The National Graphene Institute opened in Manchester earlier this month Manchester University

The first product made from the wonder material graphene will go on sale later this year: a light bulb. The dimmable LED bulb will reportedly cut energy costs and should last longer than conventional lights, its creators said.

Developed at Manchester University, where graphene was first discovered in 2004, the light bulb <a href="http://phys.org/news/2015-03-lightbulb-graphene-sale-year.html"


target="_blank">will cost less than £15</a> and should be available within the next few months. It looks almost identical to a conventional light bulb but its filament is coated in a thin layer of graphene, helping it to conduct electricity more efficiently. Its makers said energy savings of 10% are possible, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32100071" target="_blank">according to the BBC</a> -- though against what that is measured is unclear. Other specifics about the bulb, including its luminosity and lifespan, and details about its efficiency and colour were not reported.

The bulb will be made <a href="http://www.datalog.co.uk/browse/detail.php/CompanyNumber/09194779/CompanyName/GRAPHENE+LIGHTING+LIMITED"

target="_blank">Graphene Lighting</a>, a Canadian-owned spin-off company from Manchester University. It looks set to become the first commercially available product made from graphene, which has until now only been found in research facilities and labs.

The university's National Graphene Institute (NGI) was opened earlier this month by chancellor George Osborne, who said it would put the UK "in pole position" to become a world-leader in graphene technology. Around 200 researchers will work in the facility, which covers over 7,800 square metres and five floors. The government has already invested £38m in the NGI, which will work on future uses of graphene.


The physical properties of graphene alone make it one of the most exciting discoveries of recent years. At one atom thick, three million sheets of graphene stacked atop each other would measure just 1mm deep.

Graphene is made from a single layer of carbon atoms linked together in a honeycomb structure, making it incredibly thin, light and strong. A 1m square sheet would weigh 0.77mg but be capable of supporting a weight of more than 4kg. The discovery of graphene won Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov the Nobel Prize for physics in 2010.

Graphene is likely to find most of its uses in electronics, from tiny, high-capacity batteries and flexible screens for mobile phones to lighter and stronger frames for cars and planes. Graphene is also being looked at in medical research and could help drugs of the future target specific cells in the body.