TECHNIKI

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MAGAZINE
Published by Mechanical Media
 Contents

CONTENTS

5………………………………..… MESSAGE FROM HOD

6……………………….. DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE

12……………………………. COVID 19 INNOVATIONS

Meet with Professor Amit
Meet with Professor Atrey

21………………WONDER MATERIAL Graphene

28…………………………………… LEISURE ACTIVITIES

29…………………………………………………….. ARTWORKS

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4
 MESSAGE FROM HOD

Prof. Sreedhara Sheshadri

Head of Department
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email: sreedhara.s@iitb.ac.in

Dear students of mechanical engineering,

At the outset, I convey my heartiest congratulations to you on passing an incredibly
difficult year with aplomb. I cannot begin to imagine the difficulty associated with
completing a gruelling couple of semesters at IIT Bombay without the support of
your classmates and fellow hostel mates. But despite the technical, intellectual, and
emotional barriers placed by these unprecedented circumstances, you have come
through with flying colours. For that, I salute your spirit. Based on the recent spate of
mails circulated throughout IIT Bombay, I am sure you can feel the uplifting scenario
unfolding throughout Mumbai. However, we will follow all Covid-related protocols
laid down for educational institutes by the Maharashtra government before inviting
all of you back to the campus. As you start the new semester in the online mode, I
hope that you have become accustomed to attending lectures, solving assignments,
and acing examinations on your computers. Your professors at IIT Bombay have also
evolved with the times to cater to your needs and guide you through another
semester. I pray that this semester also goes by smoothly for all of you, and the
situation improves enough to open IIT Bombay up for in-person classes again. In the
meantime, please find innovative ways to get in and keep in touch with your
classmates to keep your spirits alive. Also, please take advantage of various
programs that foster the spirit of research and innovation throughout the institute,
which are still in place, albeit in the online mode. I sign off by stating that the type of
engineer you will turn out to be will not only be shaped by the good times, where all
goes smoothly, but also by the worst of times, when all looks bleak around you. I
hope and pray that we can be with you in all of those times to guide you to be
someone who would grow up to become towering personalities and make
significant contributions to their societies.

5
DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE

Our department being the largest in the institute provides a plethora of facilities
and activities for students. To ensure that our time here is productive and there is
proper communication among different strata of the department, the student
council plays a crucial role. To make the best use of the available resources,
elementary information about the council's functioning comes in handy. Hence,
here is a brief guide about the student members of our department functionaries
and the role they play.
DEPARTMENT COUNCIL:
Department General Secretary
Current appointee : Rishabh Singh Dodeja, 4th year UG
The Department General Secretary (DGsec) represents the
Department’s student body at all meetings/events at the
department (DUGC/DPGC) as well as Institute level (DGSC).
The DGsec also works in close coordination with the
Department Academic Mentorship Program (DAMP) team to
ensure all students’ concerns are taken care of. Also, he/she
addresses student complaints regarding all issues, academic
as well as non‐academic.
PG Nominee
Current appointee: Dushyant Patil, 2nd year MTech
PG Nominee is the representative of the post graduate
students in the Mechanical Engineering Association (MEA)
council, Department Post Graduation Committee (DPGC) and
institute PG representatives meeting. The PG Nominee
addresses academic as well as non-academic issues of
MTech students in coordination with the Academic Unit
Representative for Academic Affairs, AURAA (such as MTech
Project allocation, mentorship program, TAship allotment,
etc). He/she organises academic and department orientation
at the beginning of the academic year for MTech freshmen..
PhD Representative
Current appointee: Hrishikesh Jadhav, 3rd year PhD
He/she is the representative of PhD students in the Society council,
Department Post Graduation Committee (DPGC) and institute

6
PhD representatives body (RSF).
The PhD representative nominates and leads a team to plan
and execute the Research Scholars' Symposium (RSS) in
coordination with other council members. Also, he/she puts
forth infrastructural and other requirements related to labs
before the concerned committees.
PG Cultural Nominee
Current appointee: Apakrita Vinayak Tayade, 3rd year PhD
The PG Cultural Nominee ensures proper organization of all
cultural events within the department by maintaining
coordination among the institute nominees and the
departmental committee. He/she organizes orientations for
PG freshmen regarding all the cultural events and institute
clubs at the departmental level.

