Black Swan Graphene

Black Swan Graphene has announced a commercial agreement with Broadway Colours, a UK-based manufacturer of color and additive masterbatches, plastic compounds and rotational molding powders. The Company said the partnership aims to leverage Broadway’s technical expertise, manufacturing capabilities, distribution, and market reach to fast-track the commercialization of Black Swan’s graphene products.

Broadway will use Black Swan’s graphene nanoplatelets to manufacture their Graphene Enhanced Masterbatches (GEMs) targeting a variety of sectors including consumer goods, packaging, automotive, construction, defense, marine and logistics. Its new product range will also feature a bio-based polymer GEM, which Black Swan highlighted offers an eco-friendly alternative to the existing products.  

Black Swan Graphene has announced the release of its fourth commercial Graphene Enhanced Masterbatch ("GEM") product, as it continues to deploy broad commercialization efforts.

This new thermoplastic polyurethane ("TPU") masterbatch is an addition to the GraphCore 01 product line. TPU is a versatile polymer that combines the properties of rubber and plastic, making it an ideal material for a variety of applications ranging from industrial to consumer goods; inflatable products are particularly well suited for this new GEM. Using this new GEM, Black Swan has reportedly demonstrated a 25% improvement in light weighting capability, along with other mechanical performance improvements.

Black Swan Graphene has announced it has entered into a commercial partnership with Graphene Composites (GC). The Companies will aim to incorporate Black Swan's graphene in the fabrication of GC Shield, a patented ballistic protection technology ("GC Shields"). 

The Company highlighted that GC Shields, with its patented graphene-aerogel composite, have unique force dispersion capabilities which protect users from multiple shots, stacked rounds, and edge impacts while maintaining minimum back face deformation. They are among the strongest, lightest, and most resilient ballistic shields on the market for the law enforcement and defense sectors, according to Black Swan.

Black Swan Graphene has announced the commercialization of a new product, the GraphCore family of graphene nanoplatelets products. These products, now in full production volume, are tailored to meet a diverse range of needs within the polymer industry, offering various forms including powders and polymer-ready masterbatches.

According the the Company, in addition to double-digit tensile property improvements with less than 1.0% loading, performance enhancements seen at global customer industrial trials include:

* 25% weight reduction with 1.5% loading in TPU;
* More than 20% impact resistance improvement in PP at 0.2% loading; and
* More than 40% improvement in barrier properties in PLA at 1.0% loading.

Black Swan Graphene has announced a range of Graphene Enhanced Masterbatch ("GEM") products. These GEMs offer different performance and attributes of products aimed at multiple applications in the polymer industry. This announcement follows a recent commercial agreement ratified with Hubron International, a global leader in black masterbatch manufacturing. 

Black Swan stated that its products are the results of extensive internal development efforts, including independent verification using the expertise at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre ("GEIC") and a strategic partnership with Hubron. The primary objective of the product development endeavors extends beyond performance; it strives for consistency, a pivotal factor in the commercialization of additive products. 

Black Swan Graphene has announced a commercial agreement with Hubron International, specializing in customized solutions in plastic masterbatch and conductive compound manufacturing. This strategic partnership is set to fast-track the commercialization of Black Swan's graphene products, leveraging Hubron's 80 years of compounding expertise and market access.

Hubron specializes in black masterbatch production with over 85% of its products exported worldwide. Hubron and Black Swan will explore opportunities to incorporate the use of graphene-enhanced masterbatch for improved functionality where commercially and technically possible. Hubron will also play a crucial role in the manufacturing of graphene enhanced black masterbatch for commercial applications. Black Swan, in turn, will be a preferred provider of graphene for such manufacturing endeavors.

Black Swan Graphene has announced that its partner, Nationwide Engineering Research and Development ("NERD"), the maker of Concretene, a graphene-enhanced concrete admixture ("Concretene"), has executed a development agreement with Roger Bullivant Limited. Roger Bullivant is part of Soletanche Bachy, a foundations company and part of VINCI, the French construction, infrastructure and energy group of companies with €60 billion in annual revenue. The agreement aims to begin commercial deliveries in Q4 of 2024.

Support for the project from Roger Bullivant includes a proposal for establishment of a Concretene pilot manufacturing plant at its headquarters in the United Kingdom. This pilot manufacturing plant should enable NERD to prove the viability of its manufacturing proposition towards much wider scale-up and roll-out to the United Kingdom and international concrete industry.

Concretene has announced three successful UK government funding bids, two through Innovate UK, totaling £1.18 million (around USD$1,430,000), and one through EPSRC and the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials for £79,000 (about USD$95,000).

The product – a graphene-enhanced admixture for concrete that reduces embodied carbon – is being developed for commercial roll-out by Nationwide Engineering Research & Development and The University of Manchester. The grant awards relate to Concretene’s core research program, from raw material supply through to construction applications.

Black Swan Graphene has announced the results of a scoping study for its large scale Québec facility. Developed in collaboration with Toronto-based engineering firm Halyard, this Scoping Study marks a significant step forward for Black Swan's growth strategy.

The Scoping Study provides an initial evaluation, including processing plant specifications as well as conceptual mechanical, civil, structural, and electrical designs, for its proposed 40,000 square-foot first large-scale production facility, based on the same processing technology currently being used in the facility located in the United Kingdom. The annual production and self-sustaining ramp up of its industry-ready products have been established by taking into consideration customers and distributors' expected demand, as well as strategic partnerships, including the partnerships with Nationwide Engineering Research & Development ("NERD") and the Arup Group ("Arup"). 

Black Swan Graphene has announced a shipment of product to Nationwide Engineering Research & Development ("NERD") for an upcoming concrete pour in the United Kingdom. This commercial shipment follows the announcement of a partnership between Black Swan, NERD, and Arup Group Limited, aimed at providing an integrated supply chain and a turnkey solution to the concrete and construction industries.

The upcoming concrete pour will use Black Swan's graphene product in a total of 180 tonnes of concrete for the construction of an industrial park near Redruth, Southwest England. The industrial park will offer 14 industrial units ranging from 2,500 and 3,500 sq ft, with the graphene-enhanced concrete being used for the external concrete aprons. This is the second time this developer has used the technology provided by NERD, having previously used it in the construction of an industrial park in Warminster, approximately 170 km west of London, United Kingdom.