Fireproof wallpaper on the basis of graphene will warn of a fire

It is difficult to find an apartment in which there would be no wallpaper. This is a fairly affordable way to decorate the walls to your liking, but the wallpaper has a very dangerous minus: they burn very well. However, Chinese researchers recently developed refractory inorganic wallpaper. And these wallpapers are made with the use of graphene, and they can even act as a fire alarm.

The composition of such wallpapers includes yarns of hydroxyapatite and special heat sensors from graphene oxide. They also warn about the fire that has arisen. The response time of such sensors is only 2 seconds, and they remain operative for more than 5 minutes, and this is a very, very good result.

Experts from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, led by Chih-Chao Xiong, are responsible for the development. They developed the technology of graphene sensors in wallpaper and created on its basis a non-combustible inorganic paper. The basis of the wallpaper is the structure of nanowires of hydroxyapatite longer than 10 micrometers and a thickness of about 10 nanometers. They give the structure a mechanical strength, while maintaining a small mass and resistance to open fire.

Schematic structure of the device of inorganic wallpaper with graphene sensors

Graphene oxide is also used in wallpaper of a new type for a reason. In it, when the temperature rises, the oxygen-containing functional groups break away, which triggers a chain of chemical transformations and leads to the closure of the circuit, after which the sensor (light or sound) triggers. Moreover, these sensors remain stable at temperatures up to 250 degrees Celsius. But that's not all: in order to increase the stability of the wallpaper to open fire, scientists have added to their composition polydofamin molecules.

Changes that occur with wallpaper when exposed to fire

High-tech wallpaper with printed pattern

As already mentioned, the sensors remain operational for more than 5 minutes, and hence both light and sound sensors will work as much. For comparison: standard alarms stop working after 30 seconds.

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/technology/ogneupornye-oboi-na-osnove-grafena-predupredyat-o-pozhare.html.