PG Sports Nominee
Current appointee: Tushar Bhalachandra Ner,
2nd year MTech
The PG sports nominee helps in making all PGs aware
regarding various sports facilities, events and training
camps, etc. He/she also arranges for sports facilities,
meetings, planning for the date of a sports event. The Sports
Nominee also has the responsibility to conduct sports
events for Departments and Institute level.
Class Representatives
3rd Year CRs 2nd Year CRs:

Sunny Dhondkar Shwetambari Prasada Anirudh Ragasree R K

(BTech) Mali (BTech) Thombare (DD) (BTech) (BTech)

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2nd Year CRs: 1st Year CRs:

Harshita Harshini Sreeram Kushal Agarwal Mankirat

Agarwal (DD) (BTech) (BTech) (DD)
The CRs coordinate with the DGsec to address all the academic and non-
academic issues. They also address every registration and curriculum-related
queries, and keep everyone in the batch informed about all the updates.
MEA COUNCIL:
MEA General Secretary
Current appointee : Sunny Dhondkar, 3rd year UG
The MEA General Secretary (Gsec) organises Society
orientation program for both PG and UG to publicize the
activities of the department. He/she also heads the team to
organises several informal activities (such as Kurta Day,
Formal Day, Department trips etc.) to promote interaction
among students and members, and coordinates with the
web nominee to update and maintain the website and
publicize various departmental events.
Associate Secretary
Current appointees:
Ragasree R K, 2nd year UG
Shobhit Aggarwal, 2nd year UG
The associate secretaries coordinate with
MEA General Secretary to organize the
freshmen orientation and help the
Department Alumni Secretary to ensure
smooth execution of activities like the
Industrial Visits and Alumni Department
Visit.

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Sports Secretary
Current appointee: Rutvij Sheetal Gondkar, 2nd year UG
The Sports Secretary creates awareness among the
Undergraduates (UGs) regarding various sports facilities,
events and training camps, etc. He/she arranges for sports
facilities, meetings, planning of intra-department sports
events and also organizes a department trip at a suitable
time.
Mechanical Engineering Media Editor (MEMe)

Chief Editors
Current appointees:
Utkarsh Gupta, 3rd year UG
Anagha Savit, 3rd year UG
They are heads of independent media
body of the department. Chief Editors
coordinates with the Editorial Board to
bring out a yearly edition of the department
Newsletter and the magazine Techniki that covers interesting articles on
mechanical engineering, summaries of department activities and information
about available facilities. Chief Editors also coordinates with other council
members to update content for the department website and also helps in
collecting research blogs from the entire student community.

Editorial Team
Current members:

Aayush Shah, Boda Sharath Karan Chincholy, Tejas Shintre, Arpit Dwivedi,
3rd year UG Pavan, 3rd year 3rd year UG 3rd year UG 2nd year UG
UG

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The Editorial Team works in close association with Chief Editors to ensure timely
delivery of the newsletter, magazine and blogs. They also contact different
stakeholders like faculty members, students etc to curate disseminate content.

CREATIVES TEAM:
Web Secretary
Current appointee : Swapnoneel Kayal, 2nd year UG
He/she is responsible for updating and maintaining the
department website as required, with the help of Faculty
coordinator and other council members. They works closely
with design secretary to provide information and data on the
site aesthetically.

Design Secretary
Current appointee : Adarsh Mathai, 2nd year MTech
The Design Secretary is responsible for designing posters
and banners for department events, department
merchandise like hoodies/t-shirts, yearbook and certificates
for award function. He/she works closely with every
segment of the council and is also responsible for the
design of the department newsletter and the magazine.

Mechanical Engineering Department website:

me.iitb.ac.in
Instagram page:
instagram.com/mea_iitb
Discord:
discord.gg/qnUh2Y2M3Q
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/mechanical-media
Facebook page:
facebook.com/me.iitb

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11
COVID 19 INNOVATIONS
MEET WITH PROFESSOR AMIT

Prof. Rajneesh Bharadwaj

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email: rajneesh.bhardwaj@iitb.ac.in

Prof. Amit Agrawal

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email: amit.agrawal@iitb.ac.in

COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented catastrophe for the whole world, and it

spreaded like a storm of uncertainty and despair. We all are affected by it, and for
some of us, the magnitude of its impact is massive. Even for generally perceived
developed nations, this disaster turned into a huge setback. The initial phase of this
pandemic was highly uncertain, and no one knew how to tackle such a menace.
Daily a new challenge arose, and everyone was desperately in need of a quick and
effective solution. But whenever our society is under siege, our researchers are at
the forefront to tackle its challenges. Hard times pave the way for passionate and
creative minds to ponder and innovate, and since our department is an eminent
institution in the field, we are blessed with such great thinkers. Our professors played
a prominent role in this pandemic, and their work is well recognized by academia as
well as industry.

