Diamond has a cubic crystal lattice structure. This uniform arrangement forms an extremely strong three-dimensional network. This special structure gives diamond the highest natural hardness, along with its transparency and brilliant light dispersion.
Graphite
Graphite is essentially composed of countless thin “carbon sheets” stacked on top of each other like pages of a book. Within each sheet, the carbon atoms are tightly bonded, but the layers are only loosely held together. As a result, graphite has a soft structure and conducts electricity, making it suitable for use as pencil lead, electrode cores, and various other applications.
Graphene
Graphene is an ultra-thin layer of carbon, only one atom thick, arranged like a honeycomb lattice. Although it is nearly transparent, it is more than 200 times stronger than steel, an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, yet remains flexible and lightweight. Thanks to these properties, graphene is considered a “super material” with many potential applications in concrete, electrochemical batteries, plastics, textiles, and biomedical fields.
Carbon Nanotube
Carbon nanotubes are ultra-small “tubes” formed by rolling up one or more layers of graphene. They have diameters of just a few nanometers (tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair) yet are extremely strong, lightweight, and excellent conductors of electricity and heat. Thanks to these properties, carbon nanotubes are considered a promising material for use in battery production, electronic components, ultra-lightweight materials, and even biomedical applications.
