Graphene composite material is thin like paper, 10 to 13 times stronger than steel

In work recently published in the Journal of Applied Physics, a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) team led by professor Guoxiu Wang presented reproducible test results showing that graphene paper has the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry. How? Well, researchers at UTS have milled raw graphite by purifying and filtering it with chemicals to reshape and reform it into graphene nanosheets. We should explain.
By using a proprietary process, the UTS team claims to have made a material that, when compared to steel, is six times lighter, is five to six times less dense, is two times harder and has ten times the tensile strength and 13 times the bending rigidity. Sounds pretty amazing to us.

Lead researcher, Ali Reza Ranjbartoreh, claims that:

The exceptional mechanical properties of synthesized graphene paper render it a promising material for commercial and engineering applications. Not only is it lighter, stronger, harder and more flexible than steel it is also a recyclable and sustainable manufacturable product that is eco-friendly and cost effective in its use.

Furthermore, Ranjbartoreh says the test results show that use of graphene paper in the automotive industry would allow the development of lighter vehicles that consume less fuel, emit lower amounts of CO2 and have reduced operating costs. Given how hard and expensive it is to implement carbon fiber in mass-produced vehicles, we don't expect to see a graphene nanosheet EV any time soon, but we're keeping this tech on our radar.

[Source: University of Technology]