Full carbon airgel – the lightest material

\”Airgel\” is the semi-solid state to The dried gel , after removal of the solvent the product , the look as a solid, contains numerous internal voids filled the air density and therefore minimal. In March 2013, Zhejiang University scientists have developed a lightweight material, this is called \” full carbon airgel \” solid material density of only 0.16mg / cm³, air one-sixth the density, and so far the world\’s lightest material . \”Airgel\” is a gel dried semi-solid state, the product obtained after removal of the solvent, as a solid appearance, containing a number of internal voids filled with air, and therefore minimum density. Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University Professor Gao Chao\’s research group will contain two kinds of graphene and carbon nanotubes, nanomaterials solution freeze-dried at low temperatures to remove moisture, retaining the skeleton, successfully breaking the \”lightest material\” record. Prior to the \”world record holder\” is a material made by German scientists in late 2012 called \”graphite airgel\” with a density of 0.18 milligrams per cubic centimeter. This research was February 18, 2013, published online in the journal \”Advanced Materials,\” and \”Nature\” magazine \”Research Highlights\” section in focus with pictures comment. Configuration is similar to the whole carbon airgel \’carbon sponge\’, even if the size of the airgel a mug on green foxtail, slender grass shall not be bent. Although it seems to recover quickly after the \”fragile\”, but \”all carbon airgel\” is very good in terms of the structure of toughness, it can be compressed to 20% of the original volume in the thousands. In addition, \”all carbon airgel\” is one of the most oil-absorbing ability of the material. Suction conventional absorbent products are generally only about 10 times its own mass of the organic solvent, and \”all carbon airgel\” amount of absorption can be up to 900 times its own mass. According to reports, airgel is the lightest Guinness World Record of a class of substances, because there are a lot of internal voids filled with air, hence the name. In 1931, American scientists won the first airgel, nicknamed \”frozen smoke\” silica system. In 2011, the United States HRL Laboratory, University of California, Irvine and Caltech collaborated airgel preparation consisting of nickel, a density of 0.9 mg / cc, a record at that time the lightestRecord material. This material is placed on the dandelion flowers, soft hairs almost no distortion – This photo was named \”Nature\” magazine\’s annual top ten pictures, but also to the superb impressed: Can you prepare a material, the challenge this limit? Our graphite reserves are very rich, two-thirds of the world. Scientists have been exploring ways of efficient use of graphite. \”Graphite into a graphene (constructed by a single layer sheet-like structure of carbon atoms), which may increase the value of thousands of times.\” After exploring superb research group of five or six years, was prepared in a one-dimensional graphene fibers and two-dimensional graphene films. This time, they intend to make three-dimensional porous material graphene to the impact of this record.

simple production

shape, size can be adjusted into a possible large-scale manufacturing in the laboratory, the reporter saw a number of different sizes \”carbon sponge\”: they are large, such as tennis, as a small bottle stopper. Under the electron microscope, carbon nanotubes, and graphene together support from numerous apertures. \”It\’s like sports stadiums and other large space structures, made with steel frame, film and other high strength to do the walls, the whole material both light and strong.\” Sun Haiyan doctoral research group, said, \”Here, carbon nanotubes that bracket, graphite . ene is a wall \”in the results reported in the preparation of the superb research group\” carbon sponge \”is still the lightest record holder – up to 0.16 mg / cubic centimeter, lower than the density of helium. Related papers published online February 18 in the \”Advanced Materials.\” But the research group to declare the Guinness Book of World Records is not interested, \’\’ light \’is not its greatest novelty lies. \” Superb interpretation: its value lies in its simplicity of preparation, and materials exhibited superior performance. Scientists said that the basic principle of aerogels prepared by removing the solvent in the gel, allowing it to remain intact skeleton. In the case of a conventional airgel, scientists mainly sol – gel method and template-directed method. The former can be synthesized batch, but poor controllability; the latter can produce ordered structure, but dependent on the size of the template and a fine structure is difficult to prepare a large amount. Superb TF another way, no template explored freeze drying: dissolving an aqueous solution lyophilized graphene and carbon nanotubes at a low temperature, it is obtained a \”carbon sponge\”, and the shape can be adjusted to make the production process more convenient, this also applied to large-scale manufacturing and lightweight materialAs possible. \”Do not need a template, only with the container. Container how much, how much you can prepare, you can do a thousand cubic centimeters, and even more.\” Superb said.

superior performance

high elastic, strong adsorption, bright future \”Nature\” magazine, reviews and articles entitled: \”Solid Carbon: elastic and light\” that the performance of this new thing is amazing. According to reports, the \”carbon sponge\” with a high elasticity, still restitution is compressed 80%. It organic solvent having a fast, ultra-high suction force, a suction force is the highest reported to date materials. Existing products are generally only suck the liquid oil absorption of about 10 times its own mass, and the \”carbon sponge\” absorption amount of about 250 times, up to 900 times, and only oil absorbent. \”Big eaters\” to eat organics fast: such a \”carbon sponge\” to absorb 68.8 grams per gram of organic matter per second. This is reminiscent to deal with oil spills at sea it, \”they can be sprinkled on the sea, will be able to rapidly absorb the oil in, because of the elastic, oil absorbing recycling can be pressed out, \’carbon Sponge can also re-use. \”researchers expressed. Currently, the lab is studying further applications of the adsorption properties of this material. Researchers said \”carbon sponge\” may also be desirable to phase change thermal insulation material, the catalytic support, the sound absorbing material and a composite material efficiently. However, this material is just as newborn babies birth, scientists still difficult to predict accurately their applications and prospects, had to rely on the imagination of the industry and society, so that this new material out of the laboratory to application value. Full carbon airgel is expected to oil spills at sea, water purification and even play an important role in environmental pollution control and air. The traditional way of making aerogels are often unable to mass production, but new research group to create a \”low temperature lyophilization\” to make airgel production process more convenient, but also to such large-scale manufacture and application of ultra-light materials possible. \”Nature\” magazine has this research on the \”Research Highlights\” section, and focus with pictures comment. \”All carbon airgel\” is expected to spill at sea, water purification and even play an important role in environmental pollution control and air. Labs are further applied research on the adsorption properties of this material in 2013, in addition to pollution control, \”all carbon airgel\” will be able to become an ideal storage insulation, sound-absorbing materials and catalytic carrier.