Is India Missing the Graphene Bus?, The Hindu Editorial Analysis

The Hindu Editorial Analysis: The Editorial Analysis of The Hindu Newspaper Editorial Articles aimed at simplifying various concepts relevant to the UPSC and other State PSC Exams. The Editorial Analysis helps in expanding the knowledge base as well as framing better quality mains answers. Today’s Hindu Editorial Analysis of ‘Is India Missing the Graphene Bus?’ discusses various aspects of recently found Graphene reserves in India and government’s should manage these resources for ensuring self-reliance and effective use of these important rare materials.

Graphene Material in News

What Artificial Intelligence (AI) is to software and quantum computing is to computers, graphene is to materials. These three emerging technologies will disrupt the existing human-machine interface in the next couple of decades. While India is among the leaders in AI and a potential challenger in quantum computing, it needs to catch up in the area of graphene.

Graphene Discovery

Despite the challenges in producing high-quality and large-scale graphene since its discovery in 2004, the landscape is rapidly evolving. Recent developments indicate a significant shift.

• According to a report, there has been a remarkable surge in the introduction of graphene-enhanced products, with at least one new product entering the market every week in 2022.
• The number of companies engaged in the production of graphene or its derivatives has now surpassed 300.

Graphene, A Wonder Material

Graphene is the world’s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material of both electricity and heat. It conducts electricity better than copper.

• It is 200 times stronger than steel but six times lighter.
• It is almost perfectly transparent as it absorbs only 2% of light.
• It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.
• It has the potential to revolutionise electricity, conductivity, energy generation, batteries, sensors and more.
• Also, when added to other materials, graphene even in small quantities produces composite materials with dramatically transformed qualities.

Graphene Material Application

Graphene composites are used in aerospace, automotive, sports equipment and construction. It is used for high-performance batteries and super-capacitors, touchscreens, and conductive inks.

• Graphene-based sensors are used for environmental monitoring, healthcare and wearable devices.
• Graphene oxide membranes are used for water purification and desalination.
• Graphene-based masks were made during COVID.

Graphene Features

Graphene is important for defence and aerospace as well. Its exceptional strength makes it promising material for armour and ballistic protection.

• Graphene has the potential to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic waves, making it valuable for developing stealth coatings and materials that reduce radar signatures and electromagnetic interference.
• Graphene is highly sensitive to environmental changes, which makes it an excellent candidate for sensing chemical and biological agents, explosives, radiation, and other hazardous substances.
• Besides, graphene-based materials can also protect us against chemical and biological attacks.
• Better energy storage and electronics properties make graphene attractive in defence and aerospace as well as in civil and commercial applications.

Graphene in World Economy and India

According to the Grand View Research, the global graphene market size was valued at $175.9 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 46.6% between 2023 and 2030.

• Among the leading countries in graphene research are China, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore.
• Till 2012, graphene-related patent filing was dominated by the U.S. From 2013 to 2016, South Korea and China matched the U.S. After 2017, China surged ahead.
• In 2018, China filed 218 patents while the other leading countries together filed 79. India had eight filings.
• China and Brazil are global leaders in the commercial production of graphene. At the Beijing Graphene Institute, set up in 2018, several companies produce industry-grade graphene products. India produces about one-twentieth compared to China and one-third compared to Brazil.

Graphene Production in India

Though India produces about one-twentieth compared to China and one-third compared to Brazil, but India’s progress has been better than many nations.

• The Centre for Nano Science and Engineering at IISc Bangalore along with KAS Tech produced a graphene-based system several years ago.
• Some start-ups and foreign subsidiaries have started graphene or graphene derivatives in India.
• Notably, Tata Steel has succeeded in growing graphene (about 50 micrometers large domains) using annealing and extracting atomic carbon from steel surface. It has also mixed graphene with used plastic products to recycle them as new.
• India’s niche is going to be innovation using graphene. It figured out how graphene oxide-based wrappers loaded with preservatives can increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
• The IIT Roorkee-incubated Log 9 has patented a technology for graphene-based ultracapacitors, and the IIT Kanpur-incubated RF Nanocomposites has developed EMI shielding and stealth technology using graphene-based nanotubes.
• A laudable step in this direction was the setting up of the India Innovation Centre for Graphene in Kerala. It is being implemented by the Digital University Kerala in partnership with Tata Steel and C-MET, Thrissur.

Way Forward

The Centre needs to become the nodal point to spur large-scale innovation activity around graphene. Governments have a crucial role to play. China declared graphene a priority in its 13th Plan. Europe set up the Graphene Flagship, with a budget of €1 billion in 2013.

• A nodal Ministry needs to be entrusted with this responsibility; else the subject will fall through the cracks.
• India needs to be among the leaders in graphene because we may experience the ‘winner takes the most’ situation here.
• Given the high cost-to-volume ratio for high-grade graphene, its production may get concentrated in a few locations in the world, as in the case of semiconductors.
• India missed the semiconductor bus in the mid-1990s. The time to step on the graphene pedal is now.

From Master of the Roster to Master of all Judges?, The Hindu Editorial Analysis

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