For almost two decades now the world has been hearing how Graphene is arguably one of the world’s most useful materials. The possibilities for this supermaterial appear to be endless and even after almost 20 years of research, the full potential of Graphene has yet to be uncovered.
Graphene has, in fact, been around far longer than this and, if you’ve ever held a pencil, then you will have handled it yourself. The lead in a pencil is made up of a single layer of Graphite, Graphene is created once this is broken down (as scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov did by continuously separating fragments of it with sticky-tape until left with carbon atom-sized amounts).
To give an idea of the strength and power of Graphene, here’s an overview of the qualities:
- It’s 200 times stronger and yet 6 times lighter in weight than steel, currently the strongest material on record
- It’s a million times thinner than a human hair (and yet somehow still visible without the use of a microscope
- It’s extremely flexible, research shows that Graphene can be stretched up to 25% of its original state
- It’s the most conductive material in the world due to its two-dimensional hexagonal build, this allows heat and electricity to move easily without resistance. It’s even better than copper (copper coils are currently being used in iPhone 12 and 13 models to wirelessly charge devices – called ‘Magsafe’).
With such dynamic and exceptional qualities, Graphene is currently being tested for use in many industries and markets with new uses being discovered on a regular basis, none more so than in batteries, be that for smartphones, virtual reality, electronic cars, etc.
As well as the obvious benefits of using Graphene in batteries (such as being lighter weight and stronger), the list is seemingly endless to improving overall battery performance. Big tech companies such as Tesla and Apple are actively examining and testing the possibilities of Graphene in batteries and research is ongoing.
Currently the best results with Graphene in batteries have been from graphene-lithium-ion hybrids, creating stronger, ultrafast-charging, longer-lasting charge in a rechargeable battery with the growing potential of eliminating disposable one-use batteries for good and thus reducing electronic waste (and we all heard about the damage lithium can do to the environment if not disposed of responsibly).
Although LapCabby don’t currently have plans to use Graphene in our products (yet!) we can guarantee any future batteries made with Graphene will be safely charged in our units when the technology presents itself.
