Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2014; the graphene patent counts by country, the companies most active in patenting, the research described as recent and the predictions for smartphones, batteries and solar cells reflect that time.
The first strength tests on graphene show that it is the strongest and toughest material ever measured, 200 times stronger than steel. It is also flexible and malleable, and an excellent conductor of energy. It is undoubtedly a unique material that could be put to thousands of uses, and it is becoming ever clearer that it will be part of industry in the future.
Scientific interest in the material was sparked in 2003, once it had been isolated, which set off what scientists have called a “patent rush”. China has filed more than 2,200 graphene patents, the United States has 1,700 and South Korea about 1,200, while Apple, IBM and Samsung are among the most active companies competing for graphene patents.
There is no denying that investing in graphene could be a very profitable business, but, as we explained in a previous article, investors find it very hard to put money into graphene, because it isn’t yet a commodity and there are no companies that would clearly benefit most from the material, although we do already have a few names.
What are probably the nearest future applications for graphene?
Although it’s still too early to know for sure, we could already mention:
1. Batteries.
The biggest problem facing mobile devices is the need to keep recharging the battery, but researchers at Rice University found that graphene mixed with vanadium oxide could produce battery cathodes that recharge in 20 seconds and retain more than 90% of their capacity even after 1,000 cycles of use.
2. Computer circuits.
At the moment computer chips are made with silicon, but last year Harvard researchers used DNA templates to pattern graphene into nanoscale structures that could go on to form electronic circuits. The problem, besides the fact that for now it is merely an experiment, is that the solution would be too expensive, although they say the potential of graphene-based electronics is simply “too good to ignore”.
3. Smartphones.
In a detailed Business Insider report, they took it as a given that graphene will be the main material used to make the smartphones of the future, allowing unbreakable smartphones that you could twist and bend, and even hit on the touchscreen without fear of breaking it.
4. Energy cells.
For years it has been said that the biggest application for graphene could be in solar and electrical energy. Since we know that solar storage is among the profitable businesses of the future, it’s a matter of identifying the companies that are researching graphene for their solar technology, as they could be a good long-term investment.
One of the “key ingredients” in solar cells is platinum, which has proved expensive and not very efficient, so solar technology experts say that, thanks to its molecular structure, graphene would have the conductivity and catalytic activity needed to harness and convert solar energy without losing efficiency.
5. Living tissue applications.
According to various publications, graphene could be used to create bionic implants and even to interact with biological systems. This could take the internet of things to another level. (See: What the future would look like if we bet on graphene.)
Beyond that, within consumer electronics the range of applications for graphene is practically endless. According to the Business Insider article, so far researchers have only looked at graphene’s properties when it is combined with gases, metals and other carbon sources, but researchers are now experimenting with the material to make antennas, saltwater filters, windows, paint, aircraft wings, tyres and countless other things.
In short, graphene will be part of our future one way or another, investing in graphene will probably be one of the most profitable investments, and part of the future of industry will involve graphene. The question remains how to benefit directly from the graphene boom, a question to which we don’t have an answer for now (apart from the companies we already named in our article on investing in graphene).
Further reading
- Do you know what the most profitable business of the next few years will be? The internet of things
- Investing in water: a profitable long-term investment
- 7 industries to invest in
- The 33 most profitable businesses of the future
Featured image: Harlequin Mantis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
