Graphene is one of the most remarkable materials ever developed by mankind, and now scientists have found a way to make it using common kitchen utensils.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin discovered that mixing graphite powder with dish soap and water in a blender produces the remarkable material.
Sheets of graphene are just one atom thick, giving the material remarkable electrical and thermal properties. Most observers believe the wonder material will revolutionize the electronics industry. Until now, that golden age was held back by the slow production rate of the substance. Even the best techniques used in the laboratory manage less than one-fiftieth of an ounce per hour.
Applications of the process could be limited, as the end product is a slushy gray goo, with suspended particles of graphene.
"It is a fun experiment, but it wouldn't get you very far. You could make black liquid full of graphene, but what's the next step?" Jonathan Coleman of Trinity College explained to New Scientist.
At home, there is no way to separate the graphene from pieces of graphite which did not undergo restructuring.
Graphite, the material of pencil leads, is composed of millions of layers of graphene, piled together. When a person writes, these layers are scraped off the graphite core, leaving behind a pencil mark.
To make graphene in a blender, the ideal proportions of graphite, soap and water are difficult to calculate. The amount of each substance needed depends on the purity of the materials used, as well as a number of other factors. Using this technique, Coleman and his team were able to produce around five grams per hour.
Scaled up to industrial levels, the process could produce around 3.5 ounces per hour, using a 2,600 gallon tank.
"The graphene produced by this method performs well in applications from composites to conductive coatings," researchers wrote.
Graphene is extremely strong, in addition to its other properties. Just a small amount of the substance added to polyester increases the strength of the material by 50 percent. This process would require just a few pounds of graphite for large commercial clothing manufacturers. These producers may soon be able to purchase or manufacture the wonder substance at a reasonable cost.
University researchers will soon be able to purchase graphene in large quantities at prices low enough for undergraduates. This could help create a boom in research into applications of the material. That could be the biggest advance of all for this new breakthrough.
