In the past when you thought about ink or paint, you thought about using it to decorate your home or to act as a protective coating or undercoat. Times have moved on however, and when we mention the same two words, we are now thinking about pigments which have a new purpose. They can convey physical or chemical properties rather than the colour we know them for. This has allowed great technological leaps in this field and one of the best known materials derived from this is graphene.
Centre Colours in the UK, is one such company who can formulate and create inks and coatings with electrical conductivity and resistivity like graphene and we will explain what it is, and also look at some of the applications of this fantastic material.
Great Strength.
Graphene is considered by most, to be the thinnest and strongest conductive material there is, in regards to electricity and heat. It has the ability to change industries completely in regards to electricity, batteries, the generation of energy, sensors and many other applications. It can be used to increase the strength of materials and when you add just a little of it to plastics and metals, it increases their strength while also making them lighter. These new materials can be used in our mobile phones, in building materials and in the aerospace industry.
Thermal Uses.
Graphene is also the most conductive material in the world to heat, and it is also very strong and very light. It is useful, therefore for creating solutions that spread the heat around, which could prove itself very useful in making LED lights last longer and become more efficient than they are now. It could also be used in mobile phones regarding the thermal foils in them.
Storage Of Energy.
Because graphene is so thin, it makes it a great material that we can use in the manufacture of batteries and super capacitors. This means that they may be able to store more energy and we will be able to charge them faster as well. We can also use it to improve fuel cells.
More Promising Applications.
This great material can be used as an anti-corrosion coating or paint as manufactured by Centre Colours UK, and it can be used to create very efficient and very precise sensors. It can also be used to manufacture quicker and more efficient electronics, as well as better solar panels and so much more. It is clear that any industry should be able to benefit from what it has to offer, and currently there is research that is ongoing, into whether it can contribute more strength to the tyres that racing teams use in the Grand Prix.
It is clear that graphene is strong, and it is stronger than steel, but because you can stretch it without breaking it, Centre Colours is using it and other materials’ pigments, to create specific inks and coatings that will have conductivity and resistivity. This offers many exciting opportunities in many industries and the future is certainly looking brighter.
