Tribologist here, about to publish a study of reciprocating friction and wear in graphene-loaded plastic composites. We see two orders of magnitude wear reductions at 30,000 cycles for 10% graphene by mass (dry reciprocating conditions) and suppression of the abrasive wear mode. Also friction coefficient goes down by 10%, but other studies have reported much bigger friction coefficient improvements.
Doesn't graphite (a close relative of graphene) have lubricative properties?
A locksmith tried to fix our sticking front door lock with a bit of graphite spray, which I hadn't seen before.
Scribble a pencil on a piece of paper for a while, fold it in half, blow the dust into the lock and run the key in and out a few times. Works like a charm.
Yep. We had graphite gel and spray for our pinewood derby axles in Boy Scouts.
Same here -- graphite lubricant was the standard stuff.
I doubt the final product will be pure graphene, I'm sure it'll be thinly coated with something else (Teflon?)
Isn't it not recommended to put Teflon inside of yourself or am I misremembering something?
They use telfon in all sorts of implants. I don't think there are really any safety concerns.
If Teflon were anymore inert, it'd be a noble gas.
Teflon is extremely inert, but it's not quite as inert as a noble gas - the c-c bonds can dissociate and burn. (The f-c-f bonds can't.)
Teflon is actually completely inert in your body. It's only a problem if it is heated to the point of giving out fumes at 260 celsius, and I hope that isn't happening in the bedroom...
Teflon or PFOA is supposedly in everyone's blood already at least in the US and probably most western nations it's so pervasive.