Graphene a miracle material?
So far, silicon has been the prime material when it comes to hardware for smartphones or processors. But how much longer will it enjoy that role? Because there’s a serious alternative called graphene. It’s much stiffer than steel but lighter than silicon. Graphene can conduct electricity and heat with similar effectiveness as silicon. But where does graphene come from?
Graphite, a modified carbon from which pencil leads are made, is the main component of graphene. It’s best to imagine this material of the future as an extremely thin layer of graphite atoms that are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Under a microscope, a graphene layer like that resembles a honeycomb.
Professor Tim Hosenfeldt, PhD, Senior Vice President, Corporate Research and Innovation & Central Technology at motion technology company Schaeffler, sees graphene as having high potential for a wide variety of possible uses. “The electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of graphene have opened the door to many practical and commercial applications,” says Hosenfeldt. “As a transparent and flexible conductor, graphene can be used for producing solar cells, energy storage systems and converters, rollup monitors and touchscreens, and LED lamps. In addition, graphene clearly raises the frequency of electromagnetic signals. As a result, faster transistors are possible. Sensors made of graphene meet with great interest too because thanks to their exceptional sensitivity they can detect individual molecules of hazardous substances. Graphene oxide distributed in the air, for instance, can eliminate radioactive pollutants.”
The fields of possible uses in fact are equally extensive as complex. According to Hosenfeldt, graphene’s future potential is particularly great in battery storage systems where the material enables extremely short charging times (up to 60 times faster than with conventional lithium-ion cells). Hosenfeld sees promising development potential also as superconductors, as highstrength structural materials, or in energy production and storage.
“Potentially, graphene and related materials could be used to produce lighter, more compact, and more powerful components for vehicles and for energy storage and conversion systems. The challenge lies in economical manufacturing, like we successfully did with three-dimensional carbon modifications.” Professor Tim Hosenfeldt, PhD, Senior Vice President, Corporate Research and Innovation & Central Technology at Schaeffler
In addition, graphene could lower the costs of hydrogen production because it’s particularly effective in transporting protons and so could replace expensive membranes.
However, there’s a downside: So far, producing graphene has been enormously complex and costly. But a solution seems to be emerging in that regard as well. With its 3DG (three-dimensional graphene) production technology, Chinese automaker GAC is aiming to reduce the production costs of originally several hundred euros per gram to a tenth of that price, according to information released by the company.