Graphene wire and graphene coils

[tgm]

Has anyone experimented with graphene wire in the construction of coils for metal detectors? I wanted to know what the advantages of this might be so I asked ChatGPT a few questions. Per ChatGPT, such coils would be less sensitive to ground mineralization, have faster response times and improved signal-to-noise ratios. and would not be affected by the skin effect. If all this is true, how can this information be used in practical ways to make more sensitive and better metal detectors?

What follows is the lengthy text exchange I had with ChatGPT.


Question for ChatGPT: Would thick graphene wire and copper wire of the same diameter exhibit the same skin effect at higher frequencies?

ChatGPT Answer: No, thick graphene wire and copper wire of the same diameter would not exhibit the same skin effect at higher frequencies. The skin effect is a phenomenon where alternating currents tend to concentrate near the surface of a conductor at high frequencies, causing a decrease in effective conductivity as the frequency increases.

In the case of copper wire, the skin effect is well-established. As the frequency of the alternating current increases, the current density becomes more concentrated towards the surface of the copper wire, resulting in higher resistance and reduced effective conductivity. This effect becomes more pronounced at higher frequencies.

However, the behavior of graphene wire is different due to its unique electrical properties. Graphene is a two-dimensional material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Its high electrical conductivity is attributed to its unique band structure and the high mobility of charge carriers.

In graphene, the behavior of the skin effect is altered compared to conventional conductors like copper. The high electron mobility in graphene allows the charge carriers to propagate more freely across the entire material, including its edges. As a result, the skin effect is significantly mitigated in graphene, even at higher frequencies.

Therefore, for thick graphene wire and copper wire of the same diameter, the skin effect in copper wire would be more prominent at higher frequencies, while graphene wire would exhibit much less or negligible skin effect due to its exceptional conductivity properties.

Question for ChatGPT: Do highly electrically conductive but diamagnetic materials such as graphene exhibit the Lentz effect?

ChatGPT Answer: No, highly electrically conductive but diamagnetic materials like graphene do not exhibit the Lenz effect. The Lenz effect is a phenomenon observed in conductive materials that are also ferromagnetic or paramagnetic, where a changing magnetic field induces an electric current that opposes the original magnetic field.

Diamagnetic materials, including graphene, have a weak and negative magnetic susceptibility, meaning they create a magnetic field in the opposite direction when subjected to an external magnetic field. However, this effect is generally very weak and not strong enough to induce significant electrical currents or exhibit the Lenz effect.

Graphene, being a highly electrically conductive material, can exhibit other interesting electrical and magnetic properties, but the Lenz effect is not one of them.


Question for ChatGPT: Would this property of graphene make graphene wire an ineffective antenna for purposes of radio wave reception?

ChatGPT Answer: Graphene, being highly electrically conductive, can indeed be used as an antenna for radio wave reception. However, its effectiveness as an antenna depends on various factors, including its size, shape, and the specific frequency range of the radio waves being received.

Graphene, being a two-dimensional material, can be challenging to implement as a traditional wire antenna due to its thin and planar structure. In practice, graphene-based antennas typically involve more complex designs, such as patch antennas or fractal antennas, which can be fabricated using graphene or graphene-based composites.

While graphene itself is diamagnetic and does not exhibit strong magnetic properties, it can still interact with radio waves through its electrical conductivity. The conductivity of graphene allows it to efficiently capture and convert incoming electromagnetic waves into electrical signals, making it suitable for radio wave reception.

However, it's worth noting that graphene's effectiveness as an antenna material for radio wave reception may be limited compared to other materials like metals. Graphene has a relatively low surface area compared to bulk metal conductors, which can affect its radiation efficiency and overall antenna performance.

In summary, while graphene can be used as an antenna for radio wave reception, its effectiveness may depend on the specific design and application requirements. Other factors, such as the size and shape of the antenna, the frequency range of the radio waves, and the desired performance parameters, will also play a crucial role in determining its efficiency as an antenna.


Question for ChatGPT: If one used a graphene wire coil as the receiving coil in the pulse induction or balanced induction types of metal detectors, would that type of coil be less sensitive to ground mineralization than a copper receiving coil?

