Quick story

Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon. The discovery of graphene has been rewarded with Nobel Prize, in 2010 to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. It is real and has already been produced from graphite, the scale of production still remains the main restriction.

Most of the research is still at the early stage and graphene products have not yet reached the masses in commercial use, however there is a big push for investment into graphene.

Graphene, even though being the thinnest material ever, is super strong. Graphene may at first sound like science fiction, with all it's declared super attributes in many areas. Those include:

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Demand for graphene rising, making nuclear power safer

Another wondrous use of Graphene - making nuclear power safer. In an article about the surging demand for Graphene this little nugget of information stands out:

A new generation of nuclear reactors called pebble-bed nuclear reactors use large amounts of flake graphite. These reactors get their name from the pebble-sized spheres of graphite mixed with uranium that they contain. “This structure allows pebble bed reactors to produce power more efficiently – and safely – than conventional reactors,” Alex Cowie, editor of Diggers & Drillers, wrote recently. “This technology means nuclear reactors can be smaller, and as easy to run as turning a switch.”

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