Improving composites with 'wonder material'

摘要

Graphene is a material made from a single layer of carbon atoms, first discovered during experiments by Professors Kostya Novoselov and Andrew Geim, who were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010. For many, it really is a wonder material - over 200 times stronger than steel, the material can conduct electricity even better than copper and is said to has the highest thermal conductivity known to man. One of graphene's most exciting properties is its remarkable thinness - at just one atom thick, graphene is one million times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. While innovative uses for the new material have been found in all kinds of industries, it is no wonder that its strength and lightweight qualities have led researchers to seek out ways in which it can improve the properties of fiber - particularly carbon fiber - reinforced plastics.