In this segment, we will present our conversation with two such personalities.
Starting with Prof. Amit Agarwal. Along with Prof. Rajneesh Bhardwaj, he analyzed
various aspects of the virus's interaction with the surroundings and presented his 3
research papers in the journal named, Physics of Fluids.

Interviewer: Your recent papers on coronavirus are highly insightful. Would you like
to give an overview of your first paper named, “Why corona virus survives longer on
impermeable than porous surfaces”?

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Prof. Amit: Corona Virus gets transmitted through droplets (liquid medium)
containing infected quanta (the prime source). The virus is within the droplets that
are coming out from an infected person. As far as the hypothesis is concerned, it is
well supported in the literature, though not in the context of COVID-19, that once the
liquid medium dries off, the virus can not survive.
The above is the basic premise under which the paper was written. We should look
at the drying time of the droplet, and from that, we should somehow correlate it to
how long the virus can remain active.
Looking at this, you will find that the droplet will dry out in less amount of time, i.e., a
few seconds. But initially, when the pandemic hit, many reports claimed that the
coronavirus can survive for hours and sometimes even days. So there is an order of
magnitude difference in our observation and the results of existing reports.
To bridge this disparity, we come up with an idea that there might be a small thin film
that stays, and its thickness is of the order of a few nanometers. The volume of this
thin film is less than 1 percent of the total droplet. More than 99 percent of the
droplet evaporates. But this thin film is the thing that takes a whole lot of time to
evaporate. Hence, the virus survives in this thin film.

Using the known physical principles, we were able to show that the order of the
drying of the complete droplet comes out to be the same as reported by previous
reports. The thickness of the thin film and the amount of virus titer had a similar
correlation with time.
This hypothesis can extend to different materials like steel, copper, glass, and
plastics. These all are impervious materials. Our hypothesis was rendered with the
help of a model (not experiments). The model was able to consistently show that the
virus' survival time obtained from the previously conducted experiments agrees well
with its results (in terms of order of magnitude).

I: Can you elaborate the reasons for the formation of that thin film?

A: The thin film forms as the evaporation continues. As the droplet evaporates, the
height of the fluid level starts to decrease, which leads to the formation of the thin
film. The thin film’s evaporation can happen in different modes like constant radius,
constant contact angle, or a mixed-mode. The paper had assumed a constant
contact radius for the calculations.

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I: Moving on to the second paper, “Probability of COVID-19 infection by the cough of
a normal person and a super spreader”, could you give us a brief overview of it?

A:There are three modes of transmission. First one being the direct person to person
contact, the other mode is the transmission through surfaces (fomite), third being the
air-borne transmission. In the air-borne transmission the infected quanta are able to
suspend in the air (like raindrops) and can cause infection. This mode of transmission
was studied in this paper. Through this we looked into the size of the cloud which is
coming out of the infected person, its temperature, its relative humidity, and how the
parameters would change if we use a mask. Based on previous reports and with the
turbulent flow theory, the paper calculated the temperature, mixing parameters, and
volume of the cough cloud. Using these, the quantification of the probability of
infection was calculated.

I: In the paper, the Wells-Riley equation was used. Can you elaborate its context in
the paper?

A: The Wells-Riley equation was used to find the probability distribution of the virus
considering homogeneity. That is, the air breathed out by an infected person mixes
uniformly with the surroundings. This distribution works well in confined places like
an elevator, air-conditioned stores, and coffee shops. This paper, however, was also
able to extend the equation to inhomogeneous distribution like coughing, where the
concentration of infected quanta varies spatially. Therefore the discussed model
thus becomes more robust and can be extended to various diseases and non-
homogeneous conditions.

I: Let us move to the third paper which is on, “Designing antiviral surfaces to
suppress the spread of COVID-19”. Can you provide us a brief overview of it?

A: The paper focuses on increasing the surface area for drying by creating different
textures on surfaces through various manufacturing processes. We were able to
show that there exists an optimized shape of the texture that can enhance
evaporation. Because of the cost involved, the paper also suggests that texturing be
done on critical surfaces like doorknobs, surgical instruments, and similar devices.

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I: In your opinion, what is the fidelity of the models and physical experiments on a
relatively smaller scale?

