AZoNano reports that the unique and valuable properties of graphene, a wonder material consisting of carbon noted for its strength and electrical conductivity, are being investigated by Masdar Institute researchers to help advance technologies of relevance to strategic local industries like oil and gas and desalination.
The graphene market is still relatively new and in the early stages of development with only a few products being commercialized to date. However, strong growth of graphene and other related 2-dimensional materials is expected due to superior strength, weight, conductivity, and transparency properties. That is why Masdar Institute is working to utilize graphene to develop new membranes, sensors and composites, said Dr. Steve Griffiths, Vice President for Research and Interim Associate Provost at Masdar Institute.
One such project is co-led by Dr. Irfan Saadat, Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Dr. Amal Al Ghaferi, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. They are using graphene and carbon nanotubes to develop smart sensors for deployment in oil and gas pipelines. The research is part of a collaboration with ADNOC and the Petroleum Institute and aims to detect and monitor the build-up of scaling or impurities inside gas and oil pipelines.
Graphene and carbon nanotubes were used to make the scale sensors using two different synthesis methods. These sensors will help oil and gas plants operate at optimized levels and thus recover more oil from their pipelines. This will improve the operational efficiency of the UAE oil and gas industry, which is a vital pillar of the economy.
Given that graphene is a 2D material, it has very unique properties that are not available in typical bulk-3D materials. These include the fact that it is highly conductive, very strong, thermally conductive and transparent.
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