Carbon Rapture Exhibition

This stunning exhibition based on three forms of the element carbon: 

• diamond
• buckminsterfullerene
• graphite    

was on display outside the RSC London office in the Burlington House Courtyard, Piccadilly, next door to the Royal Academy.  The exhibition was the first RSC exhibition in the courtyard since it moved there in 1857.

Commissioned by the RSC, the exhibition was developed by Graeme Jones of Keele University and supported by EPSRC, makeitmolecular, Complete Fabrication, Molymod molecular models and UK CG.

Buckminsterfullerene - this prize winning form of carbon started the nanotechnology revolution when it was discovered in 1985. It is made up of hexagonal and pentagonal carbon rings arranged in a similar way to a traditional football.

Diamond - The largest model of diamond in the world containing 31387 balls to represent the carbon atoms.  The tetrahedral shape around each atom is very strong making diamond the hardest material known.  A real diamond containing 31387 atoms would be less than one billionth of a carat, invisible to the eye and worth less than a penny.

Graphite- This graphite electrode, utilised in electric arc steel making, is one of the largest pieces of graphite manufactured in the UK.  This single piece contains about 48 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 (48 octillion) carbon atoms.