Possible Graphene Alternative Made From Hemp Waste

MTorrice writes "A low-cost chemical process can turn hemp fiber into carbon nanomaterials. Researchers used the materials to make devices called supercapacitors that provide quick bursts of electrical energy. Supercapacitors made with the hemp nanosheets put out more power than commercial devices can." According to one of the authors, "Hemp bast is a nanocomposite made up of layers of lignin, hemicellulose, and crystalline cellulose ... If you process it the right way, it separates into nanosheets similar to graphene." Perhaps the process could be applied to related plants (hops?) too.

Comments

Re:Marijuana?

[pspahn]

Entire? Not quite. It's been discussed here plenty for you to already know that there are states that have enacted legalization.

Colorado even just recently approved the regulatory structure for stores selling pot products.

You may certainly continue to believe what you want to believe, it's just fictional.

The 1% wants to keep you down, man!

[tekrat]

So since William Randolph Hearst demonized Hemp and forever tied to to Pot, it's been illegal to grow in the USA. You do realize that in most of the free world, you can walk into a grocery store and still buy products made from Coca leaf?

And yet in the "land of the free" almost everything is banned. Except guns. And you need those in case the government "takes away your rights". I hope you see the tremendous irony there.

Re:Pot solves everything

[kilfarsnar]

Legalizing marijuana and hemp would actually solve a lot of problems though. As you say we could stop locking all these people up for a mostly harmless activity. But it would also open up hemp as an industrial resource. As I'm sure you know hemp is useful for all kinds of stuff from textiles to paper to seed oil and meal. It grows fast and has little need for pesticides. But we can't grow it domestically because of our stupid prohibition.