The “Wonder” Material At just one atom thick, graphene is one of the thinnest and most powerful materials on earth. When graphene was first discovered, the concept was considered strange. Today, graphene is being studied and used more regularly, and it’s winning awards left and right. The following are ten of the most interesting facts about this “wonder” material. Strongest Material On Earth Graphene is a sheet of atoms that you can actually pick up. If that doesn’t shock you, its strength might. Despite its small size, graphene is stronger than both steel and diamond. It is actually forty ti ..read more

Graphene Oxide Found to Influence Gut Microbiome & Immune System Interactions Over the past few years, graphene has been the subject of numerous studies. This special material boasts some of the most impressive features on earth. Now, a new study has found that the nanomaterial graphene oxide can indirectly affect the immune system via the gut microbiome. About the Study During the study, graphene oxide was added to the water of adult zebrafish. The study used both normal fish and fish lacking a receptor module in their intestinal cells. Scientists found the composition of the gut microbio ..read more

Why We Need to Reduce Carbon Emissions Reducing greenhouse gas emissions could slow climate change, which would benefit everyone on the planet. Without action, air pollution from burning fossil fuels could lead to millions of premature deaths over the next century. New Study Focuses on the Long-Term Effects of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scientists have been studying the impact of greenhouse gas emissions closely for quite some time. Studies have found that air pollution is linked to rising rates of heart disease and respiratory illness. Air pollution was even classified as a human carcinogen by ..read more

Producing Biogas from Food Waste The food industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Every year, around one third of all food produced goes to waste. This amounts to around 1.3 billion tons annually. While we can all do more to reduce food waste in our own households, scientists believe we have a lot to gain from food industry waste. Using anaerobic digestion, organizations can turn food waste into fuel. How It Works Biogas is created by breaking down the bacteria in organic waste in a process called anaerobic digestion. This digestive process takes place in a purpose-built vessel ..read more

7 Things You Didn’t Know Graphene Could Do Graphene was first discovered in 2004 by scientists in Manchester. Since that time, graphene has been studied extensively. Several studies have been conducted on this super strong material. It seems like every day researchers find an exciting new way to use it. The following are seven things you might not have realized that graphene can do. Graphene As A Barrier Material Graphene is a near perfect barrier material. With the exception of hot protons, nothing penetrates graphene. Membranes made from a combination of graphene and graphene oxide can effec ..read more

Does The World Have Enough Lithium To Meet Demand? With soaring gasoline prices, many people are purchasing electric vehicles (EV) this year. These vehicles avoid costly gas prices and reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. While most people understand the benefits of electric vehicles, they may not know the drawbacks. Lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles contain lithium and other unsustainable components. Global supply of lithium is under a lot of strain due to rising demand for electric vehicles. Another issue, more than half our lithium resour ..read more

Interesting Facts About Graphene Graphene is an extremely interesting material. Over the past few years, graphene has been used in multiple applications across a number of different industries. Everything about graphene is extraordinary. Lightest Material One square meter of graphene weighs just .77 milligrams. This is 1,000 times heavier than one square meter of regular paper. One single sheet of graphene the size of a football field would weigh less than one gram. Thinnest Material At just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest material that can be seen by the naked eye. Strongest Material ..read more

Creating Graphene With Carbon Monoxide Earlier this year, scientists tested a graphene synthesis technique utilizing carbon monoxide as the carbon source. This was found to be a fast and inexpensive way to produce high quality graphene for use in electronic circuits, gas sensors, optics, and more. Typically, graphene is synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). During CVD, carbon atoms break off gas molecules and settle on a substrate monolayer in a vacuum chamber. Copper is one of the most common substrates used. Gases used include a variety of hydrocarbons including methane, propane ..read more

6 Uses for Biogas Biogas is a naturally occurring and renewable source of energy. Biogas is created from the breakdown of organic matter through anaerobic digestion. Although not widely used today, anaerobic digestion is an excellent way to control waste on farms. There are numerous benefits to biogas. Read on for the top 6 uses. Electricity Generation With only minor cleaning, biogas can be used to generate electricity. Biogas is easily combusted in large gas engines. The resulting energy can be used for powering homes and businesses. Large scale biogas operations can provide large amounts of ..read more

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