The GRAPHENE mega thread - because it's technology you need to know about!

Created in partnership with the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), the helmet is part of the EU’s €1bn Graphene Flagship project, billed as Europe’s biggest ever research initiative. A graphene coating on the shell allows better distribution of impact force, making the helmet less susceptible to damage, even in high temperatures.

As well as safety, graphene’s excellent thermal conducive properties helps dissipate heat quickly across the helmet. This not only protects the inner materials from degradation caused by heat, but also provides a more comfortable user experience.

Application of the graphene coating takes place on an existing production line in northern Italy. Momodesign is planning an initial run of 3,000 helmets, which will be on sale at the end of the year for around £200. The journey from concept to production took 18 months.

theengineer.co.uk, Nov. 25, 2016 - Graphene motorbike helmet delivers comfort and protection.

Of course the helmet is black! No word on how much of the overall coating (the percentage of graphene used) but if it is anything like the clothing then not much is needed. I would bet that there is a an epoxy enhanced with graphene that is used with a protective coating on top of that. 200 euros is not that bad of a price. Add to it that it did not take extensive retooling but was an already made facility... that is just makes the production of enhanced products look all that more appealing.

Now if they could only dip a Ducati in some graphene to match the helmet!

If you confine a fluid to a nanocavity, you can actually distort its phase behavior,” Strano says, referring to how and when the substance changes between solid, liquid, and gas phases. Such effects were expected, but the enormous magnitude of the change, and its direction (raising rather than lowering the freezing point), were a complete surprise: In one of the team’s tests, the water solidified at a temperature of 105 C or more. (The exact temperature is hard to determine, but 105 C was considered the minimum value in this test; the actual temperature could have been as high as 151 C.)

MIT News, Nov 28, 2016 - Inside tiny tubes, water turns solid when it should be boiling.

So they put some water at the ends of a carbon nanotube. Since CNTs are hydrophobic they are not sure why it even enters the tube when it get confined to a water molecule width the phase change happens and the liquid turns to ice! As stated in the article this also happens above the point where water boils! The width of the CNT matters and most of the research in this area was not being down because they could not accurately measure the sizes. And small size differences make for different results in this case where water's phase change occurs.

That is just crazy! They wonder what other fluids have strange phase changes when confined in CNTs. They are wondering what they can do with "ice wires". They actually say, that the really small is "an unexplored space" as to what can be done or seen (same source).

Room temperature ice wires... wow!

Versarien has now received an order worth more than £100,000 for graphene in the form of Few Layer Graphene Nano Platelets (GNPs) from a European commercial customer, in conjunction with the NGI.

This high-quality graphene will be certified by the NGI and Versarien will be handling the dispersion of the GNPs into the resin to be used by the customer.

PRW.com, Nov. 29, 2016 - Versarien receives £100k-plus graphene order.

They are adding the resin to carbon fibers from there. The press release is for the graphene order and not what it will be used for. But judging by the previous announcements there are not many "ready for manufacture" products out there yet. The first that comes to mind is the fishing rod. Next is the race car. Both use graphene-enhanced carbon fiber so it could be one of those. It could also be the bike manufacturer. All three are based out of the UK so those are my best bets.

Either way, graphene enhanced carbon fibers are on their way to a store near you!

[The team] discovered that the electrical resistance of putty infused with graphene ("G-putty") was extremely sensitive to the slightest deformation or impact. They mounted the G-putty onto the chest and neck of human subjects and used it to measure breathing, pulse and even blood pressure. It showed unprecedented sensitivity as a sensor for strain and pressure, hundreds of times more sensitive than normal sensors. The G-putty also works as a very sensitive impact sensor, able to detect the footsteps of small spiders [!!!!]

"What we are excited about is the unexpected behaviour we found when we added graphene to the polymer, a cross-linked polysilicone. This material as well known as the children's toy silly putty. It is different from familiar materials in that it flows like a viscous liquid when deformed slowly but bounces like an elastic solid when thrown against a surface. When we added the graphene to the silly putty, it caused it to conduct electricity, but in a very unusual way. The electrical resistance of the G-putty was very sensitive to deformation with the resistance increasing sharply on even the slightest strain or impact. Unusually, the resistance slowly returned close to its original value as the putty self-healed over time."

"While a common application has been to add graphene to plastics in order to improve the electrical, mechanical, thermal or barrier properties, the resultant composites have generally performed as expected without any great surprises. The behaviour we found with G-putty has not been found in any other composite material. This unique discovery will open up major possibilities in sensor manufacturing worldwide."

Phys.org, Dec. 8, 2016 - State of the art sensors made from graphene and children's toy silly putty.

