Dr Nair with a graphene membrane
A thin layer of graphene paint can make impermeable and chemically resistant coatings which could be used for packaging to keep food fresh for longer and protect metal structures against corrosion, new findings from The University of Manchester show.
The surface of graphene, a one atom thick sheet of carbon, can be randomly decorated with oxygen to create graphene oxide; a form of graphene that could have a significant impact on the chemical, pharmaceutical and electronic industries. Applied as paint, it could provide an ultra-strong, non-corrosive coating for a wide range of industrial applications.
Graphene oxide solutions can be used to paint various surfaces ranging from glass to metals to even conventional bricks. After a simple chemical treatment, the resulting coatings behave like graphite in terms of chemical and thermal stability but become mechanically nearly as tough as graphene, the strongest material known to man.
The team led by Dr Rahul Nair and Nobel laureate Sir Andre Geim demonstrated previously that multilayer films made from graphene oxide are vacuum tight under dry conditions but, if expose to water or its vapour, act as molecular sieves allowing passage of small molecules below a certain size. Those findings could have huge implications for water purification.
This contrasting property is due to the structure of graphene oxide films that consist of millions of small flakes stacked randomly on top of each other but leave nano-sized capillaries between them. Water molecules like to be inside these nanocapillaries and can drag small atoms and molecules along.
In an article published in Nature Communications this week, the University of Manchester team shows that it is possible to tightly close those nanocapillaries using simple chemical treatments, which makes graphene films even stronger mechanically as well as completely impermeable to everything: gases, liquids or strong chemicals. For example, the researchers demonstrate that glassware or copper plates covered with graphene paint can be used as containers for strongly corrosive acids.
The exceptional barrier properties of graphene paint have already attracted interest from many companies who now collaborate with The University of Manchester on development of new protective and anticorrosion coatings.
The Latest on: Graphene paint
via Google News
The Latest on: Graphene paint
- Study finds Dartmouth startup's special paint cut fishing boat fuel costs by 20%on October 9, 2021 at 12:52 am
A $2.4-million study for Transport Canada found a new hull paint developed in Nova Scotia and used on fishing boats reduced fuel consumption by 20 per cent and lowered vessel noise by six to ...
- Study finds Dartmouth startup's special paint cut fishing boat fuel costs by 20%on October 5, 2021 at 5:09 am
The company uses graphene — a carbon-based nanomaterial — as the basis for its strong, slippery and non-toxic hull paint. It was tested on six Cape Islander lobster fishing boats in Nova Scotia over ...
- Graphene composite Hiplok D1000 is designed to stop angle grinderson September 30, 2021 at 2:12 pm
Even with the toughest-looking bike locks, many people still say, "An angle grinder would go right through that." Well, Hiplok's new D1000 is claimed to be different – it's touted as being "the first ...
- chemistry hackson September 28, 2021 at 5:00 pm
True graphene is a one-atom thick layer of carbon. It’s incredibly conductive, transparent, and of course thin. It’s one of those materials that, if it were only cheaper, would be used in ...
- Physicists demystify magic: bona fide topological Mott insulator discovered in twisted bilayer graphene modelon September 27, 2021 at 9:31 am
Imagine stacking two sheets of graphene—the 2D form of graphite, or the pencil at your hand—in which the carbon atoms form a hexagonal lattice and twist the top sheet out of alignment with the ...
- How smart polymers are healing patients and the planeton September 21, 2021 at 5:00 pm
“Applications include conveyor belts, shock absorbers and paint,” says Lentzakis ... She will also delve into the real-world applications and potential of graphene, which is her current professional ...
- Grafoid enters the electric vehicle race with the Braille Battery acquisitionon September 9, 2021 at 5:00 pm
The acquisition will allow Grafoid to gain a high profile platform through which to develop graphene, which will be used by Braille ... using special materials such as non toxic paint (by DuPont), a ...
- Ford touts graphene-enhanced PU foam for vehicle partson September 6, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Graphene is 200-times stronger than steel. Graphene has recently generated enthusiasm and excitement in the automotive industry for paint, polymer and battery applications. Dubbed a “miracle material” ...
- AGM wins funding to further expand inhouse capabilitieson August 31, 2021 at 7:26 am
After a decade in business, AGM has seen growth in many areas and has expanded its inhouse capabilities to meet increasing demand for its graphene nanoplatelet technology. The installation of a new ...
- Applied Graphene Materials signs up distribution partner in Turkeyon November 2, 2020 at 7:11 pm
APPLIED Graphene Materials (AGM), the producer of ... over 25 years of experience in supplying innovative products to the paint and coatings market across Turkey. This agreement will make Gobarr ...
via Bing News
