Graphene
GRAPHENE
i n t r o d u c i n g
TD2
Ngamokouba/Rawy/Tamine
03/31/2015
BEHIND
THE
DISCOVERY
Discovered by Andre Geim & Konstantin Novoselov in 2004
Novoselof and Geim won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for their discovery.
GRAPHENE
Graphene is not a common material. It can do a lot of things. It is : - Stronger than diamonds - Lighter than paper - More conductive than copper - More filexible than rubber
WHY THIS SUBJECT ?
important stakes
The European Union granted a €1 b research fund to be used over the next decade - The « Graphene Flagship » project involves 75 teams from 17 countries (150 patents so far) - To be compared with the 2200 Chinese patents
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Graphene and its properties
What graphene can do
Graphene and its applications
How companies plan to use graphene
Graphene and its drawbacks
The problems graphene can create
I/ THE PROPERTIES
OF
GRAPHENE
2- Conductivity
1- Thickness
- Conductors are very important - Copper is the most used conductive but graphene is better - Electrons move 100 times faster in graphene, therefore, graphene conducts electricity 100 times faster - It is also a great heat and cold conductor for the same reasons -
☛ So thin it considered a 2D element ☛ It is 0.03 nanometer thick ☛ Graphene is 3 million times thiner than the print of your pencil
2- Conductivity
☛ Better than Copper ☛ Electrons move 100 times faster in graphene, therefore, graphene conducts electricity 100 times faster ☛ It is also a great heat and cold conductor
3- Strenght
☛strongest known material : 347 times stronger than kevlar ☛ tensile strength : 130 Giga Pascals ☛Kevlar’s tensile strength : 375 megapascals ☛stronger than steel but very light ☛A graphene sheet is 1000 times lighter than a paper sheet ☛1 gram of graphene can cover the area of a football pitch
4- Graphene as a filter
☛ Graphene has a homogenous structure ☛ It blocks every single molecule except the H20 molecule ☛ Resistant enough to bear a strong water pressure
5- GRAPHENE AND LIght
Extinction
- Graphene captures 2.3% of the light - It is transparent - Superimposing layers will increase the percentage
II/ The applications
1- Energy Transfer and storage of renewable energies
☛ Improved super condenser ☞ Limited efficiency losses ☞ Improved capacity storage
2- Smartphones and computers
☛ Today : Silicon is the number one mineral in the IT industry ☛ Graphene’s advantages : ☞ Added to glass it is conductive ☞ Touch screens will no longer be depending on chemicals ☞ Smartphone batteries can be recharged in 17 seconds and last up up to 9 days. ☛ Strong R&D : ☞ Samsung, LG, IBM and Kyocera
3- CARS
☛ Graphene can improve the use of electric cars ☞ A graphene battery would increase the range of the car ☞ A graphene chassis would make the car lighter
A Tesla Model S
4- Graphene and solar panels
☛ Graphene solar panels are more efficient ☛ Indeed, the electricity provided by solar panels is the consequence of the friction between the electrons after being heated by the sun. Given that the graphene electrons move faster, they create more energy
5- Health
☛ Graphene may allow blind people to see again ☛ It can agglutinate around a tumor ☛ It can detect and burn carcinogenic cells
A little demo ?
6. WATER
☞ Water consumption increases more than the global population ☞ 70% of our planet is made of water but only 2,5% of this water is fresh
Robert Murray-Smith, an independent researcher demonstrates the filtrating abilities of graphene
III/ THE DRAWBACKS
1- Graphene is rare
☛ Graphene is more used in computer simulations than as a tangible element ☛ We still don’t know how to produce it on an industrial level
2- Graphene is risky
☛ Too soon to tell .« We can’t say there is a danger, but we can’t say there isn’t one » says CNRS researcher Alberto Bianco ☛ According to a couple of researchers from Brown University, Graphene may be harmful because it cuts through the cellular membrane
☛The oil industry labor force will be impacted ☛ Oil producers will be weakened
3- Graphene and jobs
4- China controls graphene
☛China : already N° 1 producer of ferrosilicium ☛Half of the worldwide graphite is mined in China ☛ Accrued competitive and political edge
5- Graphene is expensive
☛ Graphene is very expensive. A 250ml bottle of graphite oxide costs €119. ☛ It is still not profitable in a $700 smartphone
6- Pollution
☛ Graphene solves in water, then flows into the ground ☛ It might pollute the agricultural fields (cf University of California) ☛ Graphene oxide affects the lungs
☛ Graphene remains very difficult to manipulate ☛ The majority of the experiments made on graphene basically involve mixing graphene with another material.
CONCLUSION
☛ Revolutionary ? (Health, IT , Cars) ☛ Hazardous ? ☛ Efficient ? Too soon to tell …….but the opportunity must be explored.
LINKS
http://www.graphenea.com http://www.businessinsider.com/graphene-where-business-and-science-collide-2013-4?IR=T http://www.businessinsider.com/graphene-applications-2014-6?IR=T http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdiamandis/2014/10/20/the-next-billion-dollar-super-material/ http://yacoby.physics.harvard.edu/yacoby_graphene.html http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/26/graphene-molecule-potential-wonder-material http://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/nov/13/graphene-research-novoselov-geim-manchester https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUrqyuw-6Iw