The attributes of graphene and its electric and thermal conductivity have always fascinated me. Graphene simply put, is a single one atom thick layer of graphite. And graphite is what is used to make pencil lead. Essentially graphite is made up of hundreds of thousands of layers of graphene. What differentiates the structural make up of the two is how they are made.

I thought it would be interesting to compare graphite (which is mixed with clay during the firing process) against a low grade oxygen reduction fired piece of charcoal.

I also wanted to test the chemical reactions of these two materials when mixed with other substances like rain water.

This is a sample of low oxygen reduction processed charcoal.

This is a sample of low oxygen reduction processed charcoal mixed with rain water.

This is a sample of graphite scraped off of a lead pencil.

This is a sample of graphite mixed with rain water.

What first strikes me when comparing these images is the chemical reaction between both substances when mixed with rain water. If you look closely at the images mixed with rain water you can see the bright image of a bird looking symbol which is not detected in the other images. It is almost like it comes alive.

My next experiment will be to test these materials with other substances like tap water (which surely contains chlorine and fluoride) and vinegar. And last but not least, I want to connect a tiny anode and cathode so I can see what kind of reaction I can record with a Foldscope!