UK-based Applied Graphene Materials is collaborating with US paint company Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings, and corrosion management operation TWI Limited, in a venture to develop graphene-based anti-corrosion paints.
The companies added that the scheme, co-funded by the Government’s innovation body, could have a major impact on corrosion, which is estimated to cost the UK economy about £10 billion every year in repairs on equipment used in the construction, petrochemical and transport sectors.
AGM stated that it is looking at adding graphene in different formulations and one they have identified is on ships’ hulls, below the water line, to protect them from corrosion. Graphene enhanced paint will also increase lubricity of the hull, which will have benefits for increasing fuel efficiency and increasing speed of passage through the water.
In October 2015, AGM joined Puralube in developing graphene-enhanced oil products, and in May 2015, the company reported positive preliminary findings following independent performance testing on graphene-enhanced base oils produced by the group.