Concrete may have found it's killer app in graphene. 3) "Laminated composites" might be cheaper and stronger than carbon fiber composites. Think a sandwich of sheets of a thin sheet of carbon fiber and a thin sheet of, say, epoxy resin, and repeat until you get a thick plate. It's just like fiberglass, only without the messy epoxy. 4) This sounds like the next incarnation of carbon fiber. Fiberglass is basically "recombinant" fiber. You break down plant fibers, then mix them into polyester resin and bake them, then pull the fibers out of the resulting product. "Laminated composites" sound like composites of various types, but not carbon fiber composites. Carbon fiber composites, as far as I know, are a lot like glass reinforced plastic (GRP). But since it's carbon, and not glass, we call it "carbon fiber." Recombinants are, uh, okay as a first step, but would like to see the field of composites moving to the "pre-impregnated carbon fibers" used in the industrial composites world. No toxic binders to mess with, the exact fibers to strengthen for a variety of uses, etc. And a non-reactive resin (not one that's reactive with carbon). Or even the possibility of non-carbon-alloy fillers, some not even metals (ie: boron nitride, silicon carbide, etc.). If carbon fiber composites didn't exist, I'm not sure I'd have much to say about them. Or if they did exist, I'd be excited to see what else was being done with it. But the "carbon-silicon" composites in the article sound like they're going nowhere as exciting, IMHO. But maybe I'm missing something. This would be fantastic. When you say "high strength material", can you say how much strength we get for that price point? I imagine this technology could be used in a similar fashion to that of carbon fiber, or perhaps at a lower cost. For instance, we're currently using wood and Kevlar to make military and police armor. This composite would allow us to make these at a lower cost. Not only is the cost more environmentally friendly, it also provides more versatility in its current applications. I thought this was going to be a joke post. Then I looked at the title and thought "What the hell is that idiot talking about?" It seems that they made a breakthrough in 3-d printing graphene, and the title made the technology seem really good. The article goes on to say "You see, in composites technology, there is a fine line between carbon fiber and fiberglass. As long as the material is strong enough, and provides a good enough level of lightness and durability, the composite is regarded as successful and cost-effective." and that's just stupid. It is because composites rely on other materials instead of just one for strength and durability. In that regard I can't see where there's a problem. Sure I can see where it will probably be pretty expensive though. Composites could easily be cheaper than the current technology (carbon fiber) if we had some good options in materials besides fiber glass and carbon fiber. This is pretty interesting though. Although carbon fiber is already very strong, but if you had a material that could be 3D printed with nano scaled carbon fibers that would certainly be amazing. This sounds like graphene is finally entering the mainstream. It can do this while retaining its chemical properties and being "strong" as I've learned it requires no metal matrix material. It might not be strong enough for structural use but it could be perfect for ballistic armor. This sounds like graphene is finally entering the mainstream. It can do this while retaining its chemical properties and being "strong" as I've learned it requires no metal matrix material. It might not be strong enough for structural use but it could be perfect for ballistic armor. This sounds like graphene is finally entering the mainstream. It can do this while retaining its chemical properties and being "strong" as I've learned it requires no metal matrix material. It might not be strong enough for structural use but it could be perfect for ballistic armor. Graphene is pretty weak. it's good for a few things, but can't stand up to much. This sounds like graphene is finally entering the mainstream. It can do this while retaining its chemical properties and being "strong" as I've learned it requires no metal matrix material. It might not be strong enough for structural use but it could be perfect for ballistic armor. Graphene is pretty weak. it's good for a few things, but can't stand up to much. It needs just one layer of graphene and its strength comes from the bonds that is so strong it is one of the strongest materials currently known, on par with most materials strong enough to be used in composites. Graphene is one of the most promising materials for composites, and is replacing steel and other metals in aerospace and manufacturing for this reason. I imagine this technology could be used in a similar fashion to that of carbon fiber, or perhaps at a lower cost. For instance, we're currently using wood and Kevlar to make military and police armor. This composite would allow us to make these at a lower cost. Not only is the cost more environmentally friendly, it also provides more versatility in its current applications. Graphene composites would cost substantially more than kevlar and carbon fiber composites. It is already more expensive, and I doubt that they could cut the price drastically. To really get the most out of it, you need to have some very special fibers that are carbon with some other very special properties. Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. As someone on Slashdot pointed out, "you can't put a price tag on safety". In this case, even if the material costs more, I'd rather trust something that uses non-toxic materials over one that uses toxic materials (at least not using large quantities of it). This would be fantastic. When you say "high strength material", can you say how much strength we get for that price point? I imagine this technology could be used in a similar fashion to that of carbon fiber, or perhaps at a lower cost. For instance, we're currently using wood and Kevlar to make military and police armor. This composite would allow us to make these at a lower cost. Not only is the cost more environmentally friendly, it also provides more versatility in its current applications. I wonder what's the limit? Is this a real material or a "future of materials" project? This is just an experiment. I could understand companies coming up with their own processes to make synthetic graphene, but if I'm not mistaken, this material is commercially available already, so why would you need to create your own? If this really works, would it be cheaper? I don't know if this is true, but this sounds like they found a way to print paper. I'm curious to see the actual product before I start comparing it to things like carbon fiber. A new report has found that the composite material graphene, produced by a low-cost process, performs as well as current high-end carbon-based materials, such as aramid fiber-based Kevlar and high-temperature epoxy. According to the National Research Council, a report prepared for the Department of Defense, graphene has far greater potential than some materials considered in the report and has the potential to replace many current materials. As an aramid (Kevlar)-based material, you can use it for armor, or as an additive for plastics (if you use a different material), that's why there is a big push for using it. While I don't think it will replace the likes of carbon fiber (yet), it does have many uses, and is pretty exciting for this type of applications. Graphene is pretty weak. it's good for a few things, but can't stand up to much. I don't think that is entirely correct. With a recent breakthrough in 'self-assembling' graphene, the potential is vast. Quote: Graphene, the world’s strongest material, just got even stronger. And the new material can be molded into any shape scientists want. Quote: But making and handling the material is expensive and difficult. Now researchers have developed