Analytik partner University of Manchester feature in The Guardian after developing NIR camouflage with graphene

Analytik partner the University of Manchester’s scientists are responsible for discovering another ground-breaking application for the utilisation of graphene. They have developed a near-infrared (NIR) camouflage using a graphene based material which can camouflage an object by making it appear the same temperature as its background.

According to the co-author of the research Coskun Kocabas from the Univeristy of Manchester, the design of the material took inspiration from the colour changing abilities of the cuttlefish. The thin, light weight, flexible film can be undetectable from infrared cameras, it allows hot bodies to appear cool and cold items to appear warm. The material effectively masks an object to appear the same temperature as its background, effectively making it invisible to an infrared camera.

What is graphene?

Graphene is a material comprised of a sheet of carbon just one atom thick. It  has many useful properties:

• • It is ultra-light yet immensely tough
  • It is 200 times stronger than steel, but it is incredibly flexible
  • It is the thinnest material possible as well as being transparent
  • It is a superb conductor
  • It can act as a perfect barrier – not even helium can pass through it

Researchers at the Cambridge Graphene Centre, based at The University of Cambridge, utilise Microfluidics High Pressure Homogeniser Fluid Processors in the production of graphene.