Graphene reshapes the low-altitude economy

A graphene aviation battery capable of stable operation in the severe cold of minus 40 degrees Celsius, and a graphene composite wing with 60% stronger impact resistance than carbon fiber - you may hardly believe it, but these concepts that once only existed in scientific research papers are now quietly changing the rules of the entire drone industry.

I remember interviewing a senior engineer in the drone industry last year. He half - jokingly said, "We're dancing with shackles on." He was referring to the long - standing endurance bottleneck and material limitations in the drone industry. Unexpectedly, in just one year, breakthroughs in graphene technology are making these "shackles" less burdensome.

When Graphene Preparation Enters the "High - Quality Era"

If we rewind five years, anyone talking about the industrial application of graphene might have been labeled as "overly optimistic." At that time, large - scale, high - quality preparation was indeed a nightmare plaguing the entire industry.

The situation took a turn for the better in 2025. Chinese scientists made unexpected progress in the chemical vapor deposition of graphene using carboxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as a solid carbon source. Interestingly, this breakthrough initially stemmed from a seemingly simple discovery: when carboxyl functional groups release CO2 through decarboxylation, they can trigger the Boudouard reaction, significantly reducing the defect density of graphene.

This may sound a bit technical, but simply put, it means that we can finally produce more perfect graphene at a lower cost. What's the direct benefit of the reduced defect density? The carrier mobility of graphene has jumped to 5000 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹. This number may be abstract to the average person, but in the field of electronic devices, it's almost a revolution.

Meanwhile, the collaboration between the team led by Academician Liu Zhongfan and Tsinghua University reminds me of a classic problem in materials science: how to improve the thermal conductivity of a material while keeping it lightweight?

The "Mengxi Alumina Powder" they developed provides a surprising answer. By creating "phonon highways," graphene has successfully resolved the traditional contradiction between high thermal conductivity and lightweight.

Of course, I must remind readers that these technological advancements did not happen overnight. They are built on the foundation of countless failed experiments in the past decade and are the fruits of the long - term perseverance of materials scientists.

Graphene Batteries Unlock the Endurance Bottleneck of Drones

"The energy density of traditional batteries is about 250 Wh/kg, less than 1/40 of that of aviation kerosene," said Yan Shaojiu, the director of the Graphene New Energy Materials Center at the Aeronautical Materials Research Institute. This figure reveals the common dilemma faced by electric aircraft - insufficient endurance.

The emergence of graphene aviation batteries is changing this situation. Aviation batteries made with new material technologies such as graphene can increase the energy density by more than 50% compared to traditional batteries. This means that under the same volume or mass, graphene aviation batteries can store and release more electrical energy.

The low - temperature performance is another breakthrough point for graphene batteries. The ultra - low - temperature lithium - ion battery technology developed by the Aeronautical Materials Research Institute can ensure that electrical equipment operates normally in an environment of minus 40 degrees Celsius, meeting the stringent requirements for high - altitude takeoff of low - altitude aircraft.

This is of great significance for drone operations in cold regions. Industry experts vividly compare graphene to a "magic stone" for aviation batteries. With its good electrical and thermal conductivity and large specific surface area, it constructs an efficient three - dimensional conductive network in the battery, greatly improving the battery's rate performance and cycle life.

The Prospero drone, which made its debut at the European Composite Materials Exhibition in Germany in 2025, demonstrated the huge potential of graphene in structural materials. The graphene wing of this drone is not a simple material replacement but a fundamental redesign of the material system.

Test results show that the graphene wing has 60% stronger impact resistance than the carbon - fiber wing. Behind this data lies the unique ability of graphene as a nano - additive to improve the mechanical strength of thermosetting and thermoplastic plastics while reducing the material weight.

Billy Langs, the engineering innovation manager at the University of Central Lancashire, said, "Using graphene allows drone wings to combine high strength and low weight."

The ultimate goal of researchers also includes using graphene to protect aerospace equipment from lightning strikes. This direction demonstrates the application potential of graphene in multifunctional composite materials - it not only strengthens the structure but also endows the material with new functional properties.

