is the world's thinnest and strongest material. It is also flexible, transparent, and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. These properties make it ideal for a variety of applications, from solar cells and LED lights to water filtration and desalination. With its vast potential, graphene could help make many products more affordable for consumers. Using the new substance in place of plastics would allow manufacturers to create objects that are both durable and lightweight. Electronics with thinner displays could be produced at lower costs with graphene in place of glass or plastic materials. In theory, such devices should consume less power as well. Renewable Energy: The rise in popularity of clean energy has led to many different solutions being proposed. Some have been successful at turning this renewable resource into a usable form like wind turbines or solar panels, but these solutions can't be used everywhere due to their need for natural elements that may not always be available. One possible solution? Create surfaces that can capture wind or sunlight when they're available and store this energy as electrical power which can then be used at other times! For example, scientists recently created a large area of solar cell film using graphene. The film is so efficient that one square meter could produce about 60 kilowatts per hour - enough to power up to eight homes! Sustainable Development: Carbon emissions continue to escalate across the globe. As global temperatures increase, storms become more severe and natural disasters become commonplace. But we don't have time to wait for politicians around the world to get together and figure out how we can address climate change - there are ways we can take action now! From designing better buildings to creating green spaces, there are many opportunities for us to decrease our carbon footprint without waiting for any legislation. Reducing poverty: Poverty is a huge issue all over the world. On top of basic human rights violations, those living in poverty suffer from shorter life spans and poorer health outcomes than those who aren't struggling financially. In fact, extreme poverty (defined by $1.90 USD/day) causes 1 death every 4 seconds! Though some believe that increased trade barriers will lead to growth among developing countries, others think economic stability will come through investments in technology and innovation rather than imposing trade restrictions on certain industries
Water Resistant
Imagine a world where your phone could be dropped in water and not break. Your computer could be used in the rain. Your clothes could be made from a fabric that never gets wet. This is the world that graphene can create. The material is completely impermeable to water, meaning that it can keep things dry no matter what. It would also make our electronics last longer because they won't get fried when submerged in water or when they're raining outside. And, as we all know, these days most of our gadgets need their batteries replaced often - so this would help cut down on cost of battery replacements.
A lot of different items are looking to use graphene for waterproofing purposes: clothing companies want to use it for waterproof jackets and shoes; tech companies want to put it on cell phones; even smart home appliance makers want to include it in their products like coffee makers and kettleskettleskettle . Imagine being able to drop your phone in a bowl of soup without having to worry about anything happening! In fact, scientists have tested putting graphene into silicone and found that it wasn't just water resistant but actually hydrophobic- meaning it was more than 50% more effective at repelling water than pure silicone! You may be wondering why you should care if your phone can survive an accidental dip in the pool or bathtub. Well, think about how much time you spend with technology each day (especially if you work in a job that requires heavy internet usage). You take your phone everywhere with you and use it for everything from answering emails to watching movies to making calls- so being able to avoid having your devices shorted out by water is huge!
Another reason why everyone will benefit from this technology? Clean drinking water. According to Water Aid , 844 million people don't have access to clean drinking water every day.
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