American Graphite Technologies Inc. has announced that it will collaborate with the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, the National Science Centre (Ukraine) and the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology to conduct research toward developing a graphene-based 3D printing material.
While the project is still in the planning phase, American Graphite’s CEO, Rick Walchuk, has said that finalized details of the research project will be released shortly.
Developing a 3D printable material that contains a graphene base would be beneficial for a number of industries because of the materials incredible properties. Aside from being the first two-dimensional crystal ever discovered, graphene is also the thinnest and lightest object ever found. In addition, the material is harder than diamond and about 300 times stronger than steel. Graphene’s other interesting properties include the fact that it conducts electricity better than copper, it’s transparent and can take on any shape one can imagine.
So it’s no wonder that American Graphite is looking to explore the possibility of integrating graphene into 3D printing material. From electronics to architecture, 3D printable graphene materials could allow for dramatic shift in what types of functional prototypes could be made with a 3D printer.
Watch a Video About Graphene’s Properties:
Images and Video Courtesy of American Graphite Inc. & Cambridge University