Ask HN: Would anyone want a high purity large graphite crystal for something?

4 points·ohiovr··8 comments

Seems that it would be useful because it is possibly many times stronger than any known composite. Perhaps it may have electronics applications. To my knowledge no one has made grahite crystals in the same purity and size as silicon ingots.

View on HN

I thought of one way it could be done. Graphite couples remarkably well to magnetron radiation. You can put locktite in a microwave to see the effect it has. If the radiation was introduced gradually or if the wavelength was controlled, in an atmosphere of methane, methane will give up carbon to graphite because it has a higher affinity for electrons than hydrogen. Its only a question of whether this method would work for growing a seed or if the growth is just too chaotic.

Loctite? It’s an adhesive, not a lubricant. More akin to resin or cyanacrylate, not graphite.

Edit: that said, I do have a tube of graphite on hand. Please tell more about this microwave experiment…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1DJP7ko6g4

I didn't make the video but if you put some graphite in a microwave and cover it with a bottle it will do approximately this but you have to be careful..

Ah, plasma. A (cut?) grape will do the same.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCrtk-pyP0I

Arthur C Clarke claimed to use a very large version of something similar to accelerate the evolution of an entire species, so there’s that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolith_(Space_Odyssey)

Tiny thin one here for $450. https://www.2dsemiconductors.com/hopg-graphite/#description

graphite-moderated nuclear reactors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_graphite

Yes, if it was 300mm in diameter, there is a lot you could do with that:) eg huge sheets of graphene for electronics.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com