Tribologist here, about to publish a study of reciprocating friction and wear in graphene-loaded plastic composites. We see two orders of magnitude wear reductions at 30,000 cycles for 10% graphene by mass (dry reciprocating conditions) and suppression of the abrasive wear mode. Also friction coefficient goes down by 10%, but other studies have reported much bigger friction coefficient improvements.
Doesn't graphite (a close relative of graphene) have lubricative properties?
Yep. We had graphite gel and spray for our pinewood derby axles in Boy Scouts.
Same here -- graphite lubricant was the standard stuff.
A locksmith tried to fix our sticking front door lock with a bit of graphite spray, which I hadn't seen before.
Scribble a pencil on a piece of paper for a while, fold it in half, blow the dust into the lock and run the key in and out a few times. Works like a charm.
I doubt the final product will be pure graphene, I'm sure it'll be thinly coated with something else (Teflon?)
Isn't it not recommended to put Teflon inside of yourself or am I misremembering something?
Teflon is actually completely inert in your body. It's only a problem if it is heated to the point of giving out fumes at 260 celsius, and I hope that isn't happening in the bedroom...
They use telfon in all sorts of implants. I don't think there are really any safety concerns.
Teflon or PFOA is supposedly in everyone's blood already at least in the US and probably most western nations it's so pervasive.