First Graphene Ltd (ASX:FGR, OTCQB:FGPHF) has gone to market with a new range of cement and concrete products aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and improving concrete durability.
One of the new products, PureGRAPH CEM® is meant to aid cement grinding and admixtures, and is targeted at construction chemical manufacturers looking for a formulation that overcomes issues related to evenly dispersing graphene into products.
The company has also launched an admixture developed in conjunction with South Africa-based Nanoproof/Glade Chemicals. Marketed as PureGRAPH® AM, the admixture is suitable for use by downstream concrete and construction material manufacturers to provide superior strength and durability properties.
Meanwhile, the company’s distribution agreement with New Zealand-based GtM Action, announced in July 2021, has come to fruition with the release of GtM’s HexMortar™, a graphene-enhanced dry mix mortar for shotcrete and pumping applications.
HexMortar™ is formulated to quickly and permanently increase the flexural and compressive strength of dry mortars, and is the first of a range of solutions being developed for the New Zealand and broader global cement and concrete markets that are in search of innovative products with reduced environmental impact.
Commercial scale trials
Work is ongoing with a consortium of partners, including Breedon Cement Limited, Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd and the University of Manchester to develop a “green cement” under a grant from the UK government in early 2022 to develop green technology.
The consortium is planning to use up to 1,500 tonnes of specially formulated cement to convert to about 9,000 tonnes of concrete, with varying doses of PureGRAPH® being applied to determine optimum dosage rates and performance outcomes.
The testing is one of the largest commercial trials of graphene-enhanced cement and concrete globally, First Graphene said.
The company is also working on a second commercial-scale trial with a major European specialty chemicals company to build on successful laboratory results that hope to replicate the demonstrated improvements in strength and carbon savings on an industrial scale. The trial will require 600 kilograms of PureGRAPH® enhanced grinding aid and will produce over 160 tonnes of cement.
Tapping industry specialist
First Graphene’s Cement & Concrete segment has a firm order pipeline of about $175,000 to be fulfilled within the coming months.
To help it manage that and future growth, the company has appointed Singapore-based industry veteran Lester Lee as commercial manager of the division.
Lee brings nearly 30 years’ experience working in the cement and concrete industries, including senior leadership roles in Hong Kong and Singapore with global companies such as Fosroc Construction Chemicals, K. Wah Concrete Company and W.R. Grace.
Considerable benefits
First Graphene managing director and CEO Michael Bell said: “It is pleasing to see our efforts, and those of our collaboration partners, coming to fruition at a commercial scale. One of the primary drivers for the adoption of graphene solutions in this segment is the reduction of CO2 emissions.
“We’re seeing considerable benefits both in the immediate reductions that can be achieved through the use of graphene-enhanced grinding aids, as well as the potential reductions in concrete usage because of the enhanced physical properties these products provide.
“Working with industry-focused partners such as Nanoproof/Glade Chemicals, GtM Action, Breedon Cement and Fosroc opens the way to an estimated addressable market of more than 12,000 tonnes of PureGRAPH® across the medium to long term.”