First Graphene has had the structural integrity of its PureGRAPH concrete additive affirmed by University of Wollongong research, proving its ability to strengthen concrete and mortar.
The Perth-based graphene manufacturer sought to confirm that PureGRAPH could stand up to corrosive water-related infrastructure projects, as this is a high priority when selecting materials for concrete infrastructure.
The studies by the University of Wollongong and an Australian domestic water, sewerage and drainage authority confirmed that adding a small amount of graphene to concrete and mortar improves their compressive strength by 10 to 20 per cent.
First Graphene managing director and chief executive officer Michael Bell said this meant a lot for his company.
“These are encouraging results demonstrating graphene-enhanced mortar and concrete systems can potentially be used in applications requiring serious durability such as wastewater treatment infrastructure and structures exposed to seawater,” Bell said.
“This development further justifies our focus in cement and concrete systems and compliments the CO2-reducing capability of PureGRAPH in this segment.”
First Graphene will now engage with large utility providers and infrastructure developers to advance the development of PureGRAPH in mortar and concrete applications.
The company first commercialised PureGRAPH in late 2021, with the PureGRAPH master batch going on sale in a range of sizes and tonnages.
The University of Wollongong research will be published in a peer reviewed journal in the second half of 2022.
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