A: One way in which measurements on coughing and sneezing are taken is through
direct optical measurements by keeping a physical scale near the place where
snapshots have to be taken.
Regarding the aspect of measuring the amount of virus, a standard measure is
adopted where they measure the virus titer. Similar processes are used for other
microorganisms. In the context of bacteria, essentially, a scoop of the specimen is
taken and spread out on a media and then the number of colonies formed after
some time are counted. This gives an idea of the amount of bacteria present in the
specimen.
Regarding making measurements on thin films, methods exist where we are able to
visualize the shape of the thin film.

I: Moving forward to some contemporary questions. What are your opinions on the
role of engineers in response to this pandemic?

A: As the pandemic started to spread, it became more and more clear that everyone
has to play a role in order to win against COVID-19. Everybody is affected and
interestingly everyone can contribute. It is a matter of how we look at the problem.
The way engineers can contribute is through understanding in depth about the
pandemic and work together to solve the problem. There are enough scenarios and
examples where engineers from various fields are required to work together to solve
a problem. For example, development of test kits, disposal of used PPE kits and
gloves. During the pandemic, the engineers can support and strengthen doctors and
the medical sector by providing innovative ideas and tools.

I: What will be your suggestions or advice to the students?

A: My first suggestion will be to use your time at IITB in a fruitful manner by learning
as many things as possible. The students need to strengthen themselves and be
motivated to translate the learnings into practical solutions. This time is also the most
crucial part of a student’s life and a sizable chunk of time in a person’s lifetime. This is
also a time where a student is most productive. I suggest that the students, in these

15
college years pick things up irrespective of where or when they would be using it.
The pandemic itself has provided a realization to many people where they were
forced to switch their domains or their jobs beyond their comfort zones. So, if you
know enough, you will be able to adapt to the new environment easily. Once you
learn the basics, it becomes easy to apply it on your own.

I: Recently the institute came up with new interdisciplinary centers one among which
is for Healthcare Informatics. What is your take on it?

A: One good point about such interdisciplinary centers is that it brings people from
varied and diverse fields together to solve a common problem. When you make a
device, you need people from different fields with different skill sets. It would be
difficult for a single person to solve the problem. The ability to interact and work
together gives much more fruitful results. If we can interface with a person of a very
different skill set then we come up with a solution to a much difficult problem.

I: Do you have any ongoing research related to these three papers or any other
research topic that you are currently pursuing?

A: We are working on various things, one of them being micro-devices. This is the
application part of my research domain. But there are several other parts which are
more fundamental oriented. For example, if we are not able to model a problem
from the point of Navier-Stokes equations, how do we write a different set of
equations to model the flows. There are many more such queries we are trying to
answer.

I: Thank you sir for lending us your time and having a very informative discussion.

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 COVID 19 INNOVATIONS
MEET WITH PROFESSOR ATREY

Prof. Milind Atrey

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email: matrey@iitb.ac.in

Next, we have Prof. Milind Atrey. His great idea of converting a nitrogen generator to
an oxygen generator was much-needed relief during the oxygen crisis in the
country. His work was recognized by the country’s administration and was
implemented in various regions.

Interviewer: Can you share the process from initiation to implementation of this
novel idea?

Prof Atrey: We already had a liquid nitrogen plant at IIT Bombay which has a PSA
(Pressure Swing Adsorption) in it. It compress air to around 8 bar, remove water
vapor and other particles and let it pass through the PSA unit. A PSA unit is like a filter
that acts as a sieve and allows only nitrogen gas to go in. We further take the
nitrogen, store it, liquify it and distribute the liquid nitrogen to various departments in
the institute to undertake research work at lower temperatures. We produce around
1 lakh liters of nitrogen per year through it, but in the process, the collected oxygen
was left to the atmosphere. During the pandemic, there was huge shortage of
oxygen and many lost their lives due to this. So I started wondering whether the
oxygen released by the nitrogen plant can be used. But the issue was that some of
the nitrogen that couldn’t pass through also goes out with the oxygen hence, the
purity of the rejected oxygen was around 40-50%. To overcome this, I came up with
the idea to allow oxygen to pass through, instead of nitrogen in the PSA unit. But

