Graphene Essay

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Carbon is ubiquitous: we wear it, write with it, and 18.5% of our body is composed of it. By mass, carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe. Carbon is the element marked with the symbol C and the atomic number six. Carbon is nonmetallic; although, it is sometimes considered a metalloid. Carbon is composed of six electrons and four valence electrons. I chose carbon because of its many useful allotropes of which the three most well known are diamond, graphite, and graphene. Depending on the allotropic form, the physical properties of carbon vary, for example, the diamond is transparent and graphite is black and opaque. I also chose carbon because it has untapped potential to benefit our lives and its many uses continue to …show more content…

Graphene has many inherent properties that make it a valuable allotrope of carbon. Graphene is very well suited for conducting electricity and heat and is 1,000 times more conductive than copper. Graphene is also 100 times stronger than steel and yet extremely lightweight. A 1m2 sheet of graphene weighing less than .8mg could theoretically hold over 4kg. Currently, graphene is used for experimental purposes only; although, the properties of graphene have led to the proposal of many potential applications. The high conductivity of graphene makes it useful for use in batteries and has enabled IBM to use it to make the smallest ever transistor that is only one atom thick and 10 atoms wide. Graphene's high conductivity and transparency make it ideal for solar cells liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Graphene could also be used to make ultra strong touch screen displays. Distillation methods for liquids and gasses could be improved with the use of graphene because a graphene membrane has the unique ability to only allow water vapors to pass through while remaining sealed form any other liquids or gasses. Graphene's high thermal conductivity makes it ideal for heat management within computers and as a coolant additive. One report claims that by making a liquid coolant mixture just 5% graphene the thermal conductivity of the fluid would increase by 86%. Additionally, graphene has also been researched for use medically for cancer treatment and drug

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