The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - June 25, 2024
Chinese scientists have discovered graphene in soil samples brought back from the Moon's surface.
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms organized in 2D honeycomb structure that is incredibly strong.
Graphene is a 2D carbon material that is 200 times stronger than steel, lighter than paper, and boasts extraordinary mechanical and electrical properties. So, having this phenomenal nanomaterial naturally occurring on the Moon's surface could be an extremely valuable resource for future lunar bases that serve as a launching point for exploration deeper into the solar system and beyond.
A team of researchers from Jilin University, the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration have discovered few-layer graphene in the lunar soil samples.
Using a scanning electron microscope in combination with a nanoscale imaging technique known as Raman spectroscopy, the Chinese scientists identified this graphene in lunar samples with relatively high carbon content brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe.
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms organized in 2D honeycomb structure that is incredibly strong.
In addition to the implications naturally derived graphene on the Moon's surface might have for future lunar colonization and potential manufacturing, the carbon nanomaterial could provide new details about the Moon's formation and geological history.
"Our finding provides new insights into the origin of the Moon, supporting the hypothesis of carbon-containing Moon," the team penned in a paper published by the National Science Review. "Moreover, the exotic properties of graphene are highly structurally and environmentally dependent."
This would be in opposition to the prevailing theory that the Moon is depleted of carbon due to a giant impact during its formation, a theory derived from the low levels of carbon found in samples brought back during the Apollo missions.
"This finding may reinvent the understanding of chemical components, geography episodes and the history of the Moon," the team added.
The research team believes the few-layer graphene and graphite carbon discovered in the samples brought back by Chang'e-5 may originate from mineral catalytic processes that involved iron-rich minerals, early volcanic eruptions, and solar winds. Understanding this process could give insights into new methods to efficiently manufacture high-quality graphene here on Earth.
"Therefore, a new lunar exploration program may be promoted, and some forthcoming breakthroughs can be expected," the scientist penned in a paper on the "Discovery of natural few-layer graphene on the Moon."
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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