17
then we also know that the atmosphere has around 79% nitrogen and around 21%
oxygen, hence the amount of oxygen collected by this modified setup was
comparatively very small. Given the circumstances that 21% was seemed greatly
valuable. Then discussions were done regarding whether to liquify the oxygen or not.
Since after liquefaction, the liquid oxygen required storage, transportation etc.,
hence, it was decided to directly install the PSA units in the hospitals where they
could readily provide usable gaseous oxygen.
To let only oxygen in the PSA units, the carbon molecular sieves had to be replaced
with zeolite molecular sieves. We contacted PSA units manufacturers and asked
them to convert a PSA unit with our recommended specifications and demonstrated
that oxygen could be produced. The last step was to share this with right people that
could understand the process and implement it on a large scale. We get approval
from the required government bodies. We also came to know that the zeolite’s
import was stopped by the government and instead they taken over its production.
Hence, we then required to channelize it from DRDO to make the PSA units.
Finally, in the month of April, the demonstration for the process was
done and the purity of oxygen was found out to be around 93-95%. They ran the unit
for 4 days continuously to check for performance deterioration. Then the focus was
shifted to the deployment of the units. At this junction, the TATA Consulting
engineers came into picture because of their connection with various ministries of
the government. All the nitrogen plants come under CPCB (Central Pollution Control
Board). Nitrogen plants are used in food industries, fertilizer industries, electronics
industries etc. At Least 300 nitrogen plants exist in India (both private and under the
government) till then. The government got hold of all the governmental plants and
through the government they could pass on the information to the other plants. As of
now, 40 nitrogen plants are converted and 20 are yet to be converted. Also the
Government provided the zeolite for the conversion. The company SPANTECH,
which is run by an alumni of IITB also helped in this. The SPANTECH administration
contacted the plants which they were in contact with and taught them about the
procedures. At that time, my inbox was flooded with many mails from different
ministers, IAS officers and other administrative bodies. Mr. Shekhawat, a central govt.
Minister called me and he was the first person to get this implemented in Rajasthan.
The present converted plants helps around 10,000 people.

I: Can the oxygen produced by this be given to people who are in critical condition?

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A: Liquid oxygen has higher purity (~99%) compared to the gaseous one. This is given
to people in critical condition. But most of the people who are infected with the
disease are not in an ICU. The oxygen produced by the PSA units can be given to the
people who are not in critical condition.

I: What is the economics of conversion involved?

A: PSA plant conversion can be done at 15% of the cost of buying a new plant.
Moreover, buying a new plant will take more time (~6 months). But in the PSA plant
conversion everything is set up, the only thing needed is to change some materials. If
the zeolite is present, it will not take more than a week’s time. Also, when the
demand for oxygen reduces, the plant can then again convert to producing nitrogen.
This system acts as a dual purpose system. This system is also easily transportable.

I: Is it possible to have the zeolite and the PSA units be manufactured in India?

A: We have got several facilities for making the PSA units in India. But large
compressors are generally imported because there isn’t a big market for them here.
But there is a large demand for liquefaction of gases like oxygen. All the steel plants
require liquid oxygen (~1000L/day) for oxidation purposes. During the peak of the
COVID crisis most of the steel plants were told to stop the steel production and
divert the oxygen for medical purposes, but all the oxygen could only meet around
25% of the oxygen demand at that time.

I: As you mentioned that we require such adaptable devices in these times, are you
planning to make more of such similar devices?

A: I do have a few plans, like to recommend attaching two PSA units (1 PSA nitrogen
and the other PSA oxygen) to the same compressor with valves in such a way that
the plants could switch between the two modes. With all the nitrogen plants
equipped with both the PSA units, we would be able to handle the demand for
oxygen if it again rises. Moreover, I am working on the oxygen concentrators now.

I: What is your opinion about the development (as well as design) of such devices in
the near future in India?

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A: Now people have well understood that the things like a pandemic can happen.
Hence, I am working to develop a course in the near future for the technicians where
they can understand various processes and gain hands-on learnings like handling
high pressure gases, working with valves and many more. This is aimed at skill
development as well as generating awareness to deal with such situations.
Moreover, This will also generate a lot of jobs in the country. Most importantly, along
with research, hands-on experience must also flourish.

I: What are your suggestions for students to develop the ability to come up with
such innovative ideas?

