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Miraculous Graphene Promises to Push the Limits on Our Cars

People, gather round! If you haven’t heard of graphene yet, finish this article and then I beg you to do a bit of more research about it and its applications. Tip for investors.
Graphene 19 photos
Photo: AlexanderAlUS/Wikipedia
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Graphene has been in the attention of a few since the late 1800s, and finally in 2004 at the University of Manchester, the now dubbed Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov managed to isolate a single layer of the stuff.

Now, the reason for all the fuss around this material is quite simple, it’s absolutely amazing! I’m just going to lay out some of the properties of Graphene for a single layer one atom thick. A single layer of this material compared to a single layer of steel is about 100 times stronger.

It conducts electricity thirteen times better than copper and it conducts heat at a far better level than most other materials known to man. On a more atomic level, the material arranges itself in such a way as to not permit even the smallest atom, Helium, to pass through from one side to the other. It’s almost completely impermeable. Oh, and I forgot to mention, its toughness is right up there with diamonds.

These extraordinary properties have led the way to a whole new class of materials. Nano-tubes and nano-sheets are being used in the application of transistors, thermal management, energy storage and management, lubricants and coatings, and can be modeled into building components.

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio is made from layers of graphene
Photo: Lamborghini
But where does this leave the automotive industry? Well, right there at the front of the pack, with the aerospace and nautical industries. It's so much in that now we have a new event added to our yearly schedule. The annual Graphene Automotive.

This year, the Second Annual Graphene Automotive Convention was held in the U.S. and its European brother is coming up in September. Key topics discussed include graphene availability and market supply, quality and standardization of graphene materials and new developments in manufacturing processes and material integration. The latest results include new developments in graphene-based composites. All of it for the automotive industry.

Graphene research into its applications has yielded for the auto industry composites and coatings that promise to make light, strong and safer vehicles. it has already been spotted replacing carbon fiber components by a number of manufacturers.

Its electrical properties have already seen applications in lithium batteries as well, and some speculate that lithium may be replaced all together in the near future.

Ford Mustang to use graphene components
Photo: Ford
In 2018, Ford announced that it would be using graphene reinforced parts in its cars. Starting with the F-150 and Mustang by the end of 2018. To achieve this, Ford teamed up with XG Sciences, a manufacturer of graphene nanoplatelets, and Eagle industries, a manufacturer of military gear.

About the venture, CEO of XG, Philip Rose, adds, “We are excited about the performance benefits our products are able to provide to Ford and Eagle Industries. Working with early adopters such as Ford Motor Company demonstrates the potential for graphene in multiple applications, and we look forward to extending our collaboration into other materials, and enabling further performance improvements."

None other than Lamborghini and M.I.T. have been teaming up to show off their own capabilities - including here the gorgeous Terzo Millennio Concept, whose body is made from graphene. All kinds of automotive uses for graphene have also hit the streets and it’s no wonder. New limits of speed will be tested and set, and then likely broken.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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