There has been a constant search for alternatives to increase military strength. Indian researchers are now developing an economical graphene-based supercapacitor, which could emerge as an effective alternative to providing energy to other applications, including state-of-the-art military equipment, mobile devices, and modern vehicles.

According to media reports, supercapacitors, also known as ultracapacitors or Electro-chemical capacitors, are a device used for the storage of electrical energy, whose popularity is growing rapidly. Activated carbon is commonly used to make ultracapacitors, which is quite expensive. Graphene has been used in the newly developed ultracapacitors, which has reduced its weight as well as cost by ten times.

Researchers say that the surface area of activated carbon is more, which stores electrical charge. The higher the surface area, the more electrical energy it can store. The cost of activated carbon used in other supercapacitors available in the market is up to Rs 1 lakh per kg. Scientists at the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, have developed a new technique for making graphene oxide, which is being used to make ultracapacitors.