Super-material graphene to be used to make more desirable condoms

 
Safe sex: STIs are on the rise in London
Niall Carson/PA
Press Association21 November 2013

It is already being developed for use in electronics, solar panels, body armour and non-stick pans and now graphene, a material discovered by a team at the University of Manchester in 2004, is to be used to create more enjoyable condoms.

A research team from the University of Manchester has received a Grand Challenges Explorations grant of $100,000 US dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop new composite nano-materials for next-generation condoms.

The challenge is to develop new technology that can make the condom more desirable, which could lead to an increase in its use.

Dr Helen Meese, head of materials at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: "The potential of graphene is limitless, and the grant to the University of Manchester to look at global health issues underlines just how ground-breaking this wonder material could be.

"As well as condoms, graphene could potentially be used in everything from batteries which charge in seconds to photovoltaic windows which generate electricity.

"However, despite the UK being at the very forefront of graphene research, the country's commercialisation of the material has been woeful.

"Of the 7,500 graphene-based patents filed worldwide by 2013, only 54 are from the UK, or less than 1 per cent. In comparison, over 2,200 are held by China and 1,754 by South Korea.

"The graphene community has to agree on a timescale for commercialisation now and develop a clear road map for ongoing research and development. The UK must also establish how it intends to compete in terms of market share and mass production.

"As it stands, the UK is failing to harness the incredible potential of the material it has led the world in developing."

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