Graphene Coating: introduction and market status

Versarien has announced, further to the previously announced manufacturing license agreement, know-how license and technical assistance agreement entered into with Montana Química, that it has now signed a two-year supply agreement to provide some of the Company's proprietary graphene and related material dispersions and formulations (Graphinks™) to Montana (the "Supply Agreement").

Montana is a Brazilian headquartered multinational business focused on the production and sale of paints, wood preservatives and other wood finishing products including paints, stains and varnishes.  Versarien understands it is Montana's intention to utilize the Company's Graphinks™ in application areas such as construction, composites, coatings and lubricants.

Sparc Technologies and its partner Flinders University have been awarded funding under Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite grant program. They will receive a grant of AU$353,098 (around US$220,800). 

The 12-month project aims to accelerate development and validation of a graphene-enhanced material that can be utilized in aquaculture nets to mitigate biofouling and increase net strength and durability. This technology has the potential to result in a significant reduction in fish farm operational costs, environmental impact, biosecurity and fish health risks. 

Following good results from a vessel treated with GIT Coatings’ graphene-based propeller coating XGIT-PROP in 2023, Tampa, Fla.-headquartered Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG) is to adopt the solution on seven further crude oil tankers.

The first application saw performance gains and fuel savings proven beyond expectations which was further validated by a third party with the vessel being tracked along its trade route covering the Pacific Ocean. “At OSG, we believe sustainable technology such as XGIT-PROP provides an opportunity for us to enhance our performance while also being stewards of the ocean,” said Eric Schreiber, director of operational excellence at OSG. “From the initial application study, XGIT-PROP is a proven product which both benefits vessel efficiency while also providing environmentally friendly impacts, which we will also consider for our new LCO2 vessel designs by Aptamus Carbon Solutions, a new subsidiary of OSG.”

Sparc Technologies has announced the execution of an agreement (Trial Agreement) with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA). The Trial Agreement details the terms and conditions under which Sparc and BMA will conduct a collaborative field trial involving testing of an ecosparc® enhanced coating in coal handling and processing plant (CHPP) infrastructure at the Goonyella Riverside Mine (GRM) in Queensland.

The Trial Agreement with BMA represents a continuation of Sparc’s strategy of working with asset owners across government, defense, mining and oil & gas to demonstrate the performance of ecosparc® enhanced coatings in relevant real-world environments. The temperature, moisture and conditions within the CHPP at GRM, located in Moranbah, Queensland are well suited for an effective field trial. The field trial will provide valuable performance data for potential customers, building on over 6 years of research and development and >10,000 data points from accelerated cyclic corrosion testing in the laboratory.

In a recent PR, Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) shared that it continues to advance the commercialization of its THERMAL-XR coating system with the product being tested with companies in multiple industries, including on heat sinks for electronics.

Third-party modelling indicates that applying THERMAL-XR to heat sinks can reduce their size by up to 39% while maintaining the same thermal performance, the company highlighted. This reduction could lead to savings in weight and material costs. The technology also lowers the maximum temperature of heat sinks by 23%, improving their efficiency.

Sparc Technologies has announced the results of initial test work in water-based acrylic epoxy coatings. The testing has reportedly demonstrated significant corrosion performance improvements through the incorporation of low dosages of carefully selected grades of graphene compared to an unmodified control. Testing has been performed using two industry-recognized electrochemical measurement techniques.

Water-based coatings are gaining prominence due to better environmental credentials compared to more widely used solvent-based coatings which contain fossil fuel derived organic solvents. These results are the first evidence that Sparc has seen whereby graphene significantly improves the corrosion performance of water-based coatings. This extends Sparc’s reach into a new and rapidly growing area of the coatings market where there are clear performance challenges to address. It also complements Sparc’s flagship ecosparc® product range.

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a method for coating lithium-ion battery cathodes with graphene, extending their life and performance. This recent effort may improve lithium-ion battery performance and reduce reliance on cobalt, an element frequently used in lithium-ion batteries that is difficult to source sustainably.

Image credit: Caltech

Caltech senior research scientist, David Boyd, has worked over the past decade to develop techniques for manufacturing graphene. In 2015, Boyd and colleagues discovered that high-quality graphene could be produced at room temperature. Prior to this, the production of graphene required extremely high temperatures, up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. After this breakthrough, they searched for new applications for graphene. Recently, Boyd teamed up with Will West, a technologist at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA. West specializes in electrochemistry and, in particular, in the development of improved battery technologies. Boyd and West set out to see if graphene could create an improved lithium-ion battery, which they have shown to be possible.

Sparc Technologies has secured AUD$1.12 million (around USD$730,000) in an R&D tax refund, under the Australian Government's R&D Tax Incentive, relating to the 2024 financial year. 

It was stated that this financial boost comes as a recognition of Sparc’s commitment to advancing sustainable technologies in high-performance coatings and polymers. This refund will strengthen the company’s cash position thereby providing continued support for Sparc's investment in Sparc Hydrogen, ecosparc® field trials and its work developing graphene based additives for high performance coatings and polymers

Researchers from Northwestern University and University of California have developed a strategy that prevents frost formation - the team reported a hybrid surface design that passively controls the diffusion of water vapor over a surface to sustain flat frost-free regions for long periods of time. The hybrid anti-frosting technique can prevent frosting for potentially weeks at a time and is scalable, durable and fabricated through 3D printing.

The team found that tweaking the texture of any surface and adding a thin layer of graphene oxide prevents 100% of frost from forming on surfaces for one week or potentially even longer. This is 1,000 times longer than current, state-of-the-art anti-frosting surfaces. As a bonus, the new scalable surface design is also resistant to cracks, scratches and contamination.

CRX Coatings, a Tennessee-based company specializing in graphene-formulated coatings, has entered into the boating industry by launching its new X21 Foul Release Bottom Paint.

CRX Coatings has developed a non-ablative, copper free, biocide-free graphene formula specifically for marine applications. Their innovative approach reportedly ensures maximum performance and durability for boat owners.