The bulb was developed by a Canadian-financed company called Graphene Lighting but it was developed in the UK at Manchester University, the original home of graphene. Based on traditional light bulb design, the graphene bulb consists of a filament-shaped LED coated in graphene that allows it to conduct electricity and heat more effectively.
Professor Colin Bailey, a director of Graphene Lighting and deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, told the BBC: “The graphene light bulb will use less energy. We expect it to last longer. The manufacturing costs are lower and it uses more and more sustainable components.”
The bulb will be priced lower than some LED bulbs which can cost up to £15 each. It represents the first stage in releasing a wave of graphene-equipped products to consumers. The “wonder material” is stronger than steel and has remarkable conductivity properties.
UK Chancellor George Osborne opened the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester on 20th March to help the UK become a centre of excellence in developing graphene amidst competition from Asian nations like China and South Korea.
Graphene was discovered at Manchester University in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. The Russian-born scientists earned the Nobel Prize for Physics and knighthoods for their discovery.
Work is now ongoing with more than 35 companies worldwide to get graphene into products like car bodies, aircraft frames, tennis rackets and even false teeth. The government has invested £38m into the new Institute with an additional £23m of funding provided by the European Regional Development fund.