This reminds me of the shrinky dink story. To think, go to school, get a bachelors. Got to graduate school and get a masters. The go work on your doctorate to only end up playing with Silly Putty!

Actually this is pretty interesting stuff here. The medical world will probably be all over this one. I would think that if it can detect a small spider what about beta decay? That would be really useful in detecting radioactive things like packages or bombs. How about coating the front of a guitar and hooking that up to an amplifier? No pickups needed! Keeps the face whole so a more natural vibration is used. Then again slathering G-putty on my strat does not sound like a good idea... nvm.

I wonder what they can with Nickelodeon green slime? G-slime!

Big Production News

The Exeter researchers have now discovered a new technique, which grows graphene in an industrial cold wall CVD system, a state-of-the-art piece of equipment recently developed by UK graphene company Moorfield.

This so-called nanoCVD system is based on a concept already used for other manufacturing purposes in the semiconductor industry. This shows to the semiconductor industry for the very first time a way to potentially mass produce graphene with present facilities rather than requiring them to build new manufacturing plants. This new technique grows graphene 100 times faster than conventional methods, reduces costs by 99 % and has enhanced electronic quality.

These research findings are published in the leading scientific journal, Advanced Materials.

University of Exeter (.uk), news, Breakthrough in graphene production could trigger revolution in artificial skin development.

This is huge on two fronts! First is using already existing production devices used for semiconductors. As stated, no new devices or fabrications shops need to be built. The second is the reduction in cost. Both price and time costs. There will be no excuses not to do this if you want to remain relevant in the industry. Cutting out a bunch of steps is also a big plus!

They already made a flexible touch sensor for "just pennies" using this technique.

Way cool!

Because this is news you really need to know about

A team of engineers from Exeter's Centre for Graphene Science have developed a new method for creating entire device arrays directly on the copper substrates used for the commercial manufacture of graphene. Complete and fully-functional devices can then be transferred to a substrate of choice, such as silicon, plastics or even textiles.

Phys.org, Dec. 14, 2016 - Ground-breaking production method could accelerate worldwide 'graphene revolution'.

Even though they do not say anything about what the process is or how it works you know because of the previous post (I was in a hurry).

CVD is 'chemical vapor deposition' and is used in manufacturing almost everything. There are pens out there with CVD coatings to make them heavier so they are more comfortable. Typically that method is a hot one. There are claims of being able to use a cool plasma. They can spray and bake. Acid wash, etc (Wikipedia CVD). The method Exeter came up has solved one of the biggest problems using CVD--defects. Graphene wants to buckle and curve up to a 3D form when you are trying to make the 2D version. Waves, crinkles, ripples, over lapping to multiple layers, etc. has posed a major problem in producing pristine 2D graphene with all the benefits thereof. Exeter has figured how to this with less steps on existing devices. The world of graphene enhanced everything is about to be born.

2017 is going to be the year of graphene!

ETA: More hints at the paper title: A simple process for the fabrication of large-area CVD graphene based devices via selective functionalization and patterning, 2D Materials (phys.org article). So their nanoCVD is not whole area coverage but where it is needed. Cool!

[Below is a quote from OP with working links and a couple spelling mistakes. This post is re-post of OP with "new" BBCodes in place of the old ATS ones that no longer work. I could do nothing about the pictures. And skipped a section on a company that no longer exists. See the OP on page 1 but the website and company are gone. I also included the whole quote below about the elephant]. Thanks OP for this thread! Happy New Year!

“It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of cling film.” Some detective work revealed that the statement originated with mechanical engineering professor James Hone of Columbia University, who said in 2008, “Our research establishes graphene as the strongest material ever measured, some 200 times stronger than structural steel. It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of Saran Wrap.”

(emphasis added) Elephant Illustrates Important Point, Source: Scientific American online

A graphene sheet is only one atom thick, so it takes 3 million sheets on top of each other to be the thickness of one millimeter!

It is so strong because it is made of Carbon atoms double-bonded together in a lattice.

Due to graphene's nature, it can comfortably stretch 20% of it's length/width. It can also conduct electricity better than copper wire! oh ya... and it's invisible! (see through) but scientists are discovering some very weird things about this wonder sheet!

What is graphene used for?

So we have the strongest material ever measured, 300,000 times thinner than the average human hair, it's see-through, and conducts electricity.... what would you make?

