Pristine graphene is the strongest material ever measured. However, large-area graphene films produced by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are polycrystalline and thus contain grain boundaries that can potentially weaken the material. We combined structural characterization by means of transmission electron microscopy with nanoindentation in order to study the mechanical properties of CVD-graphene films with different grain sizes. We show that the elastic stiffness of CVD-graphene is identical to that of pristine graphene if postprocessing steps avoid damage or rippling. Its strength is only slightly reduced despite the existence of grain boundaries. Indentation tests directly on grain boundaries confirm that they are almost as strong as pristine. Graphene films consisting entirely of well-stitched grain boundaries can retain ultrahigh strength, which is critical for a large variety of applications, such as flexible electronics and strengthening components.

Abstract

Extensive equatorial linear dunes exist on Titan, but the origin of the sand, which appears to be organic, is unknown. We used nanoindentation to study the mechanical properties of a few Titan sand candidates, several natural sands on Earth, and common materials used in the Titan Wind Tunnel, to understand the mobility of Titan sand. We measured the elastic modulus (E), hardness (H), and fracture toughness (Kc) of these materials. Tholin's elastic modulus (10.4 ± 0.5 GPa) and hardness (0.53 ± 0.03 GPa) are both an order of magnitude smaller than silicate sand, and it is also smaller than the mechanically weak white gypsum sand. With a magnitude smaller fracture toughness (Kc = 0.036 ± 0.007 MPa·m1/2), tholin is also much more brittle than silicate sand. This indicates that Titan sand should be derived close to the equatorial regions where the current dunes are located, because tholin is too soft and brittle to be transported for long distances.

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