Graphene is made of pure carbon, similar to graphite, that we use to write with pencils. It is almost transparent and a sheet one atom thick can be 200 times stronger than steel.
New projects with graphene
At present, graphene is a material that is still under investigation by different companies and in fields as diverse as the world of sports, the military or technology. They all have a common factor, improving the performance of their current products.
Because graphene can bring them many benefits, and not only economic ones. First, because from the outset, what can be extracted from a small piece of coal is superior compared to other materials and second, because it can also be synthesized. The possibilities are practically endless and here we are going to show you some curious uses of graphene that we may soon see as something common.
1. Sports accessories
Since it is a derivative of carbon and its hardness is extreme, some sports accessories are being manufactured in graphene, such as tennis rackets or bicycle frames. These two examples, which have been made with aluminum and carbon in recent years, have found graphene a perfect solution for elite athletes, lightening weight and achieving a precise balance.
2. New military equipment
The military sector was not going to be left behind, and all kinds of equipment for elite soldiers are already under development, which we do not know if in use. Bulletproof suits, helmets, vehicle armor, etc. and it is not surprising that they can even make weapons or ammunition based on graphene.
3. Screens built into walls and floors
It may seem like a film, but graphene, among its properties, has the power of electrical conduction and transparent screens are already being manufactured, with a millimeter thickness, flexible and suitable for covering all types of surfaces, such as floors, walls, ceilings. , even smart road signs. This will allow us to have all kinds of smart surfaces, without depending on screens that we are used to seeing everywhere today.
4. Condoms
At the University of Manchester, where graphene was discovered, they aim to create and produce condoms based on latex and graphene. It will enhance the resistance of current condoms while offering greater resistance and less thickness. In addition, according to the first studies, the fineness that can be adopted when manufacturing them with graphene is one of the most relevant characteristics.
5. Graphene paint and coatings
In the construction sector, graphene has become a great ally. Thanks to its great capacity to integrate with other materials, it is capable of transferring many of its properties to others and thus creating molecular structures with great hardness, malleability, impermeability … Very important for the coating of exterior walls and paints in which a significant wear.
6. Graphene in edible products
In case you didn’t already know, the miraculous graphene can also be eaten, in very small quantities. This is what a study in the ACS Nano of the American Chemical Society shows, which aims to use graphene printed on certain foods to know, for example, their traceability. In addition, it can be a great bacteria detector and alert us to possible food poisoning such as E. coli or other microorganisms.
7. Desalinate seawater
The scarcity of fresh water in some parts of the planet is a problem that with climate change is going to get worse and worse. In many places, including Spain, there are desalination plants to irrigate fields or even drink after a process of purification. But these huge plants consume a lot of energy resources and their efficiency and performance is very low for the high cost. Despite this, they are necessary, and graphene is here to stay, since it can increase the performance of these plants while making water drinkable more efficiently and economically.
If you are thinking about it, yes, I confirm it, graphene is the new miracle product. It can be said that it is valid for everything and in the future its use or integration with other materials may be a generalized thing. Will graphene be the new Grail?