Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is the building block of Graphite (which is used, among others things, in pencil tips), but graphene is a remarkable substance on its own – with a multitude of astonishing properties which repeatedly earn it the title “wonder material”. Graphene is the world’s thinnest material and even though it’s only one atom thick, it is 200 times stronger than steel and has superior strength, conductivity, stiffness, and transparency.
UK scientists have found a way to incorporate “wonder material” graphene into concrete, greatly increasing the material’s strength and water resistance. According to researchers at the University of Exeter, the composite material is “more than twice as strong and four times more water-resistant than existing concretes”.
The technique developed by the scientists uses nano-engineering technology to suspend atomically thin shards of graphene in the water that is used when mixing concrete.
This process requires less material than a traditional manufacturing process. This drastically reduces the material’s carbon footprint, resulting in a concrete that is not only strong but also more sustainable. 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 be accessed.
Yet perhaps more importantly, by including graphene we can reduce the number of materials required to make concrete by around 50 percent – leading to a significant reduction of 446 kilograms per tonne of carbon emissions.
The technology has the potential to deliver stronger, lighter concrete structures enabling a new generation of concrete designs. External testing shows a 34% increase in the compressive strength and a 27% increase in the tensile strength of concrete when tested to international standard methods.
The Graphene material is considered to be the Strongest Material on Earth, as it is composed of Mineral Stones and Rocks as per the Requirements of Graphene Concrete or Graphene Stone, The Graphene Compressive strength is 130K to 140K MPa that is observed to be as the strongest Material to be Built using it.
