WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
Graphene is a thin film made of carbon atoms, one atom thick. Graphite, which is used as a pencil lead, is a term created by combining ‘graphite’ with the suffix ‘-ene’, which means a molecule with a carbon double bond.
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Now, to understand graphene, you must first understand the structure of graphite, which is used as a raw material for pencil lead. Graphite is a layered structure of hexagons in which carbon atoms are made of covalent bonds.
When one layer of this graphite was isolated, (drumroll) behold! Graphene has been found! Many scientists have spent years trying to isolate this single layer.
However, the method of isolating graphene was very simple. In 2004, the tool used by the British scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who separated graphene for the first time, was... scotch tape!
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Here's how. After attaching a graphite sample to the end of a long rectangular piece of scotch tape, fold the tape so that it touches the other end, press it firmly, and then peel it off again. If this is repeated several times, the graphite layer is reduced and thinned, gradually approaching graphene. In this state, you can obtain graphene by attaching graphite to flat silicon, pressing it hard with your hand, and gently peeling it off. It's a very original method that leveraged the fragility of graphite. The research team was recognized for this process and received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.
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Graphene is one of the carbon allotropes composed of carbon with a structure in which carbon atoms gather to form a two-dimensional plane. The crystal structure of graphene has a 2D hexagonal shape in which three bonds are attached to one vertex. Because of this stable molecular structure, it is called the thinnest material in the world.
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The power of this thin layer of carbon, which is 0.2nm in thickness, or 10 billionths of 2m, is beyond imagination.
It conducts electricity more than 100x better than copper and can move electrons more than 100x faster than single-crystal silicon, which is a semiconductor. In addition, its strength is more than 200x stronger than steel and its thermal conductivity is more than 2x that of a diamond. It has excellent elasticity, does not lose its electrical properties even when stretched or bent, has great durability, and since it is a single layer, it can be applied transparently due to the low absorption of visible light.
GRAPHENE, THE REAL LIFE VIBRANIUM
x100
STRONGER
THAN STEEL
x100
MORE CONDUCTIVE THAN COPPER
x6
LIGHTER
THAN STEEL
GRAPHITE
GRAPHITE WITH
GRAPHENE LAYERS
GRAPHENE
1. Outstanding Physical Strengh
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Graphene's physical strength is even greater than that of steel, which is known to be hard. This is due to the density of its carbon bonds (C-C-C-C).
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2. Excellent Thermal Conductivity
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The thermal conductivity of graphene is known to be about 5000 W/m K at room temperature. This is about 10 times greater than that of metals such as copper and aluminum. It is said to be twice as high as even diamond, which is known to have the highest thermal conductivity. This is because graphene can easily transmit atomic vibrations. This superior thermal conductivity also contributes to the long mean free path of electrons.
3. Flexibility
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Graphene does not lose its electrical conductivity when stretched or folded by more than 10%. Due to this flexibility, graphene can be bent to produce ball-shaped materials such as fullerene or carbon nanotubes, and it can also be used as a transparent electrode for flexible displays.
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4. Low Resistance
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Graphene has fast electron mobility and long mean free path of electrons. The maximum electron mobility of graphene at room temperature is 200,000 cm/V s. This is because in the case of graphene, the degree of scattering that interferes with electron movement is very small. It has a resistance value that is 35% or more lower than that of copper, which is known to have very low resistance.
ELECTRO PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
THERMAL PROPERTIES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
GRAPHENE MARKET
& APPLICATION CHANNELS
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The market size of graphene material is expected to increase by 22.1% every year until 2030, and the global market size is expected to reach 6 trillion dollars.
Graphene's application fields are diverse, including touch panels, flexible displays, high-efficiency solar cells, heat dissipation films, coating materials, ultra-thin speakers, secondary battery electrodes, and ultra-fast chargers. In addition to daily necessities such as zipper bags, biodegradable containers, masks, makeup brushes, massage devices, LED masks, medical fabrics, car filters, EMI shielding, lightweight materials, zipper bags, biodegradable containers, masks, makeup brushes, massage devices, In addition to household items such as LED masks, it is used across all industries such as medical fabrics, automotive filters, EMI shielding, and lightweight materials. Among the many graphene material businesses, the textile sector is projected to have the fastest growth.
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In 2020, Korea succeeded in developing high-purity graphene fibers that can be mass-produced by combining graphene and polymers. It can be produced as white-colored yarn using high-purity graphene and can be produced with various colors due to its excellent dyeability.
Because existing fabric weaving and dyeing methods can be used without significantly changing the existing methods, it is applicable to all types of fabrics and garments. Functional wears such as activewears, outdoor wears, and undergarments is a highly anticipated areas due to graphene's functions that far exceed those of existing fabrics. In addition, the fields of applications can go beyond clothing to household products such as bedding and blankets.
BENEFITS OF GRAPHENE
ECO-FRIENDLY
Graphene, an ultra-thin, lightweight, and highly durable & strong material, is biodegradable; Hence, lasts longer and less material is needed, resulting in reduced resource consumption and less carbon print.
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Batteries show 200% increase in energy density vs lithium-ion battery
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Solar cells-power conversion efficiencies of +20% vs silicon-based solar cells; 15-18%
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fabrics can demonstrate a 50-200% increase in tensile strength and abrasion resistance compared to conventional textiles. This durability reduces the frequency of replacements