Introduction
Graphene, a form of carbon with a single layer thickness of 0.345 nm and atomic arrangement of honeycomb shaped, is one of the most versatile materials for writing and engineering applications. Graphene has attracted the attention of scientists and engineers during the past decade due to its remarkable properties, such as high strength to weight ratio, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and good chemical stability. The physical and mechanical properties of graphene and its derivatives have significantly improved the performance of traditional materials for various applications. As a result, these materials have become important potential candidates for the development of high performance composites, sensors and devices.
Mechanical Properties of Graphene
The primary mechanical properties of graphene are excellent strength, stiffness and Young’s modulus. According to some reports, it has a Young’s modulus of 1TPa, which is significantly higher than many metals, such as steel and aluminum. Graphene also exhibits excellent flexural strength of 140 GPa as well as tensile strength of over 400GPa, which are even higher than that of carbon nanotubes. The ultimate strength of graphene is believed to be much higher than that of other known materials, such as carbon nanotubes and nanowire.
The high strength to weight ratio is another attractive feature of graphene. It is estimated that graphene has a tensile strength of over 400 GPa, which is 200 times stronger than steel, yet weighs only 0.77 mg/cm². Moreover, the high fracture strength of graphene increases its fracture resistance, making it highly resistant to fracture. The combination of high strength to weight ratio and fracture resistance makes graphene an ideal candidate for many applications, including aerospace and biomedicine.
Other Mechanical Properties
Apart from its mechanical properties, graphene has excellent thermal conductivity. Graphene has thermal conductivity of up to 5000W/mK, which is over three times higher than diamond and around 40 times higher than copper. Furthermore, graphene provides almost no thermal resistance due to its excellent heat dissipation ability. This makes it an ideal material for thermal management in high power applications.
Furthermore, graphene is highly resistant to chemical corrosion and extremely resistant to oxidation. This makes it suitable for use in many chemical processing applications, such as fuel cells, batteries and chemical catalysis.
Conclusion
Graphene has excellent mechanical properties, such as high strength to weight ratio, excellent thermal conductivity, good fracture resistance and excellent oxidation resistance. These properties make graphene an attractive candidate for many applications, from aerospace materials to biomedical devices. In addition, graphene has been used for developing nano composites, wearable electronics and other high performance devices. As the cost of manufacturing graphene continues to decrease and the number of applications continue to grow, graphene has the potential to revolutionize many industries.
