Carbon , one of the most important chemical elements of nature, is present in all living beings and is the source from which is obtained the graphene . This material originates when tiny carbon particles are grouped very densely into sheets of two very fine dimensions, the size of an atom, and hexagonal cells. Where do you get your raw material? Because something that is found abundantly in nature, especially in countries like China and Brazil, we refer to graphite. Yes, the same product that is used to make that pencil that you used when you went to school, is also used to make a wide range of other products.
Origins of graphene
Graphene is not a new invention, it has been known since the 30’s. Already in 1949 the Canadian physicist, Philip Russell Wallace , had calculated for the first time its structure.
However, it was only at the beginning of this century that the ore became fashionable, largely thanks to the fact that in 2004 scientists of Russian origin, Novoselov and Geim, managed to isolate it at room temperature, an achievement that meant them to obtain the Prize Nobel of Physics in 2010.
The properties of graphene
Graphene is a material that combines a large number of properties that do not occur together in another compound, so it is able to completely improve the conditions of any surface where it is applied. Being a very hard, resistant, flexible and lightweight material, it can be molded according to the needs of each case. Being also a very good conductor of heat and electricity. It also has the advantage of staying in very stable conditions, even when subjected to great pressures.
How is it obtained?
In order to preserve all its properties, this mineral must be of the highest possible quality. To obtain it, the graphite must be defolded with adhesive tape repeatedly, until obtaining a layer of a molecule of thickness, thus obtaining a graphene of very high quality.
Currently, the existing methods for manufacturing this mineral at the industrial level require specialized equipment and complicated manufacturing procedures. The ultrasonic cleaner is the most sophisticated machine to produce sheets of graphene, a device already available in many laboratories around the world.
What is its usefulness of graphene?
If you did not know, single layer graphene powder is present in dozens of products that we use in our daily life such as: cars, cell phones and music equipment , to name a few. Thanks to its properties, this mineral has the potential to be used in the construction of sophisticated things such as airplanes, satellites or automobiles, making them safer. It is also used in the construction of buildings, since it makes them more resistant.
But if there is an area where graphene stands out, that is the field of electronics. Thanks to its energy storage capacity , it is possible to give the batteries a significantly longer life and a shorter charging time. At the same time it contributes to establish faster connections, thus collaborating with the environment , this in the mean that its use can replace polluting materials that are currently used as mercury and lead.
But in addition, this mineral is capable of generating electricity through solar energy , which makes it a future promise of the field of clean energy. As an example, if solar panels were built with graphene, it could generate several times more energy per hour than what is currently obtained, solving one of the main pitfalls to the proliferation of solar energy; its scarce amount of production.
GTA Spano, the first super sports car to incorporate graphene. Martin Good / Shutterstock.com
In the field of health, its potential is also enormous: graphene prostheses could in the future replace the current ones , and even serve to improve the treatment of some diseases .
On the other hand, with respect to the machines with which radiographs are made, which work through ionizing radiation (forms of energy that cause great material wear of their environment), graphene would allow an almost infinite duration.This would mean that the investment that would have to be made in acquiring the material would be considerably lower.
Why does not graphene still massify?
After reading what is in this article, you’re probably asking yourself, why have you never heard of graphene? (or maybe yes, but probably in passing). If graphene has so many qualities and benefits, why is not it being used more?
Although there is no simple answer to this question, we could say that it derives from an economic and production issue: Do you remember that above we mentioned that in order to extract a high quality graphene, we had to strip the graphite with adhesive tape? Well, it turns out that through this process, the production that can be achieved is minimal, being insufficient for industrial use.
Although currently there are other more efficient methods to obtain graphene, focused on increasing their production, they do not achieve a product with the required quality.
Current forms of marketing
Nowadays, this mineral is sold in two formats: sheet and powder. The first one is of high quality and is used, for example, in the fields of electronics, computer science and aeronautics, all areas where a very resistant material is required . However ,currently its production cost is very high.
The second, is used in those areas that do not need a high quality material, requiring a significantly cheaper obtaining process, which allows a higher production. Of course, since it has a significantly lower quality , it has to renounce a significant part of its properties.
Investigations in progress
The next big step for this mineral is the search for a method of obtaining that overcomes this barrier. Currently, there are various scientific teams around the world dedicated to this goal .
The European Union announced in January 2013 a budget of about 1,000 million euros for the next decade, aimed at ensuring that graphene can be used massively in European industries. They currently have more than 150 public and private research groups dedicated to the subject.
For its part, the Chinese government in the same year created the China Innovation Alliance of The Graphene Industry , a consortium of companies and institutions seeking the massification of the implementation of graphene in all types of products.
And South America is also playing a role in this international effort; The Braziliangovernment inaugurated the MackGrafe in Sao Paulo in 2014 , a 6,500 square meter innovation center with a budget of 15 million dollars, with the intention of being able to master the different ways of obtaining graphene.
As you can see, the race for the future of graphene has important institutions and countries behind the goal of producing it on a large scale ; it is only a question of time that revolutionary achievements with this mineral are achieved.
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