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Scientists Mix Graphene and Diamonds to Make New Material
May. 25, 2015 09:58AM PST
Emerging Technology InvestingPhys.org reported that scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have used graphene and diamonds to create a new material that demonstrates “superlubricity,” a rare phenomenon.
Phys.org reported that scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have used graphene and diamonds to create a new material that demonstrates “superlubricity,” a rare phenomenon.
As quoted in the market news:
Led by nanoscientist Ani Sumant of Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM) and Argonne Distinguished Fellow Ali Erdemir of Argonne’s Energy Systems Division, the five-person Argonne team combined diamond nanoparticles, small patches of graphene – a two-dimensional single-sheet form of pure carbon – and a diamond-like carbon material to create superlubricity, a highly-desirable property in which friction drops to near zero.
According to Erdemir, as the graphene patches and diamond particles rub up against a large diamond-like carbon surface, the graphene rolls itself around the diamond particle, creating something that looks like a ball bearing on the nanoscopic level. ‘The interaction between the graphene and the diamond-like carbon is essential for creating the ‘superlubricity’ effect,’ he said. ‘The two materials depend on each other.’