Graphene

[v8250]

Last year I first became aware of the Graphene breakthrough and listened, ears pinned to Radio4, to an amazing report on this technology breakthrough. Graphene is being promoted as the new 'wonder' technology which I have no doubt is true...flexible screen tech, flexible battery/power cells, ultra-low current applications...investment levels in Graphene have gone vertical; so how far could Graphene take us??

[z4chris99]

I really don't get why I would want a bendy phone.

it would be good , if cheap enough, for large scale advertising boards

[v8250]

I was hoping for a slightly deeper discussion rather than just the bendy phone preferences. I believe Graphene has the ability to transform many of the electrical appliances we use in our lives...but what about other applications... medical for example?

[maffski]

z4chris99 said:

I really don't get why I would want a bendy phone.

Really? I can. The latest smart phones hove got so big they're not very good as actual phones...

Something like a thick pen, with just enough screen to show me who's calling. The screen could then roll out a few inches to make a smart phone, roll out a few more and you've got a tablet.

A bit like this:

[Blackpuddin]

Graphene is one of the biggest advances ever in material science. Its ability to bend is key. I gather it can be used for curved solar panels. That could have major implications for motoring.

[Inertiatic]

Strength to weight ratio far in excess of steel as well.

Lots of potential future uses. Need to bond graphene successfully first

[Lost_BMW]

Have you seen this - refers to Samsung's interest in Graphene:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20526577

[Simpo Two]

Sad really that when a new technology comes out, all they can think of is how to make the next wave of consumer gadgets that will be out of date in a year and end up in landfill.

[MartG]

Inertiatic said:

Strength to weight ratio far in excess of steel as well.

Lots of potential future uses. Need to bond graphene successfully first

Could be lots of uses - things that come to mind include suspension bridge cables, replace the carbon in carbonfibre with graphene fibre for even stronger material etc.

Flexible solar panels - imagine a solar panel coat so you could keep your phone charged while walking around

[v8250]

MartG said:

Could be lots of uses - things that come to mind include suspension bridge cables, replace the carbon in carbonfibre with graphene fibre for even stronger material etc.

Flexible solar panels - imagine a solar panel coat so you could keep your phone charged while walking around

Excellent reply, structural applications could be endless. And flexibility apps' too...like the concept of clothing using graphene based solar collectors built in to clothing; though wonder how it would fair up to the regular 40deg wash?

The solar concepts have considerable market value. Am aware solar powered paint has been developed and, conceptually, looks like graphene solar collectors could be used in automotve and rail product.

Understanding that the primary researchers are based at Manchester University...what about medical applications?

[TheHeretic]

Space elevator time!

[Gun]

Sounds very interesting, I think we'll see this technology everywhere in the coming years.

[EliseNick]

A more immediate application might be as a top electrical contact for technologies requiring optical access, such as touch screens and photovoltaics. Currently indium tin oxide is generally the material of choice for this, but indium is expensive, finite and geopolitically loaded. Graphene is more conductive, more flexible and the raw material is essentially free.

It's a pretty exciting material. I think the only thing it doesn't do well is interact with light - so direct use as the emitter or detector in optical systems is unlikely.

[gifdy]

Amazing stuff ...and discovered with a bit of sellotape ! Its conductivity at only an atom thick could eventually replace silicon for faster and more dense processors but it seems to me that battery technology is the area that's lagging behind. If graphene can be used to make a step change in battery capacity then it really will change things. Mobile devices and cars are the obvious ones that would benefit. It would be good to see more medical applications though, such as exoskeletons to help disabled walk etc. Cheap mobile power with sufficient capacity always seems to be the issue.

[stew-S160]

More progress- http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/dec/...

[MrWhippy]

Advances in manufacturing: http://www.gizmag.com/3d-graphene-cork-blocks/2534...

[RizzoTheRat]

I hadn't realised until the other day that Greim is the first person to have won both a Nobel prize (Graphene) and an Ig Nobel for his Levitating Frog experiment.

It'll be interesting to see what uses people come up with for it. I think a couple of the most interesting possibilities are the suggestion of super capacitors that would give a far higher energy density than anything currently available, and that the mesh structure is small enough to allow water through but not larger molecules, so far that property has been used to distill Vodka (Russian scientists have thier priorities right), but could be used to provide cheap desalination and water purification.

There was an interesting piece on it on last weeks Naked Scientist podacst.

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Sunday 16th December 15:11

[Mojocvh]

As has been stated through out the thread, an astounding material breakthrough, and one that, IMHO, can be classed as a total game changer.

Fantastic.

[Pesty]

Vid clip talking about using it as a super capacitor

http://vimeo.com/51873011

[RizzoTheRat]

I thought that was a pisstake for a minute, but it seems you really can make Graphene using a lightscribe DVD drive

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6074/1326.sh...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oEFwyoWKXo

If it can be made that cheaply in defined patterns the possibilities are endless