Guest_Jim_* Posted May 22, 2015 Posted May 22, 2015 Graphene is almost certainly going to be a wonder material of our time, with its amazing properties and many potential applications. Different applications pose different challenges for the material though. An example of this is polymer composites that contain graphene, but researchers at ORNL have found a solution to some of the problems. The idea with polymer composites is to add flakes of graphene to the mix, so that they can add strength and conductivity. Graphene, despite being an atom-thick sheet of carbon, is exceedingly strong and tremendous electron mobility. When added to polymers though, the tiny flakes can clump together and not disperse correctly. The ORNL researchers' solution was to use chemical vapor deposition to create larger laminates of graphene. This resulted in the desired electrical conductance despite using only half as much graphene. Being large pieces, approximately two inches by two inches, the graphene also will not stick together. Polymer composites with graphene could find many uses from aerospace and land vehicles to electronics and the energy sector. Before that can happen though, the researchers have to bring down costs and show the process can be scaled up, to meet manufacturing needs. Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Back to original news post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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