Baotou seeks to be country's graphene capital

Graphene, the strongest material ever discovered, is expected to give new momentum for growth to Baotou, a city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region which is rich in graphite reserves, according to the chief of a local research institute.

"The graphene industry is in the infancy in China, and needs a lot of research to bring around sophisticated technologies and talent. Research institutes can play an important role as the driving force of the industry, especially in set-ting up standards," said Liang Hejun, director of the Inner Mongolia Institute of Graphene Materials.

Graphene is a thin layer of pure carbon. It is the lightest material known but is stronger than diamond. It is 200 times stronger than the strongest steel. It conducts electricity and heat better than any other material.