• Question: Grafine is one of teh strongest materials known, is it cheap and easy to manufacture? And what is grafine used to make?

    Asked by glkearney to Adam, Chris, Eleanor, Jessamyn, Sinead on 11 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Eleanor Holmes

      Eleanor Holmes answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      For one, graphene is used to make the type of devices I am testing!

      In truth, graphene is not currently used to make very many things. With this material it’s all about the POTENTIAL applications which include:

      – Lightweight, thin, flexible, durable display screens for computers and phones
      – Electrical circuits from carbon instead of precious metals
      – Solar cells that could be more efficient than current ones
      – Medical testing, making it easier to look at DNA
      – Distilling alcohol (seriously)
      – Looking at quantum mechanics at work
      – Energy storage

      To name a few potential uses. All of these applications are still in the testing stages or even earlier. Who knows which ones will work and be feasible and become part of how we do science and who knows what other applications people will come up with.

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