Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have just recently invented a new 3D form of graphene, titled Porous, and it's is one of the strongest and lightest materials known to man. Scientists have been researching how to transform graphene, which is very thin carbon sheets, into useful objects and items that are 3D and now they've successfully discovered the mechanics of it.
They developed the product by using a combination of both heat and pressure, they compressed and fused the flakes of graphene together. And their findings have just recently been published in the journal Science Advances. They've satisfied the quest of trying to transform a 2D material like graphene, into a useful 3D structure.
Compressed flakes of graphene helped produce a type of microscopic algae known as diatom.
The configurations of their objects were made using 3D printers in the lab. And they were then mechanically tested in order to establish their compressive and tensile properties. MIT sees the material someday being used in airplanes, cars, and perhaps even water filtration systems.
The potential applications for what this material can be used for are seemingly endless. It has the capability and the potential to be able to be translated to a number of different areas, as well as incorporated and used in many different settings and ways. The kind of strength that 2D graphene has is certainly impressive, but the material is seen to be even stronger when it is in its 3D form.
Pics:
Melanie Gonick/MIT
Qin et al. Sci. Adv. 2017;3:e1601536
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mit-scientists-create-porous-3d-103758068.html
http://phys.org/news/2017-01-porous-d-graphene-mit-strong.html
http://bgr.com/2017/01/06/science-news-mit-graphene-material/
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/1/e1601536