+ - Graphene is back. Is the Space Elevator back as well?->
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by
PanHandleDan
PanHandleDan writes "Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon — basically a carbon nanotube in sheet form. In addition to having extraordinary conducting properties, it has a tensile strength of 130GPa, or 200 times that of steel. Until recently, attempts to create graphene in any appreciable size resulted in much weaker material. However, engineers at Columbia University seemed to have made a research breakthrough:
"The Columbia Engineering team wanted to discover what was making CVD [chemical vapor deposition] graphene so weak. In studying the processing techniques used to create their samples for testing, they found that the chemical most commonly used to remove the copper substrate also causes damage to the graphene, severely degrading its strength. Their experiments demonstrated that CVD graphene with large grains is exactly as strong as exfoliated graphene, showing that its crystal lattice is just as perfect. And, more surprisingly, their experiments also showed that CVD graphene with small grains, even when tested right at a grain boundary, is about 90% as strong as the ideal crystal."
What does this mean for the future of not just foldable displays and super long bridges, but of space tourism?"
Link to Original Source
"The Columbia Engineering team wanted to discover what was making CVD [chemical vapor deposition] graphene so weak. In studying the processing techniques used to create their samples for testing, they found that the chemical most commonly used to remove the copper substrate also causes damage to the graphene, severely degrading its strength. Their experiments demonstrated that CVD graphene with large grains is exactly as strong as exfoliated graphene, showing that its crystal lattice is just as perfect. And, more surprisingly, their experiments also showed that CVD graphene with small grains, even when tested right at a grain boundary, is about 90% as strong as the ideal crystal."
What does this mean for the future of not just foldable displays and super long bridges, but of space tourism?"
Link to Original Source