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Graphene Makes Concrete Twice As Strong While Reducing Carbon Emissions (inhabitat.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the game-changing dept.

Paige.Bennett writes: In a recent study, University of Exeter's Center for Graphene Science used nanoengineering technology to add graphene to concrete production. The resulting graphene concrete is two times stronger than traditional concrete and four times as water resistant, but with a much smaller carbon footprint compared to the conventional process of making concrete. According to the research, the addition of graphene cuts back on the amount of materials needed in concrete production by nearly 50 percent and reduces carbon emissions by 446 kg per ton.

4 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ha! by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Informative

    Bold claim considering CVD is the only viable way produce graphene.

    CVD is not the only way to make graphene.

    Graphene is currently way too expensive for a bulk product like concrete, but if a big market is available more research will go into mass production techniques. More research should go into reinforcing concrete with other substances as well. I have seen concrete reinforced with peat moss, coconut fibers, and shredded bamboo. These increase tensile strength, and shock absorption, but reduce compressive strength.

  2. Re:Twice as strong? by complete+loony · · Score: 5, Informative
    From the paper's introduction;

    increase of up to 146% in the compressive strength, up to 79.5% in the flexural one, and a decrease in the maximum displacement due to compressive loading by 78% ... 88% increase in heat capacity ... decrease in water permeability by nearly 400% ... reduction by 50% of the required concrete material while still fulfilling the specifications for the loading of buildings.

    --
    09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
  3. Real world version by Robert Murray Smith by technosaurus · · Score: 3, Informative

    Rob and the guys at FWG have been doing tons of research on graphene and graphene oxide. The big difference is they have an open lab and have published many videos for the kitchen chemist to be able to produce graphene with common tools. Though most of their recent work is with all carbon battery-supercap hybrid, they did post a video on graphetized concrete here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...
    If you think graphene is a unicorn, try one of Rob's experiments.

  4. Re:Roman Concrete by Aighearach · · Score: 4, Informative

    As articles like that point out, they do know how.

    It isn't used because it is more expensive. Simple.

    This is even more expensive, and even better. So, even less useful.