Properties of Undoped Few-Layer Graphene-Based Transparent Heaters
Yong Zhang1,2, Hao Liu1, Longwang Tan1
1SMIT Center, School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Changzhong Road, Shanghai 201800, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 28, 2019
Summary
Transparent graphene heaters on PET substrates offer efficient, low-cost heating. Monolayer graphene heaters exhibit rapid heating/cooling rates, outperforming other heater types.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Transparent and efficient heaters are crucial for applications like sensors, displays, and defoggers.
- Existing heater technologies often face limitations in cost, transparency, or efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the electrothermal performance of graphene-based heater elements.
- To investigate the impact of graphene layer count on heater properties.
- To compare graphene heaters with existing technologies for transparent heating applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of graphene heater elements with 1-5 layers of graphene on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates.
- Characterization of electrothermal properties, including heating/cooling rates and steady-state temperatures.
- Analysis of performance as a function of input power density.
Main Results:
- Graphene heaters demonstrated exponential heating/cooling rate dependence with a time constant under 6 seconds for monolayer devices.
- A convective heat-transfer coefficient of 60 W·m⁻²·°C⁻¹ was determined from steady-state temperature analysis.
- Graphene-based heaters exhibited superior performance compared to metal thin-film and carbon nanotube heaters.
Conclusions:
- Graphene-based heaters on flexible PET substrates are highly efficient and cost-effective transparent heating solutions.
- The number of graphene layers significantly influences the electrothermal response.
- Graphene heaters present a promising alternative for advanced display, sensor, and defogging technologies.