A: Interestingly, all this happens when you spend more time in the labs. My biggest
concern is that from the past two years our students are not able to do physical
laboratory experiments. Lot of theory is being taught in the classes but until we
relate it to practical things, we will not be able to get a good grasp over the subject
taught in the classes. The best years at IITB will probably be the years where the
students can learn to work with their hands along with the theory.
I have been the head of the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) for
almost 7 years. During it, I noticed that most of the students face challenges in the
entrepreneurial aspect of innovation. An entrepreneur is challenged in the technical
aspects, administration aspects, communication aspects and the futuristic aspects.
An entrepreneurial path for a student is the most challenging as well as an exciting
path. The IITB students are good at taking up challenges, the only thing is that they
should channel their energies toward a specific problem. 50% of the work is done
when we find a problem or an opportunity.

I: Will the absence of the lab experience for the past 2 years impact the student’s
long term career perspectives?

A: No. The institute is willing to compensate for the loss of the lab experience. The
students can come together and talk to the HODs regarding this compensation. Most
of the professors are ready to talk to the students and come up with a solution. It is
up to the students to discuss. Also, how a student defines success is key. For
example, if the success is defined on the salary that you get, then the equations are
totally different.

20
 WONDER MATERIAL
GRAPHENE

Materials play a major role in framing and molding the human civilization, and will
continue this till eternity. We are surrounded by a great variety of materials, many of
which were not that common a few decades ago. As we evolved as a dominant
species of this planet, our requirements also evolved. Our quest to improve the
existing systems or the desire to generate a completely new one leads us to the
development of the already known materials, and in many situations, gave rise to a
new class of materials. These materials are definitely "wonder materials" and their
stories are also wonderful.

In this segment, we will dive into the development of a few such wonder materials
that are either in use or under development. We will start with the history of its
development, and wrap up with its interesting uses. So let's start with Graphene.

GRAPHENE
Discovery:
P. R. Wallace was the first person to explore the Theory of Graphene. His study dates
back to 1947, and it served as a starting point for our understanding of the electronic
properties of 3D graphite. A year later, The first Transmission electron microscopes
(TEM) images of few-layer thin graphite were published by G. Ruess and F. Vogt.
Before 2004, intercalated graphite compounds were studied under a TEM, and
researchers occasionally observed thin graphitic flakes (i.e. A few-layer thick
graphene) and possibly even the individual layers. In 1962, a detailed study by
Boehm reported the procedure for the production of monolayer flakes of reduced
graphene oxide.

Starting in the 1970s single layers of graphite were grown epitaxially on top of other
materials. These epitaxial graphenes also consist of a single-atom-thick hexagonal
lattice of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, similar to the free-standing graphene. However,
significant charge transfers from the substrate to the epitaxial graphene, and in some
cases, the d-orbitals of the substrate atoms hybridize with the pi-orbitals of epitaxial
graphene, which significantly alters its electronic structure.

21
The term graphene was introduced in 1986 by chemists Hanns-Peter Boehm, Ralph
Setton, and Eberhard Stumpp. It combines the word graphite and the suffix -ene,
which refers to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Efforts to make thin films of graphite by mechanical exfoliation started in 1990, but
the minimum thickness achieved was about 50 to 100 by 2004. One of the first
patents on the production of graphene was filed in October 2002 and was granted in
2006. It detailed one of the first large-scale graphene production processes. Two
years later, in 2004 Geim and Novoselov extracted single-atom-thick crystallites
from bulk graphite. They pulled graphene layers from graphite and transferred them
onto thin silicon dioxide (SiO2) on a silicon wafer in a process known as
micromechanical cleavage (or the Scotch tape technique.)

The SiO2 electrically isolated the graphene and had a weak interaction with it,
providing nearly charge-neutral graphene layers. The silicon beneath the SiO2 was
used as a "back gate" electrode to vary the charge density in the graphene over a
wide range.

The cleavage technique led directly to the first observation of the anomalous
quantum Hall effect in graphene, which provided direct evidence of graphene's
theoretically predicted Berry's phase of massless Dirac fermions. The effect was
reported by Geim's group and by Kim and Zhang, and their papers appeared in
Nature in 2005. Before these experiments, other researchers had looked for the
quantum Hall effect and Dirac fermions in bulk graphite.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for their
pioneering research on graphene.
General properties
Graphene is an amazingly pure substance, and this is due to its simple, orderly
structure based on tight, regular, atomic bonding. Since we all know carbon is a
nonmetal, and we extract graphene from it, hence we might deduce that graphene
will show the same properties as carbon. But to our surprise, it behaves much more
like a metal (though its thermal and electrical conduction mechanisms are fairly
different). Therefore, it is described as a semimetal or a semiconductor. So let's dive
into a few key properties of graphene to understand it better.