ChatGPT Answer: Using a graphene wire coil as the receiving coil in pulse induction or balanced induction metal detectors may offer certain advantages over a copper coil in terms of sensitivity to ground mineralization.

Ground mineralization refers to the presence of naturally occurring minerals in the soil that can interfere with metal detection by inducing secondary electromagnetic fields. These induced fields can create false signals or reduce the sensitivity of the metal detector.

Graphene, due to its unique electrical properties, can exhibit lower magnetic susceptibility compared to copper. This means that graphene may be less affected by the magnetic fields induced by mineralization in the ground. As a result, a graphene wire coil may experience reduced signal interference and improved sensitivity to metal targets in highly mineralized environments.

However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of a graphene wire coil in reducing sensitivity to ground mineralization will depend on various factors. These include the specific composition and distribution of mineralization in the ground, the size and configuration of the coil, and the design and sensitivity characteristics of the metal detector itself.

Additionally, it's worth considering that graphene wire coils are still an emerging technology, and their practical implementation in metal detectors is not yet widespread. While the potential benefits of graphene in this context are promising, further research and development are needed to fully understand and optimize its performance in metal detection applications.

In summary, a graphene wire coil in a pulse induction or balanced induction metal detector may offer advantages in terms of reduced sensitivity to ground mineralization compared to a copper coil. However, the specific effectiveness will depend on various factors and requires further investigation and development.


ChatGPT regenerated Answer: Using a graphene wire coil as the receiving coil in pulse induction or balanced induction metal detectors could potentially offer advantages over a copper coil in terms of sensitivity to ground mineralization. Graphene's high electrical conductivity and low mass can contribute to improved performance in certain scenarios.

Ground mineralization refers to the presence of conductive minerals in the soil, which can interfere with metal detection by inducing eddy currents in the receiving coil and causing signal distortion. When the mineralized ground interacts with the coil, it can generate a response similar to that of a metal target, potentially masking or reducing the sensitivity to smaller metal objects.

Graphene's high electrical conductivity allows it to exhibit lower eddy current losses compared to copper. This property can help minimize the impact of ground mineralization on the signal received by the coil. By reducing the interference caused by the mineralized ground, a graphene wire coil may provide enhanced sensitivity to small metal targets, especially in highly mineralized environments.

Additionally, graphene's low mass enables faster response times and improved signal-to-noise ratios. This can be beneficial for metal detection applications, as it allows for quicker detection and better differentiation between metal targets and background noise.

It's worth noting that the effectiveness of a graphene wire coil compared to a copper coil will depend on various factors, including the specific design of the metal detector, the size and shape of the coil, and the properties of the soil being investigated. Therefore, thorough testing and optimization would be necessary to determine the precise performance of a graphene wire coil in a metal detector system.

[Skippy]

That was interesting, thanks for posting.
I was intrigued by the 'skin effect' info. If a metal were to have extremely high conductivity, the skin effect would be massive, only the outer few atomic layers would conduct. But graphene isn't anything like a metal, so the 'rules' for metals don't apply at all.
I know researchers have tried mixing graphene / nano-tubes in with pure copper, to attempt to make "super copper" . Needless to say, the results are very poor, I suspect the graphene ruins the neat atomic structure of the copper, which negates any benefit gained from putting in the super-high conductivity graphene.

[sinclairuser]

one of the bigger challenges in using graphene is making a stable connection between the graphene and the wire to the box.
getting a workable repeatable method for this is not trivial, and could even be the thing that makes this idea unworkable.
trying to make robust stable connections between metals and non-metals is a real head scratcher, thats not to say it can't be done but might be beyond what we can achieve in our home workshops.

[Carl-NC]

Sounds a bit like graphene wire naturally behaves like Litz wire, where currents flow through isolated strands. However, Litz prevents skin effect by weaving the strands so the net magnetic effect on a given strand is zero. Unless graphene wire does the same thing then I don't see how it avoids skin effect.

[Sean_Goddard]

I use silver conductive paint in heatshrinktonormal wire then to a connector.