When we think about future, many of us imagine sustainable cars, safe and capable of flying; screens as thin as paper, with the best possible image quality and easy to fold; avant-garde buildings, unaltered by the action of time or elements, which also have energy self-sufficiency; we imagine sustainable and intelligent clothing. In the end, we like to imagine a world where technological development makes our lives easier.
What if some of these dreams (perhaps all of them) could come true?
Thanks to graphene, many of these ideas could be developed. The truth is, in facts, that this element, composed of a sheet of pure carbon atoms structured in the shape of a honeycomb, has been given the nickname of “miraculous material”. A name that certainly suits.
Graphene is a million times thinner than a sheet of paper but 200 times stronger than steel itself.
More flexible than carbon fiber and even harder than diamond. Transparent, waterproof, energy conductor, self-repairing and with the ability to absorb radiation. Moreover, these are just some of its most fascinating properties.
As the usual habit we have is to think that such a great material could be difficult to obtain or create, lucky for us graphene is made with simple methods from graphite, a compound which is abundant in nature. Could it be possible for real to get graphene from a pencil’s mine? Will graphene be the sustainable material of the future? Everything is yet to be seen…
R: Lola Ballesta
