Electrical Connection news - Graphene

The wonder substance, graphene, is appearing in technology news stories on an increasingly frequent basis. Its impact in the world of electrical connection technology continues to grow.
 

 
Graphene is one of many allotropes of carbon, and in common with some of the others, it has some very useful qualities. Research into its applications gathers pace as exciting results have been reported from around the world. In the news in recent weeks, there have been two stories of note that are of interest to those promoting electrical connection technology.
 
Graphene has been identified as a suitable material for the purposes of filtration, which is particularly important for those parts of the world where water is scarce. At present, areas such as the Middle East use huge energy sapping desalination plants – often powered by solar energy – and the latest results demonstrate that graphene has the potential to filter sea water without the need for evaporation and condensation.
 
Graphene is formed from single layers of atoms. Despite this, it is incredibly strong. It has the ability to block the sodium chloride in sea water, along with other impurities, whilst allowing clean water to pass through.
 
The substance is also being looked at as a replacement for lithium in lithium-ion batteries. Samsung have developed a ‘graphene bell’ battery that has a greater capacity to hold charge and can be recharged five times faster than the lithium-ion equivalent. Lithium is not an abundant element and it has soared in price in recent years, with 2017 witnessing a two and a half fold increase.
 
Electrical storage is a hot topic at present. For those in the electrical connection industry, graphene may continue to be a disruptive technology for the foreseeable future. It multiple uses – not to mention its amazing qualities – should deliver an exciting impact across a wide range of technologies.