Graphene Melting Point - From Two Dimensions To One
Scientists from all across the globe are looking for ways to fully understand graphene. They are finding ways to employ and produce the new material, which is said to be hundreds of time stronger than steel.
The material has several unique properties, and one of which is the graphene melting point. Graphene is a layer of carbon that is only an atom thick Researchers have estimated that 3 million sheets of graphene stacked on top of another is just around 1 millimetre thick.
It is very flexible and at the same time hard. It has been described to be hundreds of times stronger than steel. Graphene melting point is also said to be more than 3,000 degrees Celsius.
The Graphene Melting Point Is Expected To Be High
because its base element, carbon, has the highest melting point. It should be noted that at normal atmospheric pressure, carbon doesn’t melt when heated but instead it sublimes. When carbon is heated, it goes through a phase change from solid to gas. But when the pressure is increased to 10 atmospheres, carbon is observed to melt at 3550 degrees Celsius.
Graphene Melting Point Is Said To Be Higher Than That Of Carbon
It is known that graphene has exceptional structural properties because it is one of the simplest two dimensional membrane. But even if graphene is a graphene is a 2D crystal, it has similarities to other graphitic structures such as nanotubes and fullerenes.
Since the melting of small particles is different from that of large crystals the relation between the melting mechanisms in graphene and that in nanotubes and fullerenes is unknown in the past, until scientists from the Netherlands studied the high temperature behaviour of the compound.
They published their study on September 2011. The researchers found that the molten phase of graphene is similar to that of fullerenes, wherein the 2D crystal decomposes into a three dimensional network of 1D chains. The graphene melting point is around 4900 K, which is higher than that of fullerenes at 4000 K, and closer to that of nanotubes at 4800 K.
The High Melting Point Of Graphene
makes the material ideal for various applications in the manufacturing industry. Researchers are trying to find out how graphene can improve the heat resistance of sophisticated materials, such as carbon fibres, single-crystal materials, and titanium alloys.
In time, the use of the material can lead to thinner, stronger, and lighter constructions that can be utilised in anything from supercomputers to production plants and light aircrafts. With the high temperature of graphene melting point, it is an important material for various industries. At present, the material is expensive to produce but graphene products will become more viable in the future.