Researchers at the FUNgraphen joint research project have managed to combine graphene with polymers, creating new macromolecules and composite materials that are suitable for plastic applications - on a kilogram scale.
By physically and chemically attaching graphene to polymers, the researchers managed to create large carbon molecules - which are less than a millionth of a millimeter thick but can achieve widths of more than a hundredth of a millimeter. These materials are light, durable, environmentally friendly and conductive. They are also resistant to heat, chemicals and radiation, and are impermeable to gas and liquids.
The Fungraphen project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is being led by the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) of the University of Freiburg. The other partners are the University of Bayreuth, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials in Freiburg.