4 Facts about Graphene : The predicted Silicon-alternative!
What is Graphene?
Put simply, Graphene is a single molecule thick sheet of carbon atoms.
Why so much hype about it?
There are various reasons for it:
- Strength
Graphene, in principal has been proven to be so strong that an elephant standing on a pencil which is balanced on a sheet of graphene single molecule thick would not be able to break through the sheet.
Graphene
- Abundance of Raw material (Graphite)
Graphene is made from graphite(yes, the lead in your pencil). That says about its abundance. - Elasticity
Even though Graphene is a crystal, it can stretch up to 20% of its length and yet it is the hardest and strongest substance known to mankind, harder than a diamond. - Ballistic Conduction
The hexagonal lattice of graphene has longest “mean free path” of any known material. This is the distance an electron can travel freely without colliding with anything, or having its path disrupted due to scattering. These are the things that cause resistance. When “mean free path” is higher than the dimensions of the material, this is known as ballistic transport. With graphene, the mean free path is of the order of >65 microns, long enough that electronic components can be made that would operate at usual room temperatures with almost no resistance. This is similar to superconductivity, but at room temperature.
These are few of the in-numerable wonder properties of graphene, there is a lot to be told about this amazing material and more would be coming up soon, If you enjoyed the post pop in your comments below.
Category: Technology News
