Graphene is the wondrous super material that is quite literally out of this world, not least because its ever-growing list of potential applications and capabilities seem like those from a marvel comic, but also because as of right now as it has been for a while, Graphene is totally impractical. Applications are extensive but its usability is not, just 1 square inch is roughly $60 whilst it is widely proposed that Graphene needs to reach just $1 per square inch to make it feasible in technological applications whilst for touchscreen applications 10 cents per square inch is the marker.

Graphene is a sensation as it’s made-up from 1 honeycombed layer of atoms. That is a singular layer of atoms that you can pick up which is absolutely incredible. It is the world’s first 2D material and has sent scientists and industrialists into meltdown and rightly so. The Graphene Flagship Consortium- including Nokia- have just won a huge grant from the EU for Graphene development and research spread over the next 10 years. Graphene is made from Graphite, the very same Graphite which is in your pencil, it was discovered back in 2004 at the University of Manchester and 6 years down the line, Professor Andre Geim and Dr Kostya Novoselov collected the 2010 Nobel Prize for their troubles.

It is effectively grown in a process called mechanical exfoliation and though difficult you can replicate this yourself by combining Graphite powder, water, and dishwashing liquid at a high-speed blend and there you have it, the strongest material known to mankind. Whilst most scaled techniques manage less than half a gram per hour the real demand is for larger scale, cheaper production. The developments are hugely exciting, the strength is a pivotal factor yes, with a fraction of graphene improving polyesters strength by 50%, but it is the thermal properties that are invigorating industries with our heavy reliance on technology and the lack of real-life applications to match which is exactly the ...CONTINUE READING