Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. Graphene is considered to be the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material - of both electricity and heat. All of these properties are exciting researchers and businesses around the world - as graphene has the potential to revolutionize entire industries - in the fields of electricity, conductivity, energy generation, batteries, sensors and more.
Mechanical strength
Graphene is the world's strongest material, and can be used to enhance the strength of other materials. Dozens of researchers have demonstrated that adding even a trace amount of graphene to plastics, metals or other materials can make these materials much stronger - or lighter (as you can use a smaller amount of material to achieve the same strength).
Such graphene-enhanced composite materials can find uses in aerospace, building materials, mobile devices, and many other applications.
Thermal applications
Graphene is the most heat conductive found to date. As graphene is also strong and light, it means that it is a great material for making heat-spreading solutions, such as heat sinks or heat dissipation films. This could be useful in both microelectronics (for example to make LED lighting more efficient and longer lasting) and also in larger applications - for example thermal foils for mobile devices. Huawei's latest smartphones, for example, have adopted graphene-based thermal films.
Energy storage
Since graphene is the world's thinnest material, it also extremely high surface-area to volume ratio. This makes graphene a very promising material for use in batteries and supercapacitors. Graphene may enable batteries and supercapacitors (and even fuel-cells) that can store more energy - and charge faster, too.
The advantages of graphene batteries
Coatings ,sensors, electronics and more
Graphene has a lot of promise for additional applications: anti-corrosion coatings and paints, efficient and precise sensors, faster and efficient electronics, flexible displays, efficient solar panels, faster DNA sequencing, drug delivery, and more.
Graphene is such a great and basic building block that it seems that any industry can benefit from this new material. Time will tell where graphene will indeed make an impact - or whether other new materials will be more suitable.
The latest Graphene Application news:
Dell patents design for graphene-enhanced wireless charging clip for laptops
Electronics and computer giant Dell has patented the design of a graphene-enhanced detachable clip for laptop computers, meant for wireless charging.
The clip uses a printed graphene charging coil built with a ferrite sheet as well as magnetic elements to hold the clip in place. This reportedly avoids increasing the size and thickness of the laptop. When the clip is installed on the laptop, charging circuitry is configured to supply inductive power to charge an auxiliary device such as a smartphone.
New market report: Graphene-enhanced Construction Materials
Graphene-Info is proud to announce a new market report, focused on the Graphene Construction Materials Market, a comprehensive guide to the world of graphene-enhanced construction materials.
Graphene can benefit the construction industry in many ways, like enhancing the performance of materials, reducing costs, reducing carbon emissions and more. All these should prove vital to the growing construction industry. Graphene-enhanced construction materials are already a reality, and the use of such materials is only expected to grow.
Reading this report, you'll learn all about:
- The advantages of using graphene in construction materials
- Companies involved in this industry
- Projects and trials underway today
- Research activities
The report package also provides:
- Datasheets and brochures from leading companies
- A look into how graphene can reduce carbon emissions
- A look into Chinese graphene construction materials projects
- Free updates for a year
This Graphene Construction Materials market report provides a great introduction to graphene materials used in the construction industry. It is a must-read guide for anyone interested in understanding the current market, mapping the companies involved and evaluating the future of the construction industry.
Levidian and United Utilities secure BEIS funding for biogas to hydrogen project
Levidian and United Utilities recently secured funding for the first phase of a biogas to hydrogen project.
The UK Government’s department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has awarded £212,000 (over USD$256,000) funding through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) for the first phase of a project which will utilize biogas from wastewater treatment as a fully sustainable feedstock to produce hydrogen and graphene through the Levidian LOOP. United Utilities will lead the project.
LG launches graphene-enhanced earbuds
LG Electronics USA has announced its 2022 lineup of TONE Free true wireless earbuds, to be rolled out in the US starting September 2022.
The flagship model, TONE Free T90, is said to deliver impressive sound thanks to several upgrades, including the use of graphene to reduce vibration. The use of graphene helps reduce vibration, while Dolby Head Tracking support keeps the feel of music around the users, even when they move.
Graphene aerospace balloons to promote Malaysia's rubber industry
The Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) has high hopes for its new aerospace balloon, made of a combination of graphene extract and natural rubber. The MRC's CEO, Nor Hizwan Ahmad, said the research and collaboration carried out by Meditech Gloves Sdn Bhd and Cranfield University in the United Kingdom has shown huge potential through the application of this product and findings.
The MRC CEO said the evolution from plantation to the aerospace industry is a great achievement for Malaysia’s rubber industry. He also said the aerospace balloon made of graphene extract and infused into natural rubber is new in the market and patented by Levidian Nanosystems.