A team of researchers from the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that the surface of the Luna contains graphenea material that is stronger than steel and lighter than aluminium. Known as “God’s material” or “the material of the future”, it is a substance with great potential used to manufacture everything from mobile phones to solar panels.
The Space mission Chang’e 5 brought back several lunar soil samples to Earth in 2020. A team led by professors Meng Zou, Wei Zhang and senior engineer Xiujuan Li analyzed one of those samples, measuring about 2.9 millimeters by 1.6 millimeters.
Using a special spectrometer, the researchers found an iron compound that is closely related to the formation of graphene in a carbon-rich section of the sample. They then used advanced microscopy and mapping technologies to confirm that the carbon content in the sample comprised “flakes” that have from two to seven layers of grapheneaccording to the results published in National Science Review.
New ways to produce graphene
The team believes that few-layer graphene may have been formed in volcanic activity in the early stages of the Moon’s existence, and catalyzed by solar winds that can stir up lunar soil and iron-bearing minerals that helped transform the structure of carbon atoms. In addition, they believe that the processes of meteorite impactwhich create high-temperature and high-pressure environments, may also have led to the formation of graphene.
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The team believes that studying lunar graphene could help develop ways to produce the material economically and expand its use: “Mineral-catalyzed formation of natural graphene sheds light on the development of low-cost, scalable synthesis techniques for high-quality graphene,” the paper notes.
The material of the future
Graphene is a substance composed of pure carbonIt stands out for being hard, flexible, light and highly resistant. A sheet of one atom thick is about 200 times stronger than steel and about five times lighter than aluminum.
Between the various properties of graphenethe most notable of which are its high thermal and electrical conductivity, elasticity, hardness, lightness and resistance. Its properties have made it a revolutionary material that could be very useful for innovation in technological and industrial sectors.
Thanks to graphene, the useful life of batteries could be extended tenfold, in addition to reducing their weight; they could be manufactured flexible screens for all types of devices and could also reduce the energy required by bulbs and increase their lifespan.
