FAQs

‘Graphene’ is the name for a honeycomb sheet of carbon atoms. It is the building block of graphite — pencil lead — and is an incredibly strong and conductive material. It can be used in a wide range of applications, from aerospace engineering to digital electronics and biomedicine.

Graphene is the strongest known material, yet it’s also stretchy. It can conduct electricity and heat incredibly well, but is only a single atom thick.

Graphene belongs to a family of materials called ‘2D’ or ‘layered materials’. These are essentially huge molecules that can be as big as 1 cm wide but are only a few atoms thick. They are called two-dimensional because all the atoms are at the surface and they have no bulk.

Graphene products are beginning to come to the market. The majority of products are in the composite material sector and include sports equipment and clothing.

The price of graphene varies greatly depending on its quality and quantity. The price can range from $20 to $2,000 per kg, depending on the type and volume of material.

You can find out more about graphene by visiting our Learn pages and our graphene blog. We discuss everything from new production techniques to products that use graphene, its properties, and the future of the material, among many other things! The blog is updated regularly so you'll never miss out on the latest advancements from the team here in Manchester.

We're excited that you'd like to study graphene! To start studying this wonder material you first need to complete an undergraduate degree in physics or materials science. The University of Manchester offers a range of courses that lead up to studying graphene at post graduate level. You can find out more about what we offer on our school sites.

The Department of Materials

The Department of Physics and Astronomy