Graphene’s remarkable physical properties are truly exceptional:
- Thermal Conductivity: Graphene exhibits thermal conductivity 10 times greater than copper.
- Strength: At par with Diamonds, it is stronger than any other known material, being 200 times stronger than steel while weighing only one-fifth as much.
- Electrical Conductivity: Graphene conducts electricity better than any metal, surpassing even silver and gold.
- Friction: Its coefficient of friction is three times lower than Teflon.
To put this into perspective:
- Aluminum, known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, is used in aircraft construction due to its strength.
- Carbon fiber, with a strength-to-weight ratio 15 times greater than steel, is used in high-performance applications.
- Graphene surpasses this with a strength-to-weight ratio 1000 times greater than steel.
Moreover, graphene is extremely tough. Toughness refers to how much work is required to break a material, measured as Force x Distance. While materials like glass or carbon fiber are strong but can break with significant force applied over a short distance, graphene can stretch up to 5% of its original length before breaking, requiring enormous force applied over a longer distance.
Although graphene is not indestructible, its near indestructibility opens exciting possibilities in architectural engineering, safety equipment, sporting gear, aerospace, and many more sections.
The extraordinary properties of graphene stem from its structure:
- Structure: Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. Each carbon atom bonds with three neighboring carbon atoms through extremely strong covalent bonds.
- Thermal Conductivity: The high thermal conductivity results from rapid propagation of thermal vibrations across the stiff, two-dimensional sheet of graphene.
- Electrical Conductivity: The 2D nature of graphene and its high electron mobility facilitate exceptional electrical conductivity, allowing currents to flow with minimal resistance.
- Strength and Toughness: The strong carbon-carbon bonds and the hexagonal arrangement contribute to graphene’s exceptional strength and ability to withstand stretching and compression without significantly altering bond angles.
Despite its potential, graphene is not yet widely available due to the challenges in production and cost. Although carbon is abundant and cheap, extracting and producing high-quality graphene remains a complex and expensive process.
