Technology

What is Graphene? Where is Graphene Used?

What is graphene, the material of the future? Where is graphene used? Is graphene produced in Turkey? Is graphene harmful to the environment? Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about graphene.

Graphene, which was discovered recently and described as a “miracle material”, has started to be used in many areas in industry. Graphene, which draws attention with its more durable and more flexible structure than steel, brings new capabilities to various products. By using graphene, products that are lighter, longer lasting, less costly and have more features can be created. In this content, we include basic information about graphene.

What is Graphene?

Graphene is a form of carbon in which carbon atoms are arranged hexagonally and consist of two-dimensional surfaces. Although it is very light, it has a structure 200 times stronger than steel. It conducts electricity very well. Since it is flexible, it can be used in many products. As a single-atom-thick, 2-dimensional nanomaterial, it is shown as one of the most critical components of nanotechnology.

Graphene is a fairly new material. It was first obtained in 2004. The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the inventors of graphene, Andrei Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. These two scientists obtained graphene from the graphite in pencil and conducted various experiments on the potential of graphene, pointing out that graphene is a miraculous material.

What Are the Uses of Graphene?

It can be used in many different industrial areas with its strength, flexibility, thermal and electrical conductivity properties. It is used in sensors, electronic devices, semiconductors, transistors, aerospace, power generation, electrochemistry, health products, batteries, building materials, automotive industry, coatings and composites. Scientists are working around the world for new uses of graphene.

Thanks to graphene, longer-lasting materials, ultra-fast rechargeable batteries, faster and lighter aircraft, bionic devices that can connect to neurons in the body will be produced. It will be possible to develop bioelectronic medical technologies that provide real-time treatment by reading and changing body electricity. It will also be possible to find solutions to corrosion, heating and transmission problems.

Thanks to its structural features, graphene will lead to great innovations, especially in technological products. It is a very light and flexible material because it is 0.34 nanometers thick. One square meter of graphene equals 0.77 milligrams. Graphene can be folded. It shows good conductivity both electrically and thermally. When these advantages of graphene are used correctly, technological products will be more capable. Technological products developed using graphene will be thinner, more flexible, faster and more capable. It turns out that lithium-ion batteries with graphene silicon can be charged 50 percent faster than others. It will be possible to shorten the long charging times, which is the biggest problem of electric cars, thanks to graphene. Thanks to its durability and flexibility features, more useful products will emerge in the field of defense industry.

Is Graphene Produced in Turkey?

There are companies in Turkey that do important studies on graphene, which is shown as the material of the future, albeit a small number. Various studies have been carried out both for the production of graphene and for the transformation of graphene into a high-tech product, and some have been successful. The first step was taken by the state in 2013. Graphene call was initiated by TUBITAK in 2013 and it was stated that those who carry out projects on graphene would be supported. Dozens of applications were made.

When we look at the graphene studies in Turkey, the studies of the local initiative called Nanografi draw attention. Founded in 2011, the company carried out studies for the production of graphene in the period when graphene was not yet known in our country. At the point reached today, Turkey’s first Graphene Mass Production Facility was put into practice by Nanografi. In terms of production capacity, it is among the leading facilities in Europe. It also developed the world’s first environmentally friendly and cost-effective production method. He patented this production method. It managed to receive funding from the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program by the European Union.

We wouldn’t be able to reach out to Nanograph when creating content about graphene. We reached out to Nanografi Nano Teknoloji AŞ to learn more and asked a few questions about graphene. Various responses were given by the team.

Source: DonanimHaber

Ece Nagihan

Hi, I'm Ece. I am a writer for Expat Guide Turkey and I strive to create the best content for you. To contact me, you can send an e-mail to info@expatguideturkey.com. Happy reading!

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