Can a new graphene coating save the Chinese military from rusting away in the South China Sea?
- Researchers are working on a new anti-corrosion material to protect weapons and buildings on artificial islands in the disputed waters
- Harsh conditions mean guns and buildings are corroding much faster than experts expected
“An artillery gun, for instance, was put out of service in just three months because of rust,” said a researcher involved in the project, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
But it is not just weapons that are at risk. Radar and missile launch systems, harbour walls, airport buildings and runways, pipelines and even the foundations on which the islands are built can become quickly damaged.
To save these valuable assets, the Chinese military plans to coat them with graphene, a material developed by researchers at the University of Manchester in England in 2004. The substance is just one atom thick but is 100 times as tough as steel.
A military research institute in Shanghai is conducting a final test on the graphene-based coating before putting it into use, according to another researcher involved in its development.