The discussion centers on the viability of graphene as a structural material for macroworld engineering, exploring its mechanical properties, particularly when stacked in layers. Participants consider whether graphene retains its strength in larger applications or if it is more suited for electronics and smaller-scale uses.
Participants do not reach a consensus on the suitability of graphene for macroworld engineering. Multiple competing views exist regarding its mechanical properties when layered, and the discussion remains unresolved.
Participants note limitations in understanding the implications of stacking graphene, including the dependence on specific conditions and definitions of strength. There are unresolved questions about the fundamental physics at the atomic level affecting the material's properties.
I have found some papers talking of very controlled, low cost and efficient stacking of graphene on wafers of SiC (Silicon Carbide) but I'm not sure I'm proficient in that discipline to understand if that means they keep their properties or not.Kholdstare said:I know CNTs have excellent material strength when they are bunched together. I don't know what will happen for graphene. Will it not be just graphite, if bunched together?
Yes, but would they remain high in tensile strength (even if perhaps fragile in compression or with axial forces), or is it an inherent property of the multilayer form of the material that it becomes weaker? i.e. is it mechanically problematic, or do the fundamental physics of it at the atomic level weaken it?Sayajin said:The graphite is not very strong because the bounds between the graphene sheets on top of each other are very weak. If you are able to make just a single graphene sheet with macroscopic size it would still be strong.You could stack many graphene layers together and they would break apart very easily but the individual graphene sheets would still be strong.
I am not sure about that.