A Cheaper Method For Graphene Production
Graphene is a new type of material made up of a single layer of C-atoms linked together in a hexagon pattern. It is both extremely light and very strong. It conducts electricity, making it useful for many different kinds of electronic devices. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to make in large quantities and it’s expensive. There are other ways to make graphene, but they’re slower and less effective than the method described above.
Researchers from IIT Patna recently developed a new technique to create graphene by spraying ionized gases onto a substrate. Graphene is a form of carbon that consists of a single layer of atoms arranged in hexagons. When this process was tested, it worked well. A centrifuge could then be used to separate out the remaining graphite from graphene. This method is attractive since it doesn’t use any harmful chemicals or expensive solvents.
Researchers estimate that the plasma gun cost about $1.12/gram of graphene. At the lab scale, this process can produce 48 grams of the compound in one hour. Researchers hope to be able to increase production by scaling up the process.
The first author Aminul Islam is an engineer who specializes in plasma spraying. He manages correspondence with the managing correspondent Emily Kerr. She uses a plasma gun to produce ultrafast, chemical-free exfoliated graphene.
