Posted in | News | Graphene

Graphene Used in Packaging to Block Moisture and Protect Products

Plastic packaging may seem impenetrable, and often nearly impossible to remove, but water molecules can still pass through. This permeability to moisture can reduce the lifespan of a product.

Image Credit: Costi losif | Shutterstock.com

To ensure that certain products such as electronics and medicines are protected from this, scientists have designed a new packaging method that implements a single layer of graphene. In ACS Nano, researchers present a report on their material, which decreases by a million fold the amount of water that can pass through.

Packaging is everywhere, even for individual vegetables or fruits. Wrapping products ranging from electronics to food in plastic films protect them from bacteria, dust, and to some extent water.

According to Praveen C. Ramamurthy, the lifespan of a moisture-sensitive organic light-emitting diode can be maximized for more than a year if the packaging has the ability to restrict water vapor from penetrating at a rate less than 10-6 grams per square meter every day. Modern day packaging is not capable of accomplishing that goal, however Ramamurthy and colleagues wanted to find out if combining graphene to flexible polymer was sufficient.

A single layer of graphene was synthesized by using chemical vapor deposition, and the researchers also used an uncomplicated and scalable process to transfer the graphene to a polymer film. Water vapor penetrated through the material at the target rate of less than 10-6 grams per square meter per day.

An accelerated aging test demonstrated that an organic photovoltaic device enveloped in the graphene-infused film can have a lifetime of over one year, compared to 30 minutes for the same device packed in a polymer without graphene.

The authors acknowledge  financial aid from the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS): U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE-R), which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Indian Department of Science and Technology.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?

Leave your feedback
Your comment type
Submit

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.