Into the jiaxing zhongyi carbon 7000 square meters of factory, neatly lined with dozens of thermal conductive graphite film of high temperature furnace and high sintering furnace at low temperature. The oven is used to make mobile phones and other electronic products heat membrane of raw materials.

Graphene is a human invention of the first single atom of 2 d carbon film materials. Only a layer of atoms, the electron motion is limited in one plane, for it brings a new electrical properties. Its conductivity is strong, can be bent, good mechanical strength, looks quite amazing future materials.

In 2012, won the Nobel Prize as a result of graphene konstantin carbon (KonstantinNovoselov) and his colleagues published an article in the journal nature, discuss the future of graphene. He thought as a kind of materials, graphene "of" the future is bright, the road has twists and turns. Although it may play a major role in the future, but before overcome several major difficulties, this scenario isn't coming.

And, more importantly, considering the huge cost industry updates, the advantages of graphene may not be enough to make it simple to replace the existing equipment, its real prospects, perhaps is tailored for its unique features of new applications.

The application of thermal conductivity: mobile phones

This actually is a kind of what kind of material?

Graphene transparency in visible light, but do not breathe freely, these characteristics make it very suitable for as a protective layer and transparent electronics materials. If combined with super capacitor, information storage devices, high-performance composite materials, catalyst carrier, drug delivery, etc., it's a invention can change the world.

In the production workshop, 15 synthetic graphite production line capacity can reach 60000 square meters. Finished the sintering raw material of rolling, back glue, laminating, die-cutting forming, was eventually made into pieces the size of a mobile phone cover film, used to stick in the phone's screen, shielding cover, box, on the back cover, battery, heat dissipation function.

Founded in 2011, before the special functional materials research and development of enterprises, easy carbon founder CEO li ping to work in Shanghai research institute of China telecom. In the field of the application of high thermal conductivity graphite film, easy carbon from the large size of graphite film, continuous coil, multi-layer composite membrane for research and innovation.

In view of the new concept of graphene, li ping said that easy carbon has been keeping track of and on research and development, industry of graphene production product first graphene thermal film is as high thermal conductivity graphite film the upgrading of products on the market, reporters on the scene saw that the graphene heat membrane thickness of the thinnest can do 5 microns, well above the high thermal conductivity graphite film 25 micron thickness of conventional, at the same time, the graphene heat membrane has more powerful thermal performance. At present, the graphene heat membrane has achieved raw materials preparation, surface modification and dispersion, film forming, after die cutting processing, etc through of the whole production process.

But as the smartphone industry saturation, the entire industry are facing decline in orders. Li ping said: "in the first half of this year is particularly bad, a lot of customer orders are cut by 80%. But the second half began to improve, is expected to be flat compared with last year. Next year with the new product is better. In this business, only constant innovation, the development of new product, can not let myself was eliminated by the market."

Biological compatibility: detection reagent and implanted bone

Li ping told reporters that the company is in and the Chinese academy of sciences, tongji university, east China university of science and technology and other colleges and universities and research institutions cooperation, to expand the graphene more applications in the future. "Biological treatment is an area we are very concerned about, especially the application of graphene in the field of biological sensing and detection, graphene has very strong fluorescence quenching effect, can make traditional biological detection sensitivity increase 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. At present the main challenge is safety assessment, especially the graphene after this kind of nanometer materials into the body, may react with protein and so on, affect metabolism, or lead to cell apoptosis, these are need a lot of work."

Li ping said product, the biocompatibility of the graphene is used to produce detection reagent. He said: "the chemical modification is the key. As a result of graphene oxide are rich in hydroxyl, carboxyl, epoxy, all kinds of activity of oxygen containing groups, has good biocompatibility, can through the specificity of quantum dot surface chemical modification, by nano self-assembly technology design special DNA or nucleic acid probe, for certain proteins electrochemical reaction and fluorescence resonance energy, and rapid diagnosis. Like antibody and antigen, and avidin biotin, DNA base pairing, are strong specificity."

The idea, and after rice university (RiceUniversity) physicists Ching - HwaKiang idea is consistent. Kiang and his friends JamesTour made by means of the carbon nanotubes decompression graphene nano (GNRs). GNRs is a length of more than the width of the strip materials thousands of times. The shape of the material, cause its similar to the nature of the proteins and DNA. This means that, by the material status of protein folding. The researchers found that GNRs like DNA and proteins, in solution can be spontaneous formation of wrinkles and circulation, also can form the helix, wrinkles, or around.

The material in the future will probably be functional modification, and DNA, protein, and even cell. With such materials, the future biological molecular detection and molecular medicine becomes possible. At the same time can also to be used for DNA sequencing. This material may change all the aspects of biomedical in other areas.

Recently, rice university scientists trying to weld strength of the nanometer sheet to form porous materials. Researchers found that through the experiment of focused ion beam microscope image shows a 3 d graphene layers welded together. The material necessary to conform to the bone implant standard biological compatibility, and material properties.

Scientists at the university of rice materials laboratory PulickelAjayan and colleagues in the United States like Texas, Brazil and India, to use the discharge plasma sintering welding sheet of graphene oxide, its mechanical properties and biological compatibility and performance of titanium, become a standard of bone substitute materials of porous solids.