Some things created so far are a transistor and Integrated Circuit, by IBM scientists/Engineers (discussed in ATS thread: First Graphene-Based Integrated Circuit Is a Major Step Toward Graphene Computer Chips, by JacKatMtn)

This is a picture of "graphene paper" from the University of Sydney - it is carbon grey, yes? (discussed in ATS thread New Graphene material is Paper-Thin &10 Times Stronger Than Steel (amazing) by Anon72)

Scientists are discovering some VERY WEIRD things about graphene! It seems to be laden with hidden anomalies and characteristics we couldn't have predicted. I can't seem to find the source but I've read that under various electrical fields graphene either reflects light or takes it in... meaning it can be a mirror or an invisible sheet depending on how we treat it.

Anomalies

Now that we've been working with graphene across the globe for a few years now we're finding a lot of anomalies, such as this one described in ATS thread Graphene Bubbles have Bizarre magnetic properties, by Gentill Abdulla (source: Science Daily)
The bizarre magnetic affects include rapid vibration of the Carbon atoms that could speculatively be used in many applications such as particle accelerators, scanning devices, and possibly even levitation!

also, one final link and the story that prompted this thread... Graphene Gives Protection from Intense Laser Pulses

Scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) , DSO National Laboratories and University of Cambridge have jointly announced a new world record in broadband non-linear optical absorption behavior using single-sheet graphene dispersions in a variety of heavy-atom solvents and film matrices.

(emphasis added)

Additional resources:
Doc Brown's Nanochemistry – From fullerenes & bucky balls to carbon nanotubes
Wikipedia: Graphene.
Wikipedia: Allotropes of carbon.

Photo:: Melanie Gonick/MIT, MITNews.edu

Two-dimensional materials — basically flat sheets that are just one atom in thickness but can be indefinitely large in the other dimensions — have exceptional strength as well as unique electrical properties. But because of their extraordinary thinness, “they are not very useful for making 3-D materials that could be used in vehicles, buildings, or devices,” Buehler says. “What we’ve done is to realize the wish of translating these 2-D materials into three-dimensional structures.”

The team was able to compress small flakes of graphene using a combination of heat and pressure. This process produced a strong, stable structure whose form resembles that of some corals and microscopic creatures called diatoms. These shapes, which have an enormous surface area in proportion to their volume, proved to be remarkably strong. “Once we created these 3-D structures, we wanted to see what’s the limit — what’s the strongest possible material we can produce,” says Qin. To do that, they created a variety of 3-D models and then subjected them to various tests. In computational simulations, which mimic the loading conditions in the tensile and compression tests performed in a tensile loading machine, “one of our samples has 5 percent the density of steel, but 10 times the strength,” Qin says.

Buehler says that what happens to their 3-D graphene material, which is composed of curved surfaces under deformation, resembles what would happen with sheets of paper. Paper has little strength along its length and width, and can be easily crumpled up. But when made into certain shapes, for example rolled into a tube, suddenly the strength along the length of the tube is much greater and can support substantial weight. Similarly, the geometric arrangement of the graphene flakes after treatment naturally forms a very strong configuration.

[They led with this but I believe it is very important and the main reason for the post]

The new findings show that the crucial aspect of the new 3-D forms has more to do with their unusual geometrical configuration than with the material itself, which suggests that similar strong, lightweight materials could be made from a variety of materials by creating similar geometric features.

MIT News, Jan. 6, 2017 - Researchers design one of the strongest, lightest materials known.

When I read this it got me thinking of the OP. I read the original post when it came out (geesh, has it been that long??) and remembered the elephant/Saran wrap stuff. I checked and the links were not working. A quote of the post showed why… they are in the old format! So, I had a bit of time this afternoon and posted the OP’s material with working links. And the entire elephant quote where OP emphasizes the “200 times stronger than steel” which leads to the MIT news.

The 2D manufacturing process has not even taken off and here they are making 3D graphene structures! Anyway, that is cool news in and of itself. But the item that stuck out the most is that this can be done with other materials besides graphene! Manufacture of 2D nanoplatelets to turn into 3D objects… that is really cool science news! Who knows what will be coming down the pike. My mind boggles with possibilities. The article says enhancing other lightweight materials like plastics or even metals that are conductive. Immediately I thought of batteries. But there are way more uses. Anyway, going to stop typing to post.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Just wanted to post a THANK YOU.....and let you know that I check up on this thread periodically to see what has been added. Your enthusiasm for this material is well founded and I for one appreciate your effort to keep us informed as to the advancements of it's use.

Thanks

Excellent contribution , thank you .

a reply to: HarryJoy
a reply to: 23432

Thanks guys!

This is not my thread but I like what this subject covers. And I can see it starting to gain momentum! 2017 should be fun year if what I "feel" is right is going to happen.

As long as people are reading, I'll keep posting!



PS - I beat other science postings of the MIT story by three days! So I will try to keep that streak going through the year.

a reply to: Thermo Klein

Thank you for starting this thread....it is very interesting...

CNT manufacturing update!

