Researchers at Penn State and Shinshu University in Japan have developed
a simple, scalable method of making graphene oxide (GO) fibers that are
strong, stretchable and can be easily scrolled into yarns with
strengths approaching that of Kevlar.
The researchers made a thin
film of graphene oxide by chemically exfoliating graphite into graphene
flakes, which were then mixed with water and concentrated by
centrifugation into a thick slurry. The slurry was then spread by bar
coating -- something like a squeegee -- across a large plate. When the
slurry dries, it becomes a large-area transparent film that can be
carefully lifted off without tearing. The film is then cut into narrow
strips and wound on itself with an automatic fiber scroller, resulting
in a fiber that can be knotted and stretched without fracturing.
"We found this graphene oxide fiber was very strong, much better than other carbon fibers. We believe that pockets of air inside the fiber keep it from being brittle," says Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics, chemistry and materials science and engineering at Penn State.
Terrones and colleagues believe this method opens up multiple possibilities for useful products. For instance, removing oxygen from the GO fiber results in a graphene fiber with high electrical conductivity. Adding silver nano rods to the graphene film would increase the conductivity to the same as copper, which could make it a much lighter weight replacement for copper transmission lines. Many kinds of highly sensitive sensors are imaginable.
"The importance is that we can do almost any material, and that could open up many avenues -- it's a lightweight material with multifunctional properties," Terrones remarks. And the main ingredient, graphite, is mined and sold by the ton.
Their discovery was reported online in a recent issue of ACS Nano and titled "Super-stretchable Graphene Oxide Macroscopic Fibers with Outstanding Knotability Fabricated by Dry Film Scrolling."
The researchers received support from the Research Center for Exotic Nanocarbons, Japan, and the Center for Nanoscale Science, Penn State.
source:- http://www.sciencedaily.com"We found this graphene oxide fiber was very strong, much better than other carbon fibers. We believe that pockets of air inside the fiber keep it from being brittle," says Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics, chemistry and materials science and engineering at Penn State.
Terrones and colleagues believe this method opens up multiple possibilities for useful products. For instance, removing oxygen from the GO fiber results in a graphene fiber with high electrical conductivity. Adding silver nano rods to the graphene film would increase the conductivity to the same as copper, which could make it a much lighter weight replacement for copper transmission lines. Many kinds of highly sensitive sensors are imaginable.
"The importance is that we can do almost any material, and that could open up many avenues -- it's a lightweight material with multifunctional properties," Terrones remarks. And the main ingredient, graphite, is mined and sold by the ton.
Their discovery was reported online in a recent issue of ACS Nano and titled "Super-stretchable Graphene Oxide Macroscopic Fibers with Outstanding Knotability Fabricated by Dry Film Scrolling."
The researchers received support from the Research Center for Exotic Nanocarbons, Japan, and the Center for Nanoscale Science, Penn State.
Comments
Post a Comment