新型石墨烯涂層使金屬耐腐蝕性提高百倍

方面的潛能。研究小組通過一種叫做“化學(xué)氣相沉積”的技術(shù)，在800～900攝氏度時(shí)使石墨烯緊密貼在銅上，并在鹽水中對其進(jìn)行測試。

“我們的成果也是迄今為止所報(bào)道的最佳改進(jìn)之一?！闭撐暮现呗{卡·瑪加姆德說，“其耐腐蝕性比未經(jīng)處理的銅提高了近100倍。其他研究可能只有五六倍或更多。這是一個(gè)相當(dāng)大的飛躍。”

該研究的主要實(shí)驗(yàn)人員帕拉瑪·班納吉說，石墨烯具有優(yōu)良的機(jī)械性能和很高的強(qiáng)度。

金屬上常用的聚合物涂層很容易被刮傷，降低了保護(hù)性能。雖然石墨烯涂層從外觀上既看不到也摸不著，卻更加堅(jiān)固抗損傷。“我把它叫做‘神奇的材料’?！?/p>

“在澳大利亞這樣被海洋包圍的國家，用原子涂層為環(huán)境提供特殊保護(hù)尤為重要?！卑嗉{吉說，雖然初步實(shí)驗(yàn)僅限于銅，目前他們已在用其他金屬開展實(shí)驗(yàn)。

研究人員指出，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)具有廣泛的應(yīng)用前景，從遠(yuǎn)洋輪船到電子產(chǎn)品，在任何用到金屬并有腐蝕風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的地方，都能大大延長金屬的使用壽命。這也意味著許多行業(yè)將因此節(jié)約巨大的成本。

目前，該技術(shù)的工藝過程尚處于實(shí)驗(yàn)測試階段?，敿幽返抡f，他們不僅在各種金屬上進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)，還研究怎樣在低溫下制作涂層，這將簡化生產(chǎn)并提高產(chǎn)品的市場潛力。

Graphene films—highly resistant to damage—could protect metals in harsh environments

A coating so thin it's invisible to the human eye has been shown to make copper nearly 100times more resistant to corrosion, creating tremendous potential for metal protection even in harsh environments.

In a paper published in the September issue of Carbon, researchers from Monash University and Rice University in the USA say their findings could mean paradigm changes in the development of anti-corrosion coatings using extremely thin graphene fi lms.

Graphene is a microscopically thin layer of carbon atoms.It is already in use in such things as smartphone screens, and is attracting research attention for its possibilities as a means of increasing metal's resistance to corrosion.

"We have obtained one of the best improvements that have been reported so far," said study coauthor Dr Mainak Majumder."At this point we are almost 100 times better than untreated copper.Other people are maybe five or six times betier, so it's a pretiy big jump."

Dr Parama Banerjee, who performed most of the experiments for this study, said graphene had excellent mechanical properties and great strength.

The polymer coatings that are often used on metals can be scratched, compromising their protective ability, but the invisible layer of graphene – although it changes neither the feel nor the appearance of the metal – is much harder to damage.

"I call it a magic material," Dr Banerjee said.

The researchers applied the graphene to copper at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees, using a technique known as chemical vapour deposition, and tested it in saline water.

"In nations like Australia, where we are surrounded by ocean, it is particularly significant that such an atomically thin coating can provide protection in that environment," Dr Banerjee said.

Initial experiments were confi ned to copper, but Dr Banerjee said research was already under way on using the same technique with other metals.

This would open up uses for a huge range of applications, from ocean-going vessels to electronics: anywhere that metal is used and at risk of corrosion.

Such a dramatic extension of metal's useful life could mean tremendous cost savings for many industries.

The process is still in the laboratory-testing stage, but Dr Majumder said the group was not only looking at diff erent metals, but also investigating ways of applying the coating at lower temperatures, which would simplify production and enhance market potential.

最近，澳大利亞莫納什大學(xué)和美國萊斯大學(xué)研究人員合作，用肉眼看不見的石墨烯薄膜作為涂層，使銅的耐腐蝕性增強(qiáng)近百倍，為惡劣環(huán)境下的金屬防洪提供了巨大潛力。研究人員指出，用石墨烯薄膜作防腐蝕涂層也意味著在開發(fā)保護(hù)性涂層方面有了模式性轉(zhuǎn)變。相關(guān)論文發(fā)表在9月出版的《碳》雜志上。

作為廣受關(guān)注的新材料，目前，科學(xué)家們正在開發(fā)用石墨烯提高金屬耐腐蝕性