The findings published in the journal of advanced materials in the paper. The researchers believe that their technology will be able to create a highly complex graphite shape, and it only takes a few minutes, they believe that this process will than?? Special metal processing are more likely to create a special material.

"We started thinking about bone implant because graphene is one of the most interesting material, it can create many chances, because it is the general biological compatibility." Rice university postdoctoral research assistant ChandraSekharTiwary on "first financial daily" reporters. Tiwary and common, the lead author of the paper. Another author DibyenduChakravarty from hyderabad, India powder metallurgy new material research center. Tiwary said: "it is very important to four things: mechanical properties, density, porosity and biocompatibility."

The new 3 d printing materials

The researchers by changing the voltage on the weld of nanoscale to control the density of the material. Although the experiments to be carried out at room temperature, the researchers also increase the sintering temperature to 200 to 400 degrees Celsius to make various solid density of graphene. Tiwary said: "the experimental proof in local temperature 300 ℃ can get samples of the best."

Minnesota in the United States high-tech nano manufacturing company strong sea (Hysitron), with the help of colleagues, the researchers with a scanning electron microscope (sem) connection repeatedly test two to five layers of joint of the bearing capacity of the graphene, and found them in the 70 cattle (micronewtons) under the pressure of the remained remarkably stable. In addition, they are still in the university of Texas MD Anderson cancer center researchers, with the help of successfully cultivate cells on the graphene material, shows its biocompatibility. Amazingly, the researchers also found that the sintering process have to oxidation function, can make graphene sheets into a pure double layer graphite oxide, which makes them better than single layer of graphite or graphene oxide has the ability of more stable.

Ajayan said, the experiment proves that how to use the conventional technology to make unconventional materials. But one of the most important premise is that 2 d material to production made appropriate density and strength of 3 d materials. "Two-dimensional material benefits is that it can be implemented in large surface connection, you only have to overcome a very small activation energy, increase the welding strength." Ajayan said, "engineering structure and strong interface between nanoscale building blocks is one of the biggest challenges in achieving those goals, but in this case, the discharge plasma sintering seems to be effective to joining graphene and made into 3 d methods of graphite materials."

Tiwary said the discharge plasma sintering in industry generally be used in the manufacture of complex parts with ceramic. "The technology using high pulse current connects the welding piece instantly. You only need to high voltage, do not need to high pressure or high temperature." He says, they made nearly 50% is porous material, density is only half of ordinary graphite, only a quarter of the titanium. But it has enough compressive strength of 40 million mpa, such can conform to the bone implant? Requirements - the torque in the bone can make it will not dissolve in water.

The rumour that future phones will use nokia graphene sensor, the sensor will be used by Taiwan foxconn production. New phones will be nokia's first product and foxconn. , researchers at nanyang technological university in Singapore, said: "the graphene cameras made of the sensor is sensitive to light 1000 times stronger than ordinary CMOS, but at the same time more than five times as much as a high price." But the researchers said that nokia on raising the sensor on the strong and weak light imaging quality, selection of new sensor. If successful, will have a tremendous impact on the industry.

But as the technology matures, the cost of new materials will also be greatly reduced, graphene is a 3 d printing materials. Just last month, well-known graphene enterprises, listed companies HaydaleGrapheneIndustries London (at HGI) is a wholly owned subsidiary HaydaleCompositeSolutions (HCS) announced with thermoplastic 3 d printing wire manufacturers Filamentprint company and cooperate Fullerex, promotion and sales of graphene to enhance polylactic acid (PLA) wire used in 3 d printing. It is understood that the new 3 d printing wire will be held in this month of TCT material official appearance on the show.

At present this kind of 3 d printing materials has been in several large 3 d printing company for used and achieved good response. HCS, managing director of GerryBoyce said in a statement: "we are very excited to develop for 3 d printing applications of graphene to enhance thermoplastic materials. These new materials have many advantages, including the ability to make the parts more hard, stronger and faster! For a long time, the printing speed is hampering the 3 d printing technology to large-scale application of obstacles. The thought of the future will be able to directly from CAD to create the prospect of the structural parts and let us very excited."

In addition to launch its first commercial graphene strengthen PLA wire, it is also the research including ABS, nylon and PP (polypropylene) materials, graphene enhanced 3 d printing wire. In addition, the two companies can also according to customer requirements to develop customized graphene reinforced thermoplastic wire, in order to meet the specific product requirements.

Nobel physics prize winner, Constantine, a professor at the university of Manchester, England - carbon in this year's special MWC mobile assembly of graphene on said: "the graphene and other 2 d materials with unique properties, they can provide flexible and transparent electronic equipment basic forms. One of the earliest application is two-dimensional material application in printed electronics, the next move in printing has been employed in electronic equipment."

However, the application of graphene in the industry have not a clear way. "Professor we come into contact with many institutions of higher learning, they also wrote some interesting paper, but the problem is that they do not understand the industry and market, from research to product is an extremely complex process, graphene must become a kind of electronic components has its value of practical application. Successful cases in the laboratory, not necessarily to get the production line is feasible." Li ping told reporters that "we still want to rely on their own researchers in research and development, combined with the development of the industry and the demand, but at first the product cost is a problem."