Pure Carbon Could Solve All Your Heat Disspipation Worries

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin said that a new form of graphene could essentially prevent laptops and other electronics from overheating and enable chip companies and device manufacturers to pack much more powerful chips into mobile devices.

Graphene, an atom-thick layer of carbon, typically consists of 98.9 percent 12C (carbon) and 1.1 percent 13C, but the graphene created by the University of Texas at Austin scientists represents 99.9 percent 12C and isotopically pure carbon. In their experiments, the material was 60 percent more effective at managing and transferring heat than normal graphene, the scientists said.

"This demonstration brings graphene a step closer to being used as a conductor for managing heat in a variety of devices. The potential of this material, and its promise for the electronic industry, is very exciting," said Rodney Ruoff, a physical chemist at the University's Cockrell School.

"Because self-heating of fast and densely packed devices deteriorates their performance, graphene's ability to conduct heat well will be very helpful in improving them," added Alexander Balandin, a professor of Electrical Engineering, chair of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California Riverside and a corresponding author of the research paper published in the journal Nature Materials.

"Initially, graphene would likely be used in some niche applications, such as thermal interface materials for chip packaging or transparent electrodes in photovoltaic solar cells or flexible displays," he continued. "But, in a few years, the uses of graphene will be diverse, broad and far-reaching because the excellent heat conduction properties of this material are beneficial for all its proposed electronic applications."

  • gmarsack
    Graphene solves a lot a problems. :)
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    Graphene thermal paste, graphene heatsinks, graphene heatpipes, graphene cooling fins and eventually graphene transistors. Yay for no more bulky and heavy air/water cooling setups for monster overclocking.

    Then again, we'll find a way to necessitate a bulky air/water setup even with grahpene...
    Reply
  • So that which is supposedly keeping the heat in (carbon in the atmosphere = global warming) is now going to have the opposite effect in electronics? Interesting.
    It also seems the days of the silicon wafer are numbered.
    Reply
  • nebun
    i will believe it when i see it....well the price a little to much for the average joe like you and me :(
    Reply
  • joytech22
    If it conducts heat so well, link the Graphene to the chassis of the case and dissipate the heat through that? But the cases would kinda have to be Aluminium or some other good heat conducting material.. :\
    Reply
  • JohnnyLucky
    I can't think this one through. The old Star Trek movie about "carbon based life forms" keeps popping into my head.
    Reply
  • chumly
    Too bad its expensive as all hell.
    Reply
  • segio526
    Could this mean the return of the high-end single-slot graphics card? Probably not since they'll just clock the things so high they'll still need dual-slot coolers :-(
    Reply
  • Pyree
    Big_DavosSo that which is supposedly keeping the heat in (carbon in the atmosphere = global warming) is now going to have the opposite effect in electronics? Interesting. It also seems the days of the silicon wafer are numbered.Carbon dioxide is very different from grapheme. CO2- trap heat vs graphene- good conductor.
    Reply
  • balister
    *smacks head against desk*

    It's been well known in materials science and engineering circles for years that diamond, aka carbon, is the best heat conductor known. What makes diamond unusual is that it's a great electrical insulator while being a great heat conductor (this is counter-intuitive as good heat conductivity and good electrical conductivity go hand in hand, except with carbon).

    The whole reason we don't have diamon heat sinks is because of the diamond consortiums like De Biers. Artificial diamond is indistiguishable from natural diamond when grown properly (and GE knows how to do it). As such, the diamond consortiums have leaned hard on the producers of artificial diamonds. One can only hope that this changes.
    Reply