Is India Missing the Graphene Bus?

Why in News?

• The three emerging technologies; Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Computing and Graphene, will disrupt the existing human-machine interface in the next couple of decades.
• While India is among the leaders in AI and a potential challenger in quantum computing, it needs to catch up in the area of Graphene.

 

What is Graphene?

• Graphene is a material that is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
• It is one of the most important elements in nature which we find in daily objects like the lead of a pencil.

 

Why Graphene is Called “Material of The Future?”

• It is a material with great potential, useful in many and very diverse processes, that range from the manufacture of smartphones to the construction of solar panels. 
• What AI is to software and Quantum Computer is to computers, Graphene is to materials.
• It has the potential to revolutionise electricity, conductivity, energy generation, batteries, sensors and more.
• Moreover, when added to other materials, graphene even in small quantities produces composite materials with dramatically transformed qualities.

 

Special Properties of Graphene

• Graphene is the world’s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material of both electricity and heat.
• It conducts electricity better than copper.
• It is 200 times stronger than steel but six times lighter.
• It is almost perfectly transparent as it absorbs only 2% of light.
• It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.

 

Importance of Graphene Across Different Sectors

• Electronics Manufacturing: Graphene could change the electronics sector completely; with the application of this material, smaller, lighter, tougher, and more efficient devices could be manufactured, impossible to obtain with the components that are used today.
• Health Sector
  • Because of extraordinary properties of graphene, stronger, more flexible, and lighter hearing aids could be developed.
  • Making bones and muscles that would be introduced through surgical operations could be a reality in near future.
  • It is believed that graphene oxide could be a good ally in the diagnosis of diseases and their subsequent treatment.
• Water Purification: Graphene oxide membranes are used for water purification and desalination.
• Construction
  • The use of graphene applied to construction promises to improve the insulation of buildings.
  • The buildings could be more resistant to corrosion, dampness, and fire, and therefore tougher and more sustainable.
  • Construction materials would be perfected and eco-friendly components would be used, such as "green concrete" - an eco-efficient material that is more sustainable and resistant than the current one.
• Defence and Aerospace Purpose
  • Its exceptional strength makes it a promising material for armour and ballistic protection.
  • Graphene has the potential to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic waves, making it valuable for developing stealth coatings and materials that reduce radar signatures and electromagnetic interference.
  • Graphene is highly sensitive to environmental changes, which makes it an excellent candidate for sensing chemical and biological agents, explosives, radiation, and other hazardous substances.
  • Besides, graphene-based materials can also protect us against chemical and biological attacks.

 

Global Market of Graphene

• There are reasons to believe that we are entering the Graphene age.
• According to The Grand View Research, the global graphene market size was valued at $175.9 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 46.6% between 2023 and 2030.

 

Graphene Production

• Although graphene was discovered in 2004, it was difficult to produce high-grade large-scale graphene.
• However, things are changing fast with advancements in technology and capability.
• As per a report, at least one graphene-enhanced product was launched every week in 2022. Over 300 companies are now producing graphene or its derivatives.

 

Leading Countries in Graphene Research

• China, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore are leading countries in graphene research
• Till 2012, graphene-related patent filing was dominated by the U.S. From 2013 to 2016, South Korea and China matched the U.S.
• In 2018, China filed 218 patents while the other leading countries together filed 79.India had only eight filings.

 

Leading Countries in Commercial Production of Graphene

• China and Brazil are global leaders in the commercial production of graphene.
• At the Beijing Graphene Institute, set up in 2018, several companies produce industry-grade graphene products.
• India produces about one-twentieth compared to China and one-third compared to Brazil.

 

India's progress in Graphene Research and Production

• India’s progress has been better than many nations.
• The Centre for Nano Science and Engineering at IISc Bangalore along with KAS Tech produced a graphene-based system several years ago.
• Some start-ups and foreign subsidiaries have started graphene or graphene derivatives in India.
• Notably, Tata Steel has succeeded in growing graphene (about 50 micrometres large domains) using annealing and extracting atomic carbon from steel surface.
• It has also mixed graphene with used plastic products to recycle them as new.
• The IIT Roorkee-incubated Log 9 has patented a technology for graphene-based ultracapacitors, and the IIT Kanpur-incubated RF Nanocomposites has developed EMI shielding and stealth technology using graphene-based nanotubes.

 

India’s Niche in Graphene Research

• India’s niche is going to be innovation using graphene.
• It figured out how graphene oxide-based wrappers loaded with preservatives can increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

 

Steps Taken in Graphene Research

• A laudable step in this direction was the setting up of the India Innovation Centre for Graphene in Kerala.
• It is being implemented by the Digital University Kerala in partnership with Tata Steel and C-MET, Thrissur.
• The Centre needs to become the nodal point to spur large-scale innovation activity around graphene.

 

What should be Government's approach ahead?

• Need for a National Graphene Mission: China declared graphene a priority in its 13th Plan. Europe set up the Graphene Flagship, with a budget of €1 billion in 2013. On these lines India should consider setting up a National Graphene Mission.
• Dedicated Nodal Ministry: A nodal Ministry needs to be entrusted with this responsibility; else the subject will fall through the cracks.
• Timely Investment
  • Given the high cost-to-volume ratio for high-grade graphene, its production may get concentrated in a few locations in the world, as in the case of semiconductors.
  • The government should move ahead fast with timely investment and catch up in the research and production of graphene, which is the defining material of this age

 

Conclusion

• India needs to be among the leaders in graphene because we may experience the ‘winner takes the most’ situation here.
• We missed the semiconductor bus in the mid-1990s. The time to step on the graphene pedal is now.

 

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Q1) How can Graphene be used in Computers?

Companies like Intel that are working at the cutting edge of semiconductor technology are investing a lot of money to reduce the size of transistors and eventually it will come to its limit in the next 10-15 years. When that happens, we will be looking at new materials for computing. And graphene will be a perfect contender to replace silicon.

 

Q2) What is the disadvantage of Graphene?

Graphene is a better conductor than metals. So in its crystalline form, graphene can not be used as a semiconductor because it cannot be switched off very easily. But, since it is almost a 2D structure, it is more reactive, and can be doped to tweak some of its properties.

 

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Source: The Hindu