A once little-known material could help future buildings withstand even the most ferocious storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes by making walls far stronger and more water-resistant, according to a 2018 study from a team of scientists at the University of Exeter.
The material is graphene, a single-atom-thick form of carbon whose name combines “graphite” with the suffix “-ene.” It already has a wide range of uses, from anti-corrosive coatings to lubricants. But over the last two decades a new application has emerged: researchers found that adding graphene oxide significantly increases both the tensile and compressive strength of concrete, so the world’s most common building material can be turned into a kind of “super-concrete.”
In practical terms, this advanced building material can be produced at a cost not much higher than traditional concrete, which means it could be used for stronger housing and infrastructure at scale. Graphene-enhanced concrete could help reduce damage from floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires, protecting lives and cutting the resources needed for rebuilding.
Graphene also has striking properties on its own. As a material, graphene is often cited as roughly 200 times stronger than high-grade steel, and the Exeter team reported their graphene-reinforced concrete was about four times more water-resistant than standard concrete. Graphene also conducts heat and electricity while remaining almost transparent.
For builders working under LEED certification or other green building standards, graphene-enhanced concrete is both stronger and more sustainable. Adding graphene shortens curing times, reduces the amount of cement needed, performs well in harsh conditions, and helps the material resist stresses from flooding, explosions, or earthquakes.
“This new composite material is an absolute game-changer in terms of reinforcing traditional concrete,” said Professor Monica Craciun, co-author of the University of Exeter study. “Not only is it stronger and more durable, but it is also more resistant to water, making it uniquely suitable for construction in areas that require maintenance work and are difficult to access. Yet perhaps more importantly, by including graphene we can reduce the amount of materials required to make concrete by around 50 per cent, leading to a significant reduction of 446 kg per tonne of the carbon emissions.”
For years, producing graphene at scale was a challenge. That has been changing, with facilities capable of producing several tons of graphene per month, which makes applications like this far more realistic.
“This ground-breaking research is important as it can be applied to large-scale manufacturing and construction,” said Dimitar Dimov, the study’s lead author. “The industry has to be modernised by incorporating not only off-site manufacturing, but innovative new materials as well. Finding greener ways to build is a crucial step forward in reducing carbon emissions around the world.”
Source: University of Exeter, “Scientists create innovative new ‘green’ concrete using graphene,” April 2018 (news-archive.exeter.ac.uk).
Graphene is a single-atom-thick form of carbon. Researchers found that adding graphene oxide significantly increases concrete’s tensile and compressive strength, turning the world’s most common building material into a kind of ‘super-concrete.’
Graphene itself is often cited as roughly 200 times stronger than high-grade steel. In a 2018 University of Exeter study, graphene-reinforced concrete tested about four times more water-resistant than standard concrete.
Potentially, yes. By making walls far stronger and more water-resistant, graphene-enhanced concrete could help reduce damage from floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires, protecting lives and cutting the resources needed to rebuild.
It can be. The Exeter team reported that including graphene reduces the materials needed to make concrete by around 50%, cutting about 446 kg of carbon emissions per tonne, while also shortening curing times.
Increasingly so. It can be produced at a cost not much higher than traditional concrete, and graphene manufacturing has scaled up to several tons per month, making real-world applications more realistic.
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