In addition, as the functions of drones continue to increase, the thermal management problem of their electronic systems has become increasingly prominent. Graphene shows unique value in this field due to its excellent thermal performance.

The research results of the team led by Academician Liu Zhongfan are particularly notable. The thermal interface material based on Mengxi Alumina Powder they developed has a thermal conductivity of 6.44 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, significantly better than traditional alumina - based thermal interface materials.

In a 50 W LED test, it can reduce the chip surface temperature by 17.7 degrees Celsius. For professional drones integrated with high - power camera equipment and processors, effective thermal management means more stable performance and a longer service life. Graphene thermal management materials make it possible for drones to stay "cool" during long - term operation.

Graphene Drones Expand the Boundaries of the Low - Altitude Economy

The improvement in performance is ultimately reflected in the expansion of application scenarios. Graphene drones are opening up areas that were previously difficult to reach. In cold regions, the ultra - low - temperature performance of graphene batteries makes them an ideal power source for operations in cold areas and emergency rescue scenarios.

In long - distance inspection tasks, the high energy density of graphene batteries allows drones to cover a wider area. The endurance of the Zhengtai Wind and Solar Operation and Maintenance Drone has exceeded 180 minutes, with a flight range of 120 kilometers.

The low - altitude economy, as a representative of new - quality productivity, has become an important direction for cultivating new development momentum. In 2024, many places introduced specific support policies and action plans for the low - altitude economy, and many of these plans mentioned the research and application of high - performance power batteries.

Graphene drones are becoming an important driving force for the low - altitude economy. Some industry experts predict that in the future, through the application of new materials such as graphene, the market scale of the low - altitude economy is expected to exceed one trillion yuan by 2030. Graphene batteries are expected to become the mainstream power source for eVTOLs and drones.

After visiting several drone manufacturing enterprises and having in - depth exchanges with industry experts, I must honestly tell you that despite the bright prospects, the application of graphene in the drone field still faces a series of challenges that cannot be ignored.

Let's first talk about the technical reality. Currently, the energy density of aviation batteries advertised in the market is still quite far from the 400 - 500 Wh/kg threshold required for practical applications. Why is this number so important? Because only when the energy density breaks through the 400 Wh/kg mark can small general - purpose aircraft truly achieve commercial operation - this is about twice the power of conventional new - energy vehicle batteries.

From an industrialization perspective, the problem may be more complex. Although the production cost of graphene materials is decreasing, the consistency of quality remains a key factor restricting its large - scale application. During my research, I found that there are still differences in the performance of graphene materials from different batches, which is unacceptable for aviation applications that require high reliability.

So, where is the future path? Based on my observation, it may develop in three directions:

In terms of multi - functional integration, we may soon see composite materials that integrate multiple functions such as structure, conductivity, and heat insulation - this may sound like science fiction, but it's actually a direction that some laboratories are working on.

Regarding the intelligent direction, I recently saw a patent document showing that a team is researching intelligent drone structures with self - sensing and self - diagnostic capabilities. This means that future drones may be able to "sense" their own damage and adjust their flight strategies autonomously.

The green direction may be the most easily overlooked but crucial one. With the increasing environmental requirements, the environmental impact of the graphene preparation process will become an unavoidable issue.

Speaking of this, I remembered a sentence that Director Yan Shaojiu said at the end of the interview: "What we're doing now is laying the foundation for the low - altitude economy in ten years." Indeed, the combination of graphene and drones is not just a technological innovation but the budding of a brand - new industrial ecosystem. This process won't be smooth, but every technological breakthrough is making this vision clearer.

Looking to the future, from the initial concept hype to the current practical application, graphene technology is finally fulfilling the promise it made ten years ago. With the in - depth integration of graphene materials and drone technology, the boundaries of the low - altitude economy are constantly expanding. From batteries to the fuselage, from power to structure, graphene is reshaping the technical system of drones and laying the foundation for a brand - new low - altitude economic ecosystem.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Sice Think Tank" and is published by 36Kr with authorization.