22
Strength and stiffness
Since we all have used soft pencils for scribbling, so we all have experienced the
soft nature of graphite. We can write on paper with a pencil because the carbon
layers inside a stick of graphite are easily shaved off when sheared on paper. All
thanks to the weak interaction between carbon-carbon layers in graphite. But the
atoms within these layers are very tightly bonded hence, unlike graphite, graphene is
super-strong—even stronger than diamond! Graphene is believed to be the
strongest material yet discovered and is nearly 200 times stronger than steel. But at
the same time, it is elastic too and it can be stretched by nearly 20-25 percent of its
original length without breaking. A major reason credited to it is the flat plane of
carbon atoms in graphene that can flex relatively easily without bonds breaking
apart.
Graphene in its pure form seems so promising, but mixing it with other materials
opens up a new realm of advantages. It improves the properties of existing material
while reducing its space and weight. Hence, it comes with a win-win situation.
As we are progressing with its research, we will soon have an energy-saving car with
super-strong, super-thin, super-light plastic body panels reinforced with graphene. It
is just an example of future possibilities, and the list is endless.

Thinness and lightness

As we have already mentioned, the thickness of the graphene layer is just 1 atom
thick which yields it the ability to reduce thickness considerably. Theoretically, we
can cover a football field with a sheet of graphene weighing less than a gram. Even
though it is not yet tried, to extract graphene of such large dimensions is a mammoth
task, but who knows, we might be able to see such a prototype in our life.

Heat conductivity
Along with considerable strength and featherweight lightness, graphene is also great
at carrying heat since it has a very high thermal conductivity than any other
conducting materials such as silver, copper, or graphite. Therefore, graphene is used
in composite materials, so that they can add extra heat resistance or conductivity to
plastics or other similar materials.

Electrical conductivity
Materials that conduct heat are mostly a good conductor of electricity as well

23
because in both of these processes energy is transported using electrons. The flat,
hexagonal lattice of graphene offers relatively little resistance to electrons, which
moves through it easily. Hence, its electricity conduction is better than most
commonly used conductors such as copper, and at the same time, it is comparable
to superconductors (but graphene, unlike superconductors, can work even at room
temperature). Technically, electrons in graphene have a longer mean free path in
comparison to other materials. Simply put, it implies that the electrons in graphene
undergo a lower number of collisions, and hence move with low resistance. That's
why the electrical and electronics industry is actively researching to make its use
feasible.

Electronic Properties
Let us now look a bit deeper into its electronic properties, which makes its
application in consumer electronics more promising. First of all, the ability of
electrons to move faster along the layer of graphene opens up the possibility of
computer chips that can work more quickly while consuming less power than the
existing ones. Secondly, the electrons move through graphene more like photons
and have speeds close enough to the speed of light (nearly 1 million meters per
second). Hence, they are governed by both- the theory of relativity, and quantum
mechanics. This means graphene can be used to test various aspects of these
theories in considerably compact space, instead of massive particle accelerators or
powerful large space telescopes.

Photos: Advances in nanotechnology,

including the development of graphene,
will drive faster, smaller, cheaper
computers. Picture courtesy of Argonne
National Laboratory published on
Wikimedia Commons under a Creative
Commons Licence.

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Optical properties
Generally, as the material gets thinner, it turns more and more transparent (or might
be translucent). It is easy to agree as with a reduction in thickness, the number of
atoms is also decreasing, which in turn makes it easier for photons to penetrate
through it. (But it is not a hard and fast rule as we can't apply this to explain why a
thick glass is transparent, as it is a different story). Graphene transmits about 97–98%
of light (compared to about 80–90 % for a basic, single pane of window glass). So as
we club this amazing transparency level with the ability of high electricity
transmission, we get a perfect candidate for solar panels, LCDs, and touchscreens.

Impermeability
Since, sheets of graphene have such closely knit carbon atoms forming a super-fine
atomic net, hence it acts like an extremely small barrier that stops other materials
from passing through it. This indicates that graphene is useful for trapping and
detecting gases— while at the same time it can hold gases like hydrogen more
efficiently, as it avoids leakage better than the conventional containers. This paves a
way for hydrogen as a fuel in electric cars since the prime concern is to store
hydrogen gas safely. Meanwhile, if we pierce tiny holes into graphene to make it
porous, then we get a mesh-like material called holey graphene or perforated
graphene, that works like an electrical semiconductor or a very fine, physical sieve.
Although it is very much new, it's already starting to find exciting applications in new
forms of energy storage such as super capacitors and water filters which might help
us to tackle water shortage by helping in the filtration of ocean's salty water into
potable water.

