They still have issues with producing graphene which is one reason it hasn't become a common material.
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Why aren't we using graphene?
Graphene is a sensitive material, and creating large, high-quality sheets without defects or impurities remains a tricky affair. The current methods we have for producing graphene—like chemical vapor deposition (CVD)—aren't apt for large-scale production. |
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Price: At over 200–400 dollars per gram, Graphene is 5–10 times as expensive as gold.
Putting industrial production into a substance if you don’t have a practical application widespread enough for use is a waste of money. |
If they solve the issues with making the stuff we'll see a wider use of it. The cool properties of graphene are still valid but it's difficult to make it and it's currently expensive as hell.
As for using silicon dioxide instead of pure silicon.. well, if they can demonstrate that it's viable as a replacement and that it has improved properties I'm all for it.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
"The sky was the color of a TV tuned to a dead station" - Neuromancer