Graphene is, basically, a single atomic layer of graphite; an abundant mineral which is an allotrope of carbon that is made up of very tightly bonded carbon atoms organised into a hexagonal lattice. What makes graphene so special is its sp2 hybridisation and very thin atomic thickness (of 0.345Nm). These properties are what enable graphene to break so many records in terms of strength, electricity and heat conduction.
It is the thinnest compound known to man at one atom thick, the lightest material known (with 1 square meter coming in at around 0.77 milligrams), the strongest compound discovered (between 100-300 times stronger than steel and with a tensile stiffness of 150,000,000 psi), the best conductor of heat at room temperature (at (4.84±0.44) × 10^3 to (5.30±0.48) × 10^3 W·m−1·K−1) and also the best conductor of electricity known (studies have shown electron mobility at values of more than 15,000 cm2·V−1·s−1).
Products |
Property | Purity | Layers | Scale | SSA | Carbon Content | Oxygen Content |
Unit | Wt% | layer | Micron | m2/g | Wt% | Wt% | |
Method | TEM | TEM | BET | XPS | XPS | ||
Graphene 3 |
>98 |
<3 |
1-3 |
500 |
>98 |
<2 |
|
Graphene 5 |
>98 |
<3 |
2-5 |
50-80 |
>98 |
<2 |
|
Graphene 10 |
>98 |
<3 |
10 |
70-110 |
>98 |
<2 |
|
Graphene 50 |
>98 |
<3 |
>50 |
110-170 |
>98 |
<2 |