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Exiting uses:

1. Noise cancellation
Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI, US) in collaboration with Eagle Industries and XG
Sciences, has announced in 2018 that they will incorporate graphene nanomaterial
to improve foam materials that are used in fuel rail covers, pump covers, and front
engine covers. This will reduce noise while increasing performance.
Their study shows that mixing graphene with foam carriers yields a 17% reduction in
noise, a 20% improvement in mechanical properties, and a 30% improvement in heat
resistance properties, compared to the same foam without graphene. Hence, this
mix performs better while saving a lot in weight.

2. Rust free paint

Applied Graphene Materials, a UK-based materials company, is collaborating with
US paint manufacturer, Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings, and
corrosion management operation TWI Limited, to develop graphene-based anti-
corrosion paints. This will have a great impact on corrosion, which is a big menace for
every structure, and its impact on the UK's economy is about £10 billion per year that
is majorly for repairing equipment used in the construction, petrochemical, and
transport sectors.
AGM mentioned multiple vital applications, among which one is to paint ships’ hulls,
(part of ships that are in contact with water below the waterline). The graphene-
enhanced paint will also increase the lubricity of the hull, which in turn benefits in
increasing fuel efficiency, as well as the speed of passage through the water.

GrapheneStone, a Spain-based company that is a part of the Phi4Tech Group, has

developed an ecological paint that combines lime and graphene technology in a
unique formula known as Graphenstone Technology. Lime is a natural and
completely artisanal material, when it combines with graphene materials, its strength
and flexibility improve. The company also claims that its paints are of the highest
quality, with a longer life, and require lower maintenance as compared to other
paints.

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3. Sensors
Recently, researchers at Virginia Tech University came up with innovative smart tires
with 3D printed graphene-based strain gauges that enable continuous monitoring of
dynamic parameters along with usual tire functions. Printed strain sensors directly
and efficiently measure tire-road interactions under varying driving speeds, normal
load, and tire pressure. These are supported by wireless data transfer hardware that
is powered by a piezoelectric patch.

4. Batteries
Graphene-based batteries present great potential theoretically but are still not fully
available commercially. But its R&D is going on intensively and hopefully, it will yield
fruitful results soon. Companies all over the world (including Samsung, Huawei, and
others) are developing different types of graphene-enhanced batteries, some of
which are now entering the market. Their main applications are in electric vehicles
and mobile devices. Meanwhile, currently, some batteries use graphene in
peripheral ways I.e. not directly in battery chemistry. For example, in 2016, Huawei
unveiled a new graphene-enhanced Li-Ion battery that uses graphene to remain
functional at even higher temperature (60° degrees as opposed to the existing 50°
limit) and offer a double the operation time. Graphene is used in this battery for
better heat dissipation - it reduces the battery's operating temperature by 5 degrees.

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LEISURE ACTIVITIES
CROSSWORD
2 5
F B

6
V 3 8
4
W M M C R
1
N R S Q N
R

9
7
R L I H
12
C T

11

10
C T C L

1. An equation among 7 the Clay Mathematics Institute Millennium Prize problems

2. In fluid mechanics, a mesh form due to intersection of equipotential lines and flow lines
3. A graphical tool proposed by an a German civil engineer for stress transformation
4. A dimensionless number defined as the ratio of the velocity of a fluid to the velocity of
sound in that fluid,
5. A field that uses elements of nature in development of engineering
6. A mechanical tool to clamp objects in a workshop
7. Taylor instability, an instability of interface between two fluids
8. A device used to measure pressure
9. A measurement unit named after a herbivore
10. A thermodynamic cycle with maximum possible efficiency
11. A type of mechanical instability that results in wrinkling
12. A mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission

Answers in page 30

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 ARTWORKS

Artworks by: Shardul Burde, 4th yr DD

29
 Crossword Answers
1. Navier stokes equation
2. flow net
3. Mohr Circle
4. Mach number
5. biomimicry
6. vise
7. Rayleigh
8. barometer
9. horsepower
10. Carnot cycle
11. buckling
12. clutch

Illustration by: Dhananjay Tiwari, 5th yr DD

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 Illustration by: Dhananjay Tiwari, 5th yr DD

Illustration by: Shubham Dutta, 2nd yr BTech

31