What Graphene Means for the Environment

What’s so revolutionary about graphene, a material composed of 100% carbon? Hasn’t carbon been around quite literally forever? Carbon is one of the basic building blocks of life and is found abundantly in all corners of the world. But in 2004, when two researchers at the University of Manchester exfoliated one layer of carbon atoms from a chunk of ubiquitous soft carbon graphite, everything changed. The result was graphene, a single layer of bonded carbon atoms. It’s the world’s first 2D material; one sheet of graphene is one atom thick. Every single carbon atom in graphene is exposed, which gives it properties that are unique from graphitic carbon:

• It’s almost completely transparent
• It’s strong
• It’s flexible
• It conducts heat
• It conducts electricity
• It’s magnetic
• It’s impermeable to liquids and most gases

Graphene, a material that’s everywhere, might just change everything.

What Graphene Means for the Environment

Graphene is precisely the material researchers need to provide solutions for our growing and expanding 21^st-century global community. Attention worldwide is fixed on eliminating the use of petrochemicals, reducing CO2 emissions, and finding greener ways to produce power. We need to feed, clothe, shelter, and get power to billions of people, and we need to do it responsibly and efficiently. Graphene is poised to make this possible. No other material known today can match the properties of graphene; its strength, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, surface area, and filtering abilities are unmatched. Graphene has opened the doors to new environmentally-friendly solutions that, before its discovery, simply weren’t feasible.

Renewable Energy

The search for clean, green renewable energy sources dominates conversations across all industries. The energy needs of our global populations are rising, especially as major population centers like India and China increase their demands for electricity, cars, and technology. The hard reality is that we simply won’t be able to power and connect our world with existing sources of energy; new solutions are critical.

Graphene is well-suited to step in and handle the challenge.

• Batteries- Graphene reduces electrode resistance, maintains active material content, and creates a high-energy battery with incredible potential for high-energy applications. High-power, durable batteries are essential to shifting away from combustion engines to electric vehicles. Incorporating graphene into the anode structures within lithium-ion car batteries doubles their life span and improves the overall function and performance of the vehicle.
• Energy Generation- Graphene may be the key to helping solar energy get some real traction in the renewable energy sector. Incorporating graphene into photovoltaic materials increases efficiencies significantly. Graphene solar cells have the potential to be lightweight and inexpensive, making solar a viable energy solution for sun-rich locations such as Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and many others. Few homes in these regions can handle heavy solar panels, but a thin, lightweight solar “sticker” made from graphene could bring electricity to millions, even billions, of homes.
• Energy Storage- The wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine, which is why energy storage is a critical component of renewable energy systems. Graphene is a high-surface, light, stable, high-volume conducting material with great potential for energy storage.

Water Security

Clean water is important to everyone. Graphene technologies make one-step desalination and ultra-water filtrations possible. Many existing water purification technologies are costly in terms of both capital and energy; permeable graphene membranes can change all that. Graphene membranes are 1,000 times thinner than conventional water filtration membranes; using graphene membranes for filtration requires less pump pressure and produces a greater output of clean water. Lower costs and greater efficiency mean more clean water for everyone anywhere in the world.

Efficiency

Using resources efficiently is a core principle of wise environmental stewardship. Minimizing or eliminating waste is one component of efficiency. Graphene coatings and components made with graphene last longer; they’re more resistant to corrosion, weathering, UV rays, salt, and even wear. When wind turbine blades, airplanes, and cars are made using graphene, they will weigh less, function more efficiently, and last longer.

Graphene from ACS Material

ACS Material is a leading graphene supplier. We carry high-quality graphene, CVD graphene, graphene transfer supplies, and other advanced nanomaterials and chemicals. We’re excited to be a part of the eco-friendly revolution sparked by the discovery of graphene. With your ideas and our research-grade graphene products, we can change the world.

FAQ 

Q. In what ways does graphene help the environment?

A. Graphene helps the environment by cleaning up water, improving water, and making the materials sustainable. 

Q. What Issues Can Graphene Solve?

A. There are many issues, like water purification, medical implants, and clean energy storage problems, and graphene can fix all these issues and promote a greener planet.

Q. Does Graphene Reduce Heat?

A. No, graphene doesn’t reduce heat; perhaps, it can dissipate and manage it well, having high thermal conductivity. 

Q. How Does Graphene Oxide Make a Positive Impact in Industries?

A. The remarkable qualities of graphene make it perfect, like being lightweight, transparent, flexible, and having high electrical and thermal conductivity. These qualities make it an attention-seeker for positive impact in different industries.

Q. Why Is Graphene So Special and Unique?

A. It's an incredible material because of its durability, flexibility, lightweight, and transparency. Additionally, it exhibits the best thermal and electrical conductivity due to its single-layer carbon atom.

Q. What environmental benefits came from using graphene-based material?

A. Graphene provides countless benefits to our environment by purifying water with advanced absorption features. Moreover, it is also improving the renewable technologies for better storage and efficiency.

Q. How does Graphene Oxide help in combating Climate Change?

A. Graphene oxide plays a significant role in combating climate change with various applications. It enhances carbon capture and conversion, enabling the synthesis of lighter materials to minimize energy consumption.  

Q. How Can Graphene from Waste Help Fight Climate Change?

A. Synthesis of graphene from waste may help to fight climate change by manufacturing materials for energy storage. It can be used to develop better water filtration and carbon capture systems and more durable, recyclable plastic. 

Q. How does graphene oxide help remove microplastics and nanoplastics from the environment?

A. The large surface area structure of the graphene oxide allows it to trap physically nanoplastics and microplastics particles and remove them.