How would a paper thick sheet of graphene look and behave like

[MC.STEEL]

So I was wondering when we do get the technology to create big sheets of graphene and stack them into a paper thick sheet.

How strong will it be? (how strong will it be to pressure along the grain)?

What will it look like? (by my understanding it will look somewhat like graphite,as a single sheet gulps up 1.2% of light the needed amount to reach that thickness it will have quite a lot of layers).

Will multiple layers better of worse its photovoltiac properties?

Also if the sheets slide out of place is a problem will it help if we dope it with metals or other?(And and if we dope it with cobalt will it give it a future-ish blue tinge,:rolleyes:or is that just for the oxide)?

[lajoswinkler]

It would be very anisotropic - different physical properties along different axes.

I suspect it would be very brittle. Graphene is graphite's cousin and graphite is so soft (pencil lead is graphite with clay, a lot harder than pure graphite).

[Z-Man]

Stacked layers of graphene ARE graphite. I would not expect any extra advantages that may come from your sheet being more regular than natural graphite.

[lajoswinkler]

Stacked layers of graphene ARE graphite. I would not expect any extra advantages that may come from your sheet being more regular than natural graphite.

Not exactly... Graphite is ordered sheets mutually connected by pi-electrons in sort of a cage. Bulk graphene isn't. It's a bunch of monolayers. That's why its conduscing properties are so special.

[The Pink Ranger]

What if you made a graphene column? How would its compressive strength stack up (haha get it?) to a steel column of the same dimensions?

[magnemoe]

Not exactly... Graphite is ordered sheets mutually connected by pi-electrons in sort of a cage. Bulk graphene isn't. It's a bunch of monolayers. That's why its conduscing properties are so special.

That was how I understood this too, graphene fibers glued together, like paper or fiberglass, it would not be as dark as graphene because of the glue holding them together, it would be far stronger than fiberglass however not sure how bendable it would be if paper thin.

[sgt_flyer]

Graphene monolayers sheets are the basis of carbon nanotubes (which is a basically a rolled sheet of graphene)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene

it's tensile strength is 100 times greater than steel - but it's more brittle under this monolayer form. (Guess nanotubes would be more interesting )

[Z-Man]

Not exactly... Graphite is ordered sheets mutually connected by pi-electrons in sort of a cage. Bulk graphene isn't. It's a bunch of monolayers. That's why its conduscing properties are so special.

True. However, you get graphene from graphite by peeling off the layers, which breaks those weak bonds. If you stack them again with nothing in between, the bonds should be re-established.

If you put "glue" in between, the story is different, of course, and what you get strongly depends on the glue.