A new commercial manufacturing process for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produces tubes in the range of 1–10 mm in length (5–12-nm dia.), two orders of magnitude longer than currently available CNTs, which typically have lengths from 5–20µm.
…
The Nanocomp process revolves around a proprietary 1-m long heated reactor [photo at article] that contains a widely available iron catalyst and allows control of 23 separate process variables. Organic alcohols serve as the carbon source for CNTs. “By exerting tight control over the process conditions, we can manipulate the length and dimensions of the CNTs,” Antoinette says. The longer, polymer-like CNTs resulting from the process are commercially available as Miralon products, and they can be spun into “yarn” using equipment for textile fiber processing. Because of their length, the Nanocomp CNTs form bundles and networks that allow them to be more useful in macroscale materials, such as for lightweight structural materials.
…
Nanocomp CNTs can also be made into strong polymer-like sheets that can be used in firearm-protection armor.

ChemicalEngineering.com (online), Jan 6, 2017 - A process for making longer carbon nanotubes.

That is great news! The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have kind of fallen off the chart as far as “out of lab” applications go. And to top it off… body armor! It should be light weight (probably need some backing material like a steal plate to distribute the force. No use stopping a bullet if it is going to break your ribs and punctures your pericardium!). And they can manipulate the diameter too. This is really cool news. Last year they were using CNTs between carbon fiber to add further strength between carbon fiber layers before applying the epoxy.

The material revolution is beginning!! I think…

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

I just wish they had graphene balloons so that I could use them to suspend a small wind generator.... without the helium or hydrogen leaking out.

a reply to: HarryJoy

And you could tether it down with the kilometer long carbon nanotubes!!

With the cost of helium near triple what it was a decade ago, yeah, a leak proof balloon/blimp/hybrid airship would greatly benefit from a graphene liner.

Have you seen what Lockheed is doing to their hybrid airship to plugs leaks? They have a swarm of Roomba-like robots that crawl around both the inside and outside searching for holes. The outside one shines a light while the inside one images the bladder. If a hole is detected, an operator is notified that issues a command to patch the hole. That is how much helium is valued by Lockheed.

A graphene liner would be greatly appreciated!

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Wow. ....no I didn't know those things about helium and how expensive it had become.

Physicists patent detonation technique to mass-produce graphene

Forget all the messing about- just blow stuff up and collect the lovely Graphene residue.

As with all good breakthroughs- they werent trying to make Graphene but instead Aerogel.

According to the article- the quality of the Graphene produced can be improved by retrieving it quickly post detonation.

Wonder if this means the environment it is produced in could be tweaked also?

Why not replace the Helium with so called Brown's Gas ?

Flying house powered by a sterling engine .

a reply to: Jukiodone

Good one! Somebody beat me to it!!! Way to go Jukiodone!

Forget chemicals, catalysts and expensive machinery—a Kansas State University team of physicists has discovered a way to mass-produce graphene with three ingredients: hydrocarbon gas, oxygen and a spark plug.

Their method is simple: Fill a chamber with acetylene or ethylene gas and oxygen. Use a vehicle spark plug to create a contained detonation. Collect the graphene that forms afterward.

(cited Phys.org article)

That reminds me a lot of the NASA patent released on their website, NASA Technology Transfer Portal. They had an electrode, burnt something, but created carbon nanotubes, not graphene.

Now if they can stuff that between the layers of li-ion cells the wrap the whole thing in it before putting in the case... well, the exploding phones and tablets would be a little footnote of the past!





I think that if they do not retrieve it quickly it tends to oxidize. But somebody else found if you microwave it for a second it will remove the formed oxide. So that might be a solution to pure graphene.

a reply to: Jukiodone

"The real charm of our experiment is that we can produce graphene in the quantity of grams rather than milligrams," Nepal said.

Now the research team—including Justin Wright, doctoral student in physics, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania—is working to improve the quality of the graphene and scale the laboratory process to an industrial level. They are upgrading some of the equipment to make it easier to get graphene from the chamber seconds—rather than minutes—after the detonation. Accessing the graphene more quickly could improve the quality of the material, Sorensen said.

(Phys.org article cited in OP)

An aluminum canister? I wonder if swapping that out would be better? Maybe something diamond lined? I hope this works at industrial levels. It sure beats rubbing that pencil lead on paper and peeling it off with scotch tape!

Do you know how those "smoke snakes" work?! LOL. Put a puck on the ground, light a match, and graphene grows. Sounds almost comical! But it will be a silly idea like that which somebody will make work. One of those, "Why didn't I think of that?!?!!" moments.

Dang it. Now I am thinking about blowing stuff up to make graphene